seemed willing to waive it, and I left him with a perfectly good understanding.

As

I attended at the rehearsal next morning. The corporal stood at the stage-door, ready to marshal his squad of supernumeraries, and conduct them to the scene of their duties. We were taken through various dark passages, and arriving on the veritable boards of “Old Drury," found the place equally enveloped in gloom. The stage was peopled with many shadowy forms, that were busily flitting about. my eyes became accustomed to the pervading gloom, I could gradually distinguish objects better. A portly little man, the manager, stood centrally at the foot of the stage, and was occupied in drilling a concourse of persons of both sexes, differently positioned over the stage. Occasionally he turned, and looking down upon a dark abyss, which was the locality of the orchestra, bawled aloud certain technical injunctions to some lively but discordant instruments, in human shape, therein assembled. Active and energetic shades, whose shabby exteriors, not even the gloom of their Hades could hide, were constantly darting to the side of the manager, and immediately vanishing at the wings, after the manner of King Richard's staff on the conventional Bosworth Field of the stage.

While curiously observing the arrangements of the mise en scène, I was aroused to a sense of personal responsibility, by a stentorian voice, exclaiming at my ear,―

"All the supers in the saloon. Corps de ballet for the scarf figure; Mr. Payne, and all the Gnomes."

A rush of those who had been standing near me now took place, and the corporal, observing my bewilderment, unceremoniously attacked me by the scruff of the neck, and almost dragged me across the stage to a hole in the wall on the prompt side, and behind the prompter's box. Into this hole I was compelled to enter, and, followed by the corporal, ascended a dark staircase, leading, as I discovered-via the dress-circle of the theatre -to the saloon. On arriving at the latter locale, a fantastic scene presented itself. Some dozen or two of young girls, in dingy apparel, each waving a bright-coloured muslin scarf, were ranged, vis-à-vis, while, down the centre, pirouetted and gallopaded a chief danseuse, more slovenly, more theatrically, and more dingily-attired, than the rest. She wore a short nankeen skirt, displaying whity-brown integuments, technically termed "fleshings," and looking excessively dusty. The fair dancer's head-dress consisted of a coronal of dirty-white lilies; her arms were bare, and she deftly waved a cerulean-coloured scarf, twisting it into a variety of mathematical forms. Her face was pale as marble; it looked as if it had been chalked, like the soles of her feet.

"Gents to the right face!" roared the corporal, who gave other directions, and we supers obeyed by performing an evolution resembling the favourite school-boy amusement of "follow-my-leader." Obeying the general movement, I found myself in quadrille position with (not a pretty, but) a putty-faced lady for a partner. Before I could collect myself, I was drawn into a vortex of evolutions, in the course of which, every now and then, I perceived my fair partner affectionately hanging over me, with her scarf arched above my head, and her voiceangrily, I thought-beseeching me to bend down on one knee, in which position I had to cover the depressed end of her scarf with my kisses. We continued to practise these Terpsichorean movements so long a

time, that I became heartily tired of my knighthood, and even my gallantry was oozing away; for, assuredly, both were sorely tried, while the caps of my knees were getting excessively tender with so much kneeling. Relief at last arrived, however, in the person of an obese herald from the stage, calling out—

"All the ladies and gentlemen of the ballet-on the stage!"

To my great delight, my Amazonian "ladye love" at once abandoned me, and flew, with her Diana-like sisterhood, back, from whence they came. I was alone for the moment, but thought it expedient to follow in the direction taken by the last two or three lingering knights that were departing from the field of chivalry. Once more I reached the Alsatia of the stage, and was immediately drafted, with eleven others, out of a large body of supernumeraries, and introduced by my Nemesis, the corporal, to "The Chief of the Gnomes." This demoniac authority was pleased to accept me as a suitable recruit. Twelve sable statues being required to form a human, but mute, columnar tableau in the vestibule of the Gnome-king's palace, we statues were directly brought on to the scene. Twelve black pedestals were ranged in readiness for our occupation. We caryatides had to mount these boxes, and to stand on the tops of them in statuesque form, supporting, with the raised arm over the bent shoulders, a bronze censer, emitting blue flames. With difficulty I mounted the rickety pediment, or rather im-pediment. accident, of an undignified nature, thus early in my theatrical experience, attended my exertions. In mounting the trunk allotted to myself, a strain upon my pantaloons took place, ensuing in a breakage of my apparel, unfortunately at the very seat of honour. Glad was I when the rehearsal was over, and I was released from the purgatory I had got myself into.

A subsequent rehearsal introduced me to fresh troubles. I had to lead a forlorn hope of Saracens up a steep and almost perpendicular mountain, constructed of strong deal boards, covered with a layer of damp sawdust. Having forced the stronghold of the enemy (whoever he was) at the top of the acclivity, it was next my duty to descend and throw the protection of my shield over Miss Poole, as a princess, under process of disenchantment. It was a situation of some danger, for I had to strike a position over the princess in a mêlée of Ducrow's horse, which mêlée occurred half-way up the mountain. The insensate Ducrow (peace to his manes) passed me on his caracolling steed, and, as the animal pranced and reared over my devoted head, the expletive-loving equestrian pelted me with a full measure of his customary oaths and curses, by way of expressing his ire at my not giving his horse more room for the display of his mettle.

The eventful evening fixed for the first performance of the spectacle at last arrived. The duty that devolved on me was, as may have been collected from the foregoing, onerous. It is needless, however, to detail all the circumstances attendant on my situation; suffice it that the house was crowded, and the scenic effects to be produced very impor

tant.

All was activity and energy behind the curtain, uproar and confusion before it. The curtain rose, and the uproar subsided, and was hushed. The first scene elicited admiration; and scene after scene succeeded, with satisfactory results. The scarf-dance, of which I was a figure or cypher, was introduced, and successfully,-it obtained an encore.

In

the following act, the "Ebon Vestibule of the Gnome King's Palace," opened upon the audience with a tremendous effect. Two motley jesters, of the staunch Saxon wit, "fooled the auditory to the top of their bent,' while we, the caryatides, were discovered standing on our pedestals, supporting our censers. Mine was the position of third statue on the prompt side. I felt my confidence oozing out, not only at my fingers' ends, but also at my toes. A magnificent retinue occupied the stage, passing us in procession. Then came the Enchanted Prince (Ducrow) on his flying steed; the rider flourishing a flaming sword, and gesticulating like mad! Much valuable time was, I recollect, wasted by the delays incident to a first night. No thought appeared to be taken of us statues; of course, nobody ever dreamt that we had any feelings. For my own part the time completely beat me. The perspiration fairly ran down my sable face, an intense irritation visited various parts of my body, flying especially to the calves of my legs. Despite the occasion, despite the dishonour attending failure, I felt it inevitable that I must give audible-practical-expression to my misery. AND I DID! Lowering my dexter hand, I administered a vigorous scratch to that portion of my anatomy so indispensably requiring the application of friction. The action, however sudden, was as suddenly observed. A shout of laughter proceeded from the thronged pit; its effect was, to cause the object of it to lose all presence of mind. I could no longer suppress my agitation, an audible groan escaped me; the laughter became uproarious and furious, depriving me momentarily of reason. May Thespis forgive the unheroic deed!-in a paroxysm of frenzy, I precipitated myself from the pillar, intent on instantly flying the scene of my discomfiture; but alas! in endeavouring to effect a precipitate retreat, I incontinently stumbled against the pedestal of a brother statue, thus throwing this unfortunate caryatide also from his equilibrium, and causing him, as suddenly as myself, to vacate his post in a most undignified manner. The double catastrophe produced an indescribable sensation. Explosions of hisses and laughter greeted us, volley after volley. We were assailed with curses, not loud but deep, from the wings of the stage. In the midst of the commotion the scene was closed, and the stage filled with irate officials and curious inquirers. While the confusion was at it height, I prudently escaped. There was brief time to peel off my black skin, and once more attired in my customary apparel, I hurried from the theatre,-nor did I return to resume the parts, either as a Drury Lane knight or statue.

THE SHOE.

THERE's a great ball to night at the castle;
There are knocks at the door all the day;
Every knock at the door brings a parcel,
Every parcel contains something gay.

My dress gives no room for complaining,
Flowers, trimmings, and gloves, all quite new;
And the one only thing now remaining,

Is to look for a pretty shaped shoe.

With great trouble, I make a selection,
For I must have a well-fitting pair:
At length, some appear quite perfection—
Their beauty will make the world stare!

My toilet thus fixed; to begin it,

I go very early, 'tis true;

But I wait for the very last minute,
To put on my beautiful shoe.

My dress I discover no faults in—
At eleven we start from the house;
And half-an-hour after, we 're waltzing,
In time, to the sweet airs of Strauss.
But that proverb, so frequently quoted,
Of the cup and the lip, proved quite true;
And the dancing, on which I so doted,
Was spoiled by my horrible shoe.

How could I have guessed, while admiring

Its beautiful form in the glass,

That the pleasure I'd been so desiring,

Would be quite ruined by it; alas!

But no sooner had I begun twirling,

Than my shoe took to doing so too;

And while in the gay dance, still whirling,
Off danced my detestable shoe;

In l'Eté, while I in a chassé,
My vis-à-vis hastened to meet,
I felt, on a sudden, quite glacée,

By something cold touching my feet.

A dreadful suspicion came o'er me !—
I looked on the ground,-full in view
Of the crowds of spectators before me,
A yard or two off, lay my shoe!

This leads to a pause in my dancing;
To sit, sadly still, I'm reduced;
When I see our fair hostess advancing,
And I rise up to be introduced.

I return with a curtsey her greeting,
Then drew back,-when I found-fancy, do!
I had left at her feet, in retreating,
My hateful, my horrible shoe!

By these accidents fairly affrighted,
All hopes of a dance I renounced;
And I must own, I felt quite delighted,
When our carriage, at last, was announced.
But on mounting its step,-who can utter
My grief!-some one pushed-Lord knows who!
And I found my foot right in the gutter,
Deserted, of course, by my shoe!

Left barefoot (there could be no wearing
A thing covered with mud, every inch);
I determined, next time, on preparing
A shoe that would serve at a pinch.
You may talk of the torture of squeezing,
What is that, pray, to being wet through?
Take my word, there is nothing more teazing,
Than to play hide and seek with your shoe!

M. A. B.