HUMOURS OF A FREE NIGHT. 197 



some powder in my wig ! surely FU do that same ; 

 but I have ounly to tell you, my darlents, that Fm a 

 Scotch jontleman to-night, and not Mr. Benjamin 



Barret ; and so " — " Get out wid your dirtiness, 



Paddy — you chimney swaper ! you tragedy crow I — 

 Do you think to bother us wid your black looks ? Go 

 and powder your jasey you dirty body-box maker/^ 

 " Oh, to be sure, FU do that same/' Saying which, 

 he made a low bow, and retreated to the green-room, 

 leaving the audience and Lord and Lady Randolph to 

 amuse themselves ad interim as they pleased. 



Barret on this occasion wore a stiffly-starched lady's 

 ruff; and the waggish barber powdered him so suffi- 

 ciently as to lodge a ridge round his throat, and give 

 him the face of the ghost of Hamlet's father. When 

 he returned to the stage, he was received with a shout 

 of laughter that threatened to rend the roof. Paddy 

 bowed full low for the honour conferred on him, and was 

 about to proceed, when the '' Norman Quay " critics 

 were at him again. ^^ Arrah ! the boy's been in a 

 show storm ! By the powers ! he has put his head in 

 a flour sack ! — Paddy, Paddy Barret ! " Glenalvon dis- 

 regarded them for some time with a very laudable spirit 

 of contempt, till the yells, groans, epithets, and excla- 

 mations, swelled the diabolical chorus to a negation of 

 the sense of hearing. He then came forward a second 

 time to inquire their wishes. " Leedies and Jontlemen, 

 what may it plase ye to want now?" " Put some paint 

 on your nose," was the reply. '' What ? " — " Put some 

 paint on your nose, you ghost alive ! " " Paint my 

 nose to play tragedy ? Oh, bad luck to your taste ! — 

 I tell you what, Terence M'Mulligun, and you, Larry 

 Casey, with your two ugly mugs up in the boxes yon- 

 der, i see how it is ; the Divvle himself would n't plase 

 ye to-night ; so you may just come down and play the 

 karakter yoursilves, — for the ghost of another line will 

 I niver spake to-night." Saying which, he took off* 

 his wig, and shaking it at them contemptuously, strut- 

 ted oft". The prompter was consequently obliged to 

 read the remainder of the part. Bernard. 



