I50 The Real Charlotte, 



In front of a door leading to the harness-room, two clothes- 

 horses, draped with tablecloths, a long ottoman, once part 

 of the furniture of a pre-historic yacht of Sir Benjamin's, two 

 chairs, and a ladder, indicated the stage, and four stable- 

 lanterns on the floor served as footlights. Lady Dysart, the 

 Archdeacon, and Mrs. Gascogne sat in three chairs of 

 honour ; the landau was occupied by the rest of the party, 

 with the exception of Francie and Hawkins, who had 

 followed the others from the drawing-room at a little 

 distance. When they appeared, the coach-box of the 

 landau seemed their obvious destination ; but at the same 

 instant the wrangling voices of the actors in the harness- 

 room ceased, the play began, and when Pamela next 

 looked round neither Francie nor Mr. Hawkins was vis- 

 ible, and from the open window of an invalided brougham 

 that had been pushed into the background, came 

 sounds of laughter that sufficiently indicated their where- 

 abouts. 



The most able and accustomed of dramatic critics would 

 falter in the attempt to master the leading idea of one of 

 Garry's entertainments ; so far as this performance made 

 itself intelligible, it consisted of nightmare snatches of 

 " Kenilworth," subordinated to the exigencies of stage 

 properties, chiefest among these being Sir Benjamin's 

 deputy-lieutenant's uniform. The sword and cocked hat 

 found their obvious wearer in the Earl of Leicester, and the 

 white plume had been yielded to Kitty Gascogne, whose 

 small crimson face grinned consciously beneath the limp 

 feathers. Lady Dysart's white bernouse was felt to confer 

 an air of simplicity appropriate to the part of Amy Robsart, 

 and its owner could not repress a groan as she realised that 

 the heroine would inevitably be consigned to the grimy 

 depths of the yacht ottoman, a receptacle long consecrated 

 to the office of stage tomb. At present, however, it was 

 employed as a sofa, on which sat Leicester and Amy, 

 engaged in an exhausting conversation on State matters, 

 the onus of which fell entirely upon the former, his com- 

 panion's part in it consisting mainly of a sustained giggle, 

 it presently became evident that even Garry was flagging, 

 ana glances towards the door of the harness-room told that 

 expected relief delayed its coming. 



