Emma wrote to the Honeybuns, who were then living in London, and recounted the good fortune of her family. Julius had long ago offered to refund to the happy couple the sums of money they had so kindly lent, but Mrs. Honeybun would not receive a penny in repayment.

Mrs. Godfrey advanced to Julius sufficient money for his family's travelling expenses, which money was to be repaid in weekly instalments; so, with a kind good-bye to poor Mrs. Murden and the members of her struggling company, Julius and his family departed for Manchester.

CHAPTER XVI.

It was a dark morning: a yellow mist overhung the whole town, and the people, with muffled mouths, went wheezing along. Manchester is proverbially a dismal abiding-place, even in the summer, but in the winter season this smoky town is positively unbearable.

On the morning after their arrival, Julius, with his wife and daughters, proceeded to the theatre, of which Mrs. Godfrey was the manageress, and there awaited an introduction to the important lady. Shortly after making his business known, Julius was thus addressed by a veteran actor :

"I am instructed to inform you that Mrs. Godfrey is busy at present, sir, but she will see you in a quarter of an hour. Please to step into the green-room-this way, sir; mind the braces, ladies. The place is terribly dark at all times, but this morning we are enveloped in a dense fog, which penetrates, if I may use the expression, into the very bowels of the theatre. Here we are: this is our green-room,-what do you think of it? I'll stir up the fire and brighten the scene a little. There! now I can see you. Ladies, pray be seated. Allow me to say you are welcome, very welcome, to Manchester. A wretched dearth of talent now-a-days! Ah!

L

I have acted with the Kembles, Mrs. Siddons-the divine Siddons, and Miss O'Neill : glorious creatures, sir! Those were the days in which the drama really flourished-when we had the cream of acting; now, good Lor'!-if I may be permitted to use the expression-we have only skimmed milk."

'Rina and Clotilda were awed by the conversation and manners of the quaint old gentleman who had acted with the Kembles and Miss O'Neill, and the young girls sat on the edges of their chairs and felt quite bewildered.

"My feet are so cold," observed Clotilda, in a whisper to 'Rina.

"Warm them, then," returned she; "there's a capital fire."

"Perhaps it wouldn't be proper to do so," said Clo'; "the old gentleman might think me vulgar; remember, he knew the Kembles, and Mrs. Siddons, and Miss O'Neill."

"Well, and what if he did! When they had cold toes they didn't consider it a vulgar act to warm them."

"But, 'Rina, 'pa told me to be very particular, and not to do anything that would put me in an ungraceful attitude." "Which of these young ladies is to be my Titania!" asked the old gentleman.

"This is Titania, and this is Puck," said Julius, respectively presenting his daughters.

"The old gentleman coolly wiped his spectacles, adjusted them, and taking 'Rina by the hand, led her to the window. "My dear, suffer an old man to kiss your hand. My name is Beckenham-George Beckenham, at your service: I act Bottom-Bottom the weaver. I performed the part in London many years ago with some of our great actresses; but I think I may safely say, that I never before had such a Titania as you will be. Don't blush, my child; I'm an old man of seventy; and a man of threescore and ten years is privileged to say many things. God bless you, my child! God bless you!"

One by one, the performers arrived, to whom Julius and Emma were introduced by Mr. Beckenham, who, in a low voice, was repeating the part of Puck to Clotilda.

"There, my dear!" said he, "avoid a monotonous drawl, and do not speak too loud; enunciate clearly, and you will

find that your voice will travel as far as the back of the gallery when those who are bawling by your side will not be heard." "How can that be possible?" inquired Clo'.

"You don't understand me," said Beckenham: "their voices may be heard but not their words-not their words, my dear."

"Yes, I think I comprehend you," said Clotilda, her face brightening."

"Of course you do!"

At this instant the call-boy appeared, with a message from Mrs. Godfrey.

"Would Monsieur and Madame Cardonizzi and the young ladies step up to Mrs. Godfrey's room?"

As Julius rose, he felt his coat-tail pulled.

"A word in your ear," said Beckenham, drawing Julius aside: "you'll find the old lady a queer fish-stingy as the deuce-but don't heed her odd ways-I don't, nobody does." "Thank you," said Julius; and away the Cardonizzis proceeded to Mrs. Godfrey's private apartment.

The call-boy flung open the door, and the little party stood in the presence of a diminutive old woman, enveloped in a long black cloak; she wore an enormous coal-scuttle bonnet, under which her face was entirely lost; therefore, whenever she addressed any one she was obliged to push back her head-gear in order to see or be seen.

"Put up the gas, Joe!" said Mrs. Godfrey, in a gruff voice, and putting back her huge bonnet ;-"not so much as that, stupid! it's bad enough to have to burn gas in what ought to be blessed daylight, without flaring it away after that extravagant fashion. Now you may go; and tell Mr. Ibbitson not to dawdle with the rehearsal."

"Yes, ma'am," said the call-boy, going.

"Come back!" shouted she; "I haven't half done. Tell Mrs. Waltham that last season her dress, in Mrs. White, was too long; she must shorten it before she wears it again." "Yes, ma'am."

"Stop! send the property-man to me," she said, taking snuff; "and tell the cleaner I'll see her hanged before I'll give her a new broom. Drat her! does she think I'm made of money?-New broom, indeed! the old one must do.Now brush!"

"Yes, ma'am." "Joe!"

"Yes, ma'am.”

"An ounce of the best 'Prince's mixture," said she, laying down her snuff-box, "and tell the man not to give short weight."

"Yes, ma'am," - and the lad shot out of the room with his string of messages.

"Well, now!" resumed the manageress, adjusting her spectacles and turning to Julius and Emma-" well, now! I'm glad to see you all; take chairs if you can find them-it costs nothing to sit, I believe. Ugh! that Joe has left the door open. Thank you, littre miss," added she, as Clotilda closed the door; "I like to see young people sharp and attentive; you'll be sure to get on in your profession with those requisites. Have you a pinch of snuff, Mr. --? that lad will be all day, I think."

Julius informed Mrs. Godfrey that he did not take snuff.

"So these two lasses are your daughters," said she, fidgetting with her bonnet. "Humph! fine girls-very fine girls! I hope they've decent feet and ankles; remember the short petticoats and all that sort of thing."

Emma laughed, and replied that she did not think Mrs. Godfrey needed to be under any apprehension in that respect.

"I've been taken in so dreadfully," said Mrs. Godfrey, in a serious tone: "I've had lots of actresses and ballet-girls with pretty faces and no calves-no calves whatever, and too much ankle."

"'Rina thrust her handkerchief into her mouth, to stifle her laughter; while Clo's eyes winked and blinked with a droll expression of quiet merriment.

The call-boy brought the snuff, and carried away a fresh string of messages.

"I may count upon the flying fairies?" resumed the manageress, taking snuff extensively.

Emma exchanged looks with her husband.

"Why the mischief don't you answer, eh?" asked Mrs. Godfrey, in a subdued growl, and pulling her bonnet on; "I always like to be answered without hesitation"

(bonnet pushed back impatiently). "Now about the flying fairies?"

"My wife" began Julius.

"Oh! it's the wife, is it?" exclaimed the manageress, rapping her snuff-box on the table and tugging at her bonnet. "Oho! I see," added she, drawing out a dingy red cotton handkerchief, and waving it before her nostrils, "I perceive the gray mare, etcætera.-Well?”

"We fear an accident happening to our children," observed Emma; "flying is so dangerous: if one of the wires were to break

"The child would fall-I know it," interrupted Mrs. Godfrey. "Well, make them imps, or gnomes, or what-not, I shall make no demur! only the children must go on in the piece, because such was our arrangement."

Emma assured Mrs. Godfrey that she had not the slightest objection to her two boys going on as imps.

"Off with you to the stage!" said the odd little woman, pulling on her coal-scuttle of a bonnet, as if to shut up further parley. "Holloa!" she added, starting up; "I'll accompany you, and introduce you to Mr. Ibbitson."

Long before they arrived at the wings the sounds of music fell upon their ears: the band was rehearsing the overture to "A Midsummer Night's Dream."

"That's right, Monsieur Honsett!" said Mrs. Godfrey, waddling on to the stage, and nodding approvingly to the leader of the band; "keep 'em at it-nothing like practice." She gave her bonnet the customary backward push, and peered through her spectacles as if counting the performers in the orchestra; all at once she walked to the end of the foot-lights, and, stooping her little body, thus addressed a horn-player just added to the meagre band : *

"What are you doing with your trumpet on your knee? -why are you not playing like the others, eh?"

"I've forty-eight bars rest, madam," answered the musician. "Pack of stuff!" cried she, taking snuff-" pack of stuff! Play away, sir! I don't pay you a salary to rest; folks in my theatre must work, sir; so, mind, if ever I see you rest