The Play's the Thing                                19

When Stoppard came to New York for the opening of The Real
Thing, he found the House of Books at its new location. He said
later of that visit that Margie

.,. always seemed to be a survivor, though the la.st time I saw her,
which was just after she had moved into her new premises, I thought
for the first time that she was showing the extra layer of anxiety felt
by the elderly. She was worried about the place itself and about the
shelves being all right....

She was also deeply frightened of losing her memory and seemed to
have disguised from Stoppard the panicky moment when she could
not remember his name. For his part, Stoppard was as kind as ever,
inviting Margie to a party for the cast of The Real Thing at the
Carlyle Hotel. With a customary display of her indomitable spirit,
she went to the party. Her account of it later revealed just that layer
of anxiety that Stoppard had detected, since she was concerned that
the party had been a crowded one and that she could not clearly
remember whom she had met. One member of the cast was
described as being very tall, thin, and having a scraggly beard. It was
Jeremy Irons, whom most of New York would have given a lot to
meet. Typically, Margie was more concerned that she did not have a
chance for a good talk with Stoppard.

After much debate, Margie decided in July 19 84 to go to London
again to buy books for stock and to see old friends. Her concession
to her eighty-six years was that she would not go to the London
Antiquarian Book Fair. Apologizing to one and all for needing to
carry a cane, she did manage the trip to England, dinners in her
favorite restaurants, and to buy books for stock. On August 10,
shortly before she was to come home, she was struck and killed by a
truck as she crossed the street.

In October 1984, at a memorial service in London organized by
the distinguished English bookman Anthony Rota, Tom Stoppard
was the main speaker. He described Margie as a

... survivor and it is terrible that she was laid low finally in that
ghastly way. Vm glad that I can, as we all can, remember her in a
prime which lasted and stretched right up the years to a time of life
where we should be fortunate to have a prime left.. ..