12 



make a decided hit in f Masaniello/ Harfield sings that music ad- 

 mirably." 



Every body echoed the sentiment. Mr. Harfield smiled, and 

 looked foolish, not an unusual thing with him hummed " Behold 

 how brightly breaks the morning," and blushed as red as the 

 fisherman's night-cap he was trying on. 



" Let's see," resumed the manager, telling the number on his fin- 

 gers, we shall have three dancing female peasants, besides Fenella, 

 and four fishermen. Then there's our man Tom, he can have a pair 

 of ducks of mine, and a check-shirt of Bob's, and a red night-cap, and 

 he'll do for another that's five. In the chorusses, of course, we can 

 all sing at the sides, and in the market-scene we can walk about in 

 cloaks and things. When the revolt takes place, Tom must keep 

 rushing in on one side and out at the other, with a pick-axe, as fast 

 as he can. The effect will be electrical ; 'twill look just as if there 

 were a great number of 'em : and in the eruption scene we must 

 burn the red fire, and upset the tea-trays, and hallo and make all 

 sorts of noises and it's sure to do." 



" Sure ! sure !" cried all the performers una voce and away hur- 

 ried Mr. Sempronius Gattleton to wash the burnt cork off his face, 

 and superintend the " setting up" of some of the amateur painted 

 and never-sufficiently-to-be-admired scenery. 



Mrs. Gattleton was a kind, good-tempered, vulgar old soul, ex- 

 ceedingly fond of her husband and children, and entertaining only 

 three dislikes. In the first place, she had a natural antipathy to any 

 body else's unmarried daughters ; in the second, she was in bodily 

 fear of any thing in the shape of ridicule ; and, lastly almost a neces- 

 sary consequence of this feeling she regarded with feelings of the 

 utmost horror ' ' Mrs. Joseph Porter, over the way." However, the 

 good folks of Clapham and its vicinity stood very much in awe of 

 scandal and sarcasm ; and thus Mrs. Joseph Porter was courted, and 

 flattered, and caressed, and invited, for very much the same reason 

 that a poor author without a farthing in his pocket behaves with the 

 most extraordinary civility to a two-penny postman. 



" Never mind, Ma," said Miss Emma Porter, in colloquy with 

 her respected relative, and trying to look unconcerned ; " if they 

 had invited me, you know that neither you nor Pa would have 

 allowed me to take part in such an exhibition." 



" Just what I should have thought from your high sense of pro- 

 priety," returned the mother. " I am glad to see, Emma, you 

 know how to designate the proceeding." Miss P v by-the-by, had 

 only the week before made an " exhibition" of herself for four 

 days, behind a counter at a fancy fair, to all and every of his Ma- 

 jesty's liege subjects who were disposed to pay a shilling each for 

 the privilege of seeing some four dozen girls flirting with strangers, 

 and playing at shop. 



" There !" said Mrs. Porter, looking out of the window ; " there 

 are two rounds of beef and a ham going in, clearly for sandwiches; 

 and Thomas, the pastry-cook, says there have been twelve dozen 

 tarts ordered, besides blanc-mange and jellies. Upon my word ! 

 think of the Miss Gatteletons in fancy dresses, too!" 



