no time to lose; it only wants a quarter to eight, at which hour the tragedy commences. What say you?

"Provided Geoffrey makes one of the party, I'm agreeable," rejoined Sir John. "But, in the name of Jupiter, when did this new whim seize your grace?"

"Whim!-pshaw! I'm told that everybody ought to see Trenmore's Hamlet."

"But I imagined you cared only for pictures," said the baronet, with a spice of satire in his voice. "Well, what then, old crab? I'm not professing to care for acting, am I?" said the nobleman. "We may go to a theatre without caring a straw for the acting, I suppose. But jump into the carriage, and we'll dispute the matter as we go along."

"A capital box!" said Sir John Craggsbridge, taking his seat and looking round the theatre; a good view of the stage. Here Geoffrey, I'll give this seat up to you, for I know the tragedy by heart; now and then, when the ladies come on, I'll just take a peep; though you and I are almost too old to admire the ladies, eh, Lissborough?"

"Confound it, Craggsbridge! answer for yourself," returned the duke, adjusting his opera-glass. "Gad, Sir John! a man is never old; women grow old, and deucedly ugly, into the bargain, but with men the case is altogether different; years bring to them additional dignity and wisdom, while to woman years only bring grey hairs, wrinkles, and

Humph! let us take a glance in the mirror and compare our faces with Geoffrey's smooth countenance, and we shall speedily discover that time has left his rude and ineffaceable finger-marks on every feature of our

The curtain now rose and the topic of their conversation was changed.

The trio remained silent for some time listening in rapt attention to Trenmore, whose Hamlet satisfied even Sir John's fastidious taste. He had seen the Kembles, Mrs. Siddons, Mrs. Jordan, Cooke, Edmund Kean, and a score of others who had been reputed great, and the baronet, like many others,

was inclined to believe that the art of acting had been buried in the graves of the before-mentioned performers, some of whom, could we resuscitate them, might not perhaps please the present play-goers, who now admire the soft and simple touches of nature rather than the stilted and grand style of declamation in vogue before and during the Kembles' reign. The greatest triumph an actor can achieve is to render his part naturally; it is easy enough to bluster, attitudinize, strut, pace the stage with measured tread, and to perform fifty other antics equally out of place and absurd. All these are tricks-mere tricks-conned like school-boy lessons and proving about as effective in their delivery. Indeed, it would be a positive labour to teach such artificial mimes how to greet a friend in a commonplace fashion; for to them an unaffected "How do you do?" would be a wonderful feat to accomplish, and almost as astonishing to witness as a Pope dancing a polka, or a maiden of forty refusing a wedding-ring.

There was a sudden burst of applause from the whole audience as Ophelia ('Rina) entered. The Duke of Lissborough was enchanted, and did not seek to hide his admiration of the young actress, whom he now found to possess all the charms he had anticipated.

Sir John mused as he gazed on 'Rina's face, in which there was an expression that brought back to his memory the great disappointment of his life; and unconscious tears welled into his eyes as, in thought, Emma's unforgotten image rose before him.

"Tis not she," he murmured inwardly; "yet, oh, how like to Emma! How pure and calm her beauty is—in those white and spotless robes she is, indeed, like an angel!"

Other thoughts stirred in the duke's breast-thoughts dark and dishonourable towards the actress, whom the nobleman regarded as a toy which his gold could readily purchase. He never dreamed of opposition or obstacle to his wishes; he supposed his rank and riches could tempt the fair girl before him to fling away her good name and honesty: he imagined he had only to bait his hook to catch the fish. But, it was essential that he should contrive to obtain an introduction to the actress; that point gained, he regarded other difficulties as trifles, so certain was he of success.

"A lovely creature!" exclaimed his grace, as the act-drop fell; "I shouldn't mind taking her to Eaglemount castle." "As its mistress?" asked Sir John.

"Mistress!" echoed the nobleman; "really, Craggsbridge, you're full of obsolete nonsense; you're as antiquated as the hills, and almost as verdant. Mistress!" he resumed, drily," she should be as much mistress of Eaglemount as I intend any woman to be."

"Heavens you cannot coolly contemplate

Plague take you, Craggsbridge ! don't commence sermon

izing !"

"I have no intention of wasting my breath!" retorted he, sharply; "I wish I hadn't accompanied you, Lissborough: if anything wrong comes of this visit, I shall look upon myself as a sort of accomplice in the business, and," continued he, becoming excited, "I shall reproach myself night and day."

66

Why, Sir John?”

"Lissborough, we've been friends-fast friends for nineteen

years."

66

And, for nineteen more, I trust we shall continue such. "Lissborough, I'm sixty-you are--"

"Fifty-eight; I know it. I'm in my prime; I'm—” "Not your heart, Lissborough, not your heart!"

Why, Craggsbridge, there are tears in your eyes! hang it all, friend Jack, don't turn woman!"

"I'm strangely moved," observed Sir John, half ashamed of the weakness he was displaying; "I feel a sudden and unaccountable interest in this young girl, who recalls to my memory one who was much beloved by me in time gone by."

"I never heard of this," said the duke, surprised.

Geoffrey Hollingsworth now interposed, and begged his uncle to change the subject.

"Mind, Lissborough!" resumed the baronet, sternly, "our bond of friendship is for ever dissolved if even by a single word you insult"

"Uncle, you misunderstand," interrupted Geoffrey, in a mild tone; then turning to the duke, the young man explained that Sir John suffered from attacks of melancholy, which the doctors regarded as extremely injurious to his

health. "For days," added Geoffrey, "he will not cease to talk about this scene and the recollection it has awakened ; indeed, the past will rise so vividly before him that he will suffer anew all the sorrow and pain of that disappointment which has saddened his whole life."

"And I," said the duke, reproachfully! "I, who have been his close and intimate associate, have been kept in ignorance of these facts."

"Pooh! everybody has some hidden grief," replied Sir John.

"You made a boy your confidant."

"The lad was a good listener, and I a weak, sillyheaded noodle."

The act-drop rose, and the conversation ceased.

The duke was uneasy, and the baronet sat absorbed in his own reflections.

Geoffrey now appeared to be the only one of the trio who really enjoyed the performance. Hamlet was over, and, contrary to the duke's expectation, Sir John expressed a desire to remain and witness the farce, (“A Roland for an Oliver,") in which Clotilda was to enact the part of Maria Darlington.

The baronet's curiosity regarding the sisters was strongly excited. He looked at their names in the playbill over and over again; no, he could not call to mind that he had ever before seen or heard the name of Cardonizzi. Why then did he torment himself by conjuring up, in a stranger, a resemblance to her?

It was no fancy: Clotilda's voice confirmed his suspicions. These beautiful and talented girls must be the daughters of Emma Chipperton: not a doubt now existed in his breast concerning the matter.

The trio left the theatre and returned to Park-lane in silence. The three men seemed all abstracted: deeply buried in their own thoughts. The duke was secretly concocting plans whereby he might obtain an introduction to 'Rina; whom each moment he became more determined to possess. Nothing should stay him: he was fixed in his

resolve.

Sir John's musings, though connected with the sisters, were of a widely different nature. He, too, was planning

how to gain a presentation to 'Rina, from whom he could learn all his heart ached to know.

Geoffrey Hollingsworth had visited the theatre on the first night the sisters appeared in London, and had been much charmed with Clotilda's person and acting. He had spoken in great praise of the new actresses to his uncle, but had failed to arouse in his breast the slightest wish to see them. The coming of the duke, and his invitation, had been a most lucky event to Geoffrey, who was longing to again behold Clotilda; which longing he would at once have indulged, had not his uncle to whom he was affectionately attached-chanced to claim his society on those very evenings on which the sisters performed. However, this second view of Clotilda, finished what the first had begun; and the baronet's nephew was now desperately in love. He thought of his two thousand a-year, left by his mother, and wondered whether he could support a wife and establishment on that sum. He did not reckon on the wealth he would inherit from Sir John-to whose possessions he was the only male heir: no, Geoffrey was too generous to calculate on the riches that would fall to him by the death of his dear relative; who, though eccentric and strange, nevertheless had a warm and loving heart that was devoted to his nephew.

Geoffrey was one of those men who possess that softness of disposition which might perhaps be considered as feminine. He had all the gentleness, delicacy, and refined sensibilities of woman; and, like most men of that peculiar class, he was much esteemed by the fair sex; for there is ever a powerful fascination about the man who, with his rude strength, unites tender thoughts and conduct. A woman -no matter how humble her position may be—is always secure with such a companion, he is her safeguard and her defender; he remembers his mother and sisters, and he respects and honours all womankind. Such men seldom disturb the peace of home firesides, for they become happy husbands and fathers.

The sudden stopping of the carriage at once awakened the gentlemen from their musings. The duke pleaded fatigue, and coldly declined partaking, with his friends, the supper that awaited them in Sir John's favourite apartment.