DOWN THE ROAD IN DAYS OF YORE 63 



The whole of the passengers went to see the 

 performance. The actors played their parts 

 A'cry indifferently, hut, after all, not so hadly hut 

 that one could, with some trouhle, manage to 

 perceive as much meaning in their actions as to 

 he ahle to distinguish between an honest man 

 and a rogue. Our ingenious and imaginative 

 Mr. Murray thought it must he dangerous for an 

 actor to play the rogue often, for fear of his 

 performance becoming something more than an 

 imitation. But after all, he says, with the fine 

 intolerant scorn of the old-time dissenting 

 minister, the generality of players had little 

 morality to lose. 



It was a very poor theatre — ^being, indeed, 

 not a theatre at all, and little better than a 

 barn. The audience, however, was good, and 

 well dressed, and the ladies handsome. The 

 performance Avas over by eleven o'clock, and the 

 company dismissed. Mr. Murray concludes his 

 account of the evening's entertainment by very 

 sourly observing that their time and that of the 

 rest of the audience might have been better 

 employed than in seeing a few stupid rogues 

 endeavouring to imitate what some of them 

 really were. 



The coach left Grantham at two o'clock the 

 next morning ; much too early, considering the 

 short rest the night's gaiety had left them. But 

 there Avas no choice — they Avere under authority, 

 and had to obey. That person Avould be a fool 

 who, having paid £3 8s. 6c?. for a seat in a stage- 



