[su carta intestata Ledoux & Company, 99 John Street, New York]

New York, April 23, 1909

Dear Sir,

Having seen in one of the New York papers an interview in which you were reported to have said you were looking for a grand opera libretto, in which the plot and the setting would be a little away from the ordinary, I venture to send you the manuscript of a play that could easily be made into a libretto, and that would, I think, be very well suited for operatic treatment by you.

Should you decide to take it, I would naturally wish to reserve the acting rights in English and other languages, as I am still in a negotiation that has dragged for over a year with the Bernhardts. It is also possible that I may succeed in arranging productions other that the French, especially if M^me Bernhardt decides to take the piece. One or two people have suggested that M.^me Duse might be interested in it, but I have not yet sent her a copy, having waited in the hope of hearing something definite from Paris.

Please be so kind as to let me hear if "Yzdra" appeals to you, and if it does not, kindly return the manuscript.

Sincerely yours,

Louis V. Ledoux.

To Mr Giacomo Puccini.