eyes of how you are conducting yourself. There, there! look at your fiddle, on which there are only three strings, while everybody else's has four."

"Why, ma'am,

"I'll not hear a word. I've found you out, have I? You may well hang your head."

"Good Heavens !" exclaimed the young man, no longer able to contain his laughter; "my instrument has the proper number of strings. I have no business with four strings, not I." "Monsieur Honsett," appealed Mrs. Godfrey; "has a double-bass only three strings?"

"Oui, madame."

Mrs. Godfrey resumed her place at the manager's table, amid the suppressed titter of the musicians and actors.

It was a well-known fact among the members of the company, that Smith carried all sorts of tales to Mrs. Godfrey, and otherwise created a great deal of mischief between her and the actors. It so happened that Ibbitson was to have performed Master Waller; but, owing to the manager's fit of gout being so severe, the part was allotted to Smith, to do the best he could with it. Now Smith had red hairsuch fiery red hair as to necessitate his wearing a wig whenever he acted. Clegg, the light comedian, had long resolved to punish Smith for a story he had circulated respecting Clegg's wearing an entire set of artificial teeth. Smith had told the truth, and nothing but the truth, for the comedian had no teeth save those which were supplied him by the dentist; nevertheless, the exposure was most unpardonable, and Clegg had sworn to chastise the tell-tale.

Night came there was a crowded house, to see Mrs. N-b-t in the character of Constance, in the comedy of "The Love Chase."

In the middle of a serious scene between Lydia ('Rina) and Master Waller (Smith), Clegg (who acted Wildrake), with a long string in his hand, ascended to the flieswhich are directly over the stage, and above the heads of the performers.

"I'll stand you glasses round," said the comedian, addressing one of the fly-men.

"But suppose Mrs. Godfrey gets to know that we had a hand in the affair," said the fly-man.

M

"I'll protect you all!" returned Clegg. "I shall never again have such an opportunity as the present,” added he, looking down on the stage, where 'Rina and Smith were engaged in the business of the scene; "I could do it in less than two minutes."

“Don't think of such a thing, sir,” entreated the fly-man. "What's to do, Bill? What does Mr. Clegg want?" asked the drop-man.

The fly-man whispered a few words into the drop-man's ear. "Sarve him right!" cried the drop-man; "I'll help you, Mr. Clegg-I owes Mr. Smith a grudge for getten on me fined. I'm your man; go it, Mr. Clegg!

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Quick, men! say, are you agreeable ?" inquired Clegg. "Yes, all on us, pervided we've the glasses round," said the fly-man.

"All right!" rejoined Clegg, bending over the stage, and letting down a string, to the end of which was attached a fish-hook.

All at once there was a shout from the audience; the fish-hook had caught the dark curly wig, and borne it aloft into a region invisible from the front of the house; and Master Waller stood for some seconds confounded and abashed; his black moustache and inky eyebrows rendering his red hair doubly conspicuous.

'Rina laughed, and Smith rushed off the stage to his dressing-room, where, on a table, lay the black wig which, two minutes before, had disappeared so mysteriously.

The evening's performance was marred. Every time Smith made his appearance the audience became convulsed with laughter, and coarse jokes fell like rain from the people in the gallery. The fly-men were true, and Clegg was never known as the perpetrator of this mischievous trick.

CHAPTER XVIII.

MANY months had elapsed, and many changes had taken place in Mrs. Godfrey's theatre since the closing events of the last chapter, but nothing had occurred to cause any considerable alteration in the position of Julius's family, not a member of which was a step nearer London. Julius fretted and fumed, and poor Emma's life would have been a heavy burden to bear, had it not been for her affectionate children, and the love they lavished upon their much-enduring mother.

'Rina and Clotilda were still industrious-still hopeful; and Beckenham told Julius, that there was much in which the sisters had to perfect themselves before they could possibly be fit to hold a position in a first-class theatre in the metropolis; therefore he must be patient, and wait for a while, until the buds unfolded their leaves, and became perfect flowers.

Mr. and Mrs. Gathorne Trenmore had just arrived, to play a fortnight's starring engagement in Mrs. Godfrey's theatre, preparatory to opening a theatre of their own in London. Mr. Trenmore was the only acknowledged Hamlet of the day other actors attempted the character, but most of them failed in it; indeed, there are but few who can form a true conception of Shakespeare's masterpiece, and fewer still who can embody it. Mr. Trenmore was an artiste in every sense of the word, and an ornament to his profession. He was a scholar and a gentleman, innately refined and extremely sensitive; it was the pride and constant study of his life to raise the fallen Drama, and with that object in view he was about to open a theatre in which the great bard was to reign all-powerful.

"Look here, Nelly!" said Mr. Trenmore, addressing his wife, as he stood by the sides, after acting; "isn't she lovely?" "What, the blonde girl who is now speaking?" asked Mrs. Trenmore, glancing towards 'Rina.

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Blonde, Nelly! I don't know what to call her ; Hebe-a Venus-a

she's a

"Hush! let us hear her speak," said Mrs. Trenmore ; very pretty indeed," added she; "there's stuff there, Gatty."

"The very actress we require to render our company complete!" returned he.

"I'll ask Ibbitson about her," said Mrs. Trenmore.

"Do, do, Ellen."

After a few minutes' absence, Mrs. Trenmore rejoined her husband.

"Why, Gatty, what do you think?" said she; "she's the young girl about whom Mrs. N-b-t was so enthusiastic." "Ay, I remember! she mentioned two sisters with a long and unpronounceable name."

"Cardonizzi," said Mrs. Trenmore; "look, look, Gatty! she who is now entering is the younger sister."

"They are both beautiful," said Mr. Trenmore; "and so graceful too."

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Charming!" cried his wife; "what pleasure it will be to take them to town, eh, Gatty?"

"I shall be delighted to do so," responded he ; encourage youthful talent.”

"I love to

Mr. Trenmore, who had a gentle and almost womanly disposition, ever rejoiced in performing generous acts. Thoughtful, unselfish, yielding, and affectionate, he was beloved by all who knew his noble heart and sterling worth. No needy cry reached his ear unheeded; his hand was ever ready to assist the unfortunate.

Mrs. Trenmore was the mirror and echo of her husband's ideas and sentiments: whatever he admired she was sure to appreciate; whatever he was enraptured with, she loved with an equal earnestness. Gathorne was to her a model of perfection-an oracle, out of whose mouth issued nothing save wisdom. Her wondrous attachment to him made her magnify all his good qualities, until she almost worshipped him. She possessed many of the requisites which he lacked she had an indomitable spirit, and a will of iron. Whatever she resolved upon, she carried out, despite every obstacle. She was, in short, a fitting wife for Gathorne ; and in time she proved herself a strong staff, on which he could lean. She helped him in his professional labours, and praised and strengthened him in all his efforts. She

gave him confidence in his powers, by showing him his superiority over others. She was his tender comforter, his companion, and his friend.

There are some men, and women too, who throughout their lives preserve a child-like simplicity of thought and feeling-who, by their own firesides are again happy boys and girls. Gathorne Trenmore was one of these men, for on his own hearth he was no more than a great schoolboy, petted and indulged in every whim that his fancy could devise.

The next day a fly stopped at the door of Julius's lodgings, and the servant-maid, carrying a couple of cards between the corner of her apron and her thumb and finger, entered the Cardonizzis' sitting-room.

"Here's a carriage at the door," said the girl, "and the gentleman in it gave me these for you," and she presented the two cards.

Mr. and Mrs. Gathorne Trenmore," read Julius, his face flushing with pleasurable surprise.

"What! coming up into our sitting-room?" asked Emma, suddenly dropping her sewing and beginning to tremble.

"Of course," rejoined Julius, putting up his collar, and drawing down the wrist-bands of his shirt.

"Oh, Clo', put these things out of sight!" cried 'Rina, thrusting away the stockings she had been busily employed in darning.

"And you little ones go into your sisters' chamber," said Emma, putting her young children into the next apartment, "and don't make a noise; be as quiet as mice."

The girl was despatched to show the visitors up-stairs, and after the lapse of a few minutes, Mr. and Mrs. Trenmore were ushered into the room.

Emma sat bewildered and amazed. Was she really awake? Was Mr. Trenmore actually offering 'Rina and Clotilda an engagement in his theatre, in the long-dreamed-of London? Emma listened with rapt attention. Mrs. Trenmore was

speaking in praise of Emma's daughters. How sweet the lady's musical voice sounded to the fond mother's ear. With her eyes full of tears she timidly stole a glance at her husband and children; as she did so, the warm blood mounted to her wan cheeks, and her heart throbbed quickly