Hale: Madame D'Arhlay 



15 



In a short time, however, we arrived at one of the door-keepers' bars. 

 Mr. Branghton demanded for what part of the house they took money. They 

 answered the pit, and regarded us all with great earnestness. The son then 

 advancing, said, "Sir, if you please, I beg that I may treat Miss." 



"We'll settle that another time," answered Mr. Branghton, and put down 

 a guinea. 



Two tickets of admission were given to him. 



Mr. Branghton, in his turn, now stared at the doorkeeper, and demanded 

 what he meant by giving him only two tickets for a guinea? 



"Only two. Sir!" said the man, "why don't you know that the tickets 

 are half-a-guinea each?" 



"Half-a-guinea each!" repeated Mr. Branghton, "why I never heard of 

 such a thing in my life! and pray, Sir, how many will they admit?" 



"Just as usual. Sir, one person each." 



"But one person for half-a-guinea! — why 1 only want to sit in the pit, 

 friend." 



"Had not the Ladies better sit in the gallery. Sir, for they'll hardly choose 

 to go into the pit with their hats on?" 



"0, as to that," cried Miss Branghton, "if our hats are too high, we'll 

 take them off when we get in. I sha'n't mind it, for I did my hair on pur- 

 pose, "^o 



The small talk, when they eventually find themselves in the top 

 gallery, seems remarkably lifelike. Captain Mirvan's and Madame 

 Duval's exchange of pleasantries, also, have a high degree of reality. 

 The exemplary Lord Orville, however, who chooses his words with the 

 obvious effort of making a good appearance, does not always speak 

 naturally : 



"The bath amusements," said Lord Orville, "have a sameness in them, 

 which, after a short time, renders them rather insipid: but the greatest 

 objection that can be made to the place, is the encouragement it gives to 

 gamesters. "51 



A little less starch in the speech of this immaculate young man would 

 not be amiss. 



The increased artificiality of the dialogue in Cecilia coincides 

 with the general falling-ofT in naturalness. The characters make the 

 simplest statements in the form of set speeches; for example, Mr. 

 Monckton introduces the heroine to his friends in this way: 



"I bring you a subject of sorrow in a young lady, who never gave dis- 

 turbance to her friends but in quitting them."" 



80 Evelina, I, 104. 



61 Ibid., II, 262. 



62 Cecilia, I, 68. 



