Browningpromisedtoconsiderthesuggestion。Sixweekslater，incompanywithForster，withwhomhehadbecomeintimate，hecalleduponMacready，todiscusstheplotofatragedywhichhehadpondered。Hetoldthetragedianhowdeeplyhehadbeenimpressedbyhisperformanceof“Othello“，andhowthishaddeflectedhisintentionfromamodernandEuropeantoanOrientalandancienttheme。
“BrowningsaidthatIhadBIThimbymyperformanceof`Othello’，andItoldhimIhopedIshouldmakethebloodcome。“The“blood“hadcomeintheguiseofadrama-motivebasedonthecrucialperiodinthecareerofNarses，theeunuch-generalofJustinian。Macreadylikedthesuggestion，thoughhedemurredtooneortwopointsintheoutline：
andbeforeBrowningleftheeagerlypressedhimto“goonwith`Narses’。“
ButwhetherBrowningmistrustedhisowninterestinthetheme，orwasdubiousastothesuccesswithwhichMacreadywouldrealisehisconception，orastothereceptionaplayofsuchnaturewouldwinfromanauditorynolongerreverentofhighdramaticideals，hegaveuptheidea。SomethreemonthslaterMay26thheenjoyedanothereventfulevening。ItwasthenightofthefirstperformanceofTalfourd’s“Ion“，andhewasamongthepersonalfriendsofMacreadywhowereinvitedtothesupperatTalfourd’srooms。
Afterthefallofthecurtain，Browning，Forster，andotherfriendssoughtthetragedianandcongratulatedhimuponthesuccessbothoftheplayandofhisimpersonationofthechiefcharacter。