addition to her elocutionary skills, she also began to display a great talent at music, and at singing. Apparently, when offstage, Jeffries was a somewhat modest and shy person; and, except for (perhaps, only) two occasions throughout her career — in The Memphis Daily Appeal of 9 July 1888, and The Seattle Post-Intelligencer, of 19 December 1897 — she refused to be interviewed by the press. United States (1887-1890) In October 1887, when Jeffries was just seventeen, she performed in Lizzie Evans's new play, Our Angel, at the New Memphis Theatre. Leaving Memphis on 14 August 1888 for New York, she joined the Lizzie Evans company; however, within three weeks it was reported that "Miss Maud Jeffries has been compelled to give up her engagement with the Lizzie Evans company and has returned home for rest and quiet" — with a more detailed account emerging a week later: In 1889 she went to New York and worked with Augustin Daly's company, playing small parts in pays such as "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and "As You Like It". Whilst working with Daly's company, she attracted the attention of Wilson Barrett. England (1890-1892) Jeffries left the United States on the RMS City of Chester on 6 August 1890, and arrived at Liverpool on 16 August 1890. Her first appearance on the English stage was in a small part in a new play, The People's Idol, that Barrett had written in collaboration with Victor Widnell. She made her English debut, on 4 December 1890, in the play's first public performance: on the opening night of The New Olympic Theatre, in London's Drury Lane, an entirely new, purpose-built theatre, which Barrett also managed. In August 1891, Wilson Barrett discovered that, due to a half forgotten arrangement made several years earlier, his leading lady at the time, "Maud Elmore", was contracted to appear with Morris Abrahams at the Pavilion Theatre for the whole of the 1891/1892 season.According to Thomas (1984, p.109), another actress, Mary Eastlake (1856-1911) who had been with Barrett for nine years, and had also been his "leading lady", had left Barrett's company a year earlier (towards the end of 1890), by amicable mutual agreement, and was touring the provinces, financed by Barrett — having been given the rights to perform the play "Clito" (co-written by Barrett and Sydney Grundy in 1886). Within days, it was being reported that "Miss Maud Jeffries, a