Part 31 (1/2)

The tailor's daughter replied in the affiroodness to let her know that Mr Johnson is here?' said Nicholas

'Oh, if you please, you're to cohter, with a s lady, and was shown into a s with a back-roo sound, as of cups and saucers, Miss Snevellicci was then taking her breakfast in bed

'You're to wait, if you please,' said the tailor's daughter, after a short period of absence, during which the clinking in the back-roo-'She won't be long'

As she spoke, she pulled up the -blind, and having by this ht) diverted Mr Johnson's attention froht up so on the fender, and had very s, and darted off

As there were not many objects of interest outside the , Nicholas looked about the rooht otherwise have bestowed upon it On the sofa lay an old guitar, several thumbed pieces of ether with a confused heap of play-bills, and a pair of soiled white satin shoes with large blue rosettes Hanging over the back of a chair was a half-finished muslin apron with little pockets orna-woe, and (by consequence) are never seen with anywhere else In one corner stood the diminutive pair of top-boots in which Miss Snevellicci was accustomed to enact the little jockey, and, folded on a chair hard by, was a small parcel, which bore a very suspicious resemblance to the co object of all was, perhaps, the open scrapbook, displayed in the midst of some theatrical duodecimos that were strewn upon the table; and pasted into which scrapbook were various critical notices of Miss Snevellicci's acting, extracted froether with one poetic address in her honour, co, God of Love, and tell ifted SNEVELLICCI came on earth, To thrill us with her s, God of Love, and tell me quickly why

Besides this effusion, there were innumerable complimentary allusions, also extracted from newspapers, such as-'We observe from an advertisement in another part of our paper of today, that the charhly-talented Miss Snevellicci takes her benefit on Wednesday, for which occasion she has put forth a bill of fare that ht kindle exhilaration in the breast of a misanthrope In the confidence that our fellonsh appreciation of public utility and private worth, for which they have long been so pre-e actress will be greeted with a bumper' 'To Correspondents-JS is ifted and beautiful Miss Snevellicci, nightly captivating all hearts at our pretty and com gentle within a hundred ood city of York, lately made honourable proposals We have reason to know that Miss Snevellicci IS the lady as implicated in that mysterious and romantic affair, and whose conduct on that occasion did no less honour to her head and heart, than do her histrionic triuenius' A copious assort bills of benefits all ending with 'Coe capitals, formed the principal contents of Miss Snevellicci's scrapbook

Nicholas had read a great many of these scraps, and was absorbed in a circumstantial and melancholy account of the train of events which had led to Miss Snevellicci's spraining her ankle by slipping on a piece of orange-peel flung by a e at Winchester,-when that young lady herself, attired in the coal-scuttle bonnet and walking-dress coies for having detained hi after the appointed ti Led, who lives with ht she would have expired in my arms'

'Such a fate is almost to be envied,' returned Nicholas, 'but I am very sorry to hear it nevertheless'

'What a creature you are to flatter!' said Miss Snevellicci, buttoning her glove in much confusion

'If it be flattery to admire your char his hand upon the scrapbook, 'you have better specimens of it here'

'Oh you cruel creature, to read such things as those! I'm almost ashamed to look you in the face afterwards, positively I a it away in a closet 'How careless of Led! How could she be so naughty!'

'I thought you had kindly left it here, on purpose for me to read,' said Nicholas And really it did seem possible

'I wouldn't have had you see it for the world!' rejoined Miss Snevellicci 'I never was so vexed-never! But she is such a careless thing, there's no trusting her'

The conversation was here interrupted by the entrance of the phenomenon, who had discreetly remained in the bedroorace and lightness, bearing in her hand a very little green parasol with a broad fringe border, and no handle After a feords of course, they sallied into the street

The phenoht sandal ca repaired, one leg of the little white trousers was discovered to be longer than the other; besides these accidents, the green parasol was dropped down an iron grating, and only fished up again with great difficulty and by dint of much exertion However, it was ihter, so Nicholas took it all in perfect good humour, and walked on, with Miss Snevellicci, ar infant on the other

The first house to which they bent their steps, was situated in a terrace of respectable appearance Miss Snevellicci's modest double-knock was answered by a foot-boy, who, in reply to her inquiry whether Mrs Curdle was at horinned very much, and said he didn't know, but he'd inquire With this he showed the, until the tomen-servants had repaired thither, under false pretences, to see the play-actors; and having coe, and joined in a vast quantity of whispering and giggling, he at length went upstairs with Miss Snevellicci's name

Now, Mrs Curdle was supposed, by those ere best informed on such points, to possess quite the London taste into literature and the drama; and as to Mr Curdle, he had written a paes, post octavo, on the character of the Nurse's deceased husband in Romeo and Juliet, with an inquiry whether he really had been a 'merry man' in his lifetime, or whether it was merely his 's affectionate partiality that induced her so to report hi the received mode of punctuation, any one of Shakespeare's plays could be ed; it is needless to say, therefore, that he was a great critic, and a very profound and inal thinker

'Well, Miss Snevellicci,' said Mrs Curdle, entering the parlour, 'and how do YOU do?'

Miss Snevellicci raceful obeisance, and hoped Mrs Curdle ell, as also Mr Curdle, who at the sa wrapper, with a little cap stuck upon the top of her head Mr Curdle wore a loose robe on his back, and his right forefinger on his forehead after the portraits of Sterne, to who rese whether you would put your na documents

'Oh! I really don't knohat to say,' replied Mrs Curdle 'It's not as if the theatre was in its high and palone, perfectly gone'

'As an exquisite embodiment of the poet's visions, and a realisation of huht our dreaic world before the one,' said Mr Curdle

'What , who can present before us all those changing and prismatic colours hich the character of Hamlet is invested?' exclaie,' said Mr Curdle, with a small reservation in favour of hione'

Quite overcohed, and sat for so to Miss Snevellicci, inquired what play she proposed to have

'Quite a new one,' said Miss Snevellicci, 'of which this gentle his first appearance on any stage Mr Johnson is the gentleman's name'

'I hope you have preserved the unities, sir?' said Mr Curdle

'The original piece is a French one,' said Nicholas 'There is abundance of incident, sprightly dialogue, strongly- without a strict observance of the unities, sir,' returned Mr Curdle 'The unities of the draht I ask you,' said Nicholas, hesitating between the respect he ought to assuht I ask you what the unities are?'

Mr Curdle coughed and considered 'The unities, sir,' he said, 'are a coard to place and tieneral oneness, if Ian expression I take those to be the dramatic unities, so far as I have been enabled to bestow attention upon theht h the perfor to the phenoht and shade, a warlow, an artistical develop older performers-I don't knohether I make myself understood?'

'Perfectly,' replied Nicholas

'Just so,' said Mr Curdle, pulling up his neckcloth 'That is my definition of the unities of the dra to this lucid explanation with great co finished, she inquired what Mr Curdle thought, about putting down their names

'I don't know, my dear; upon my word I don't know,' said Mr Curdle 'If we do, it e ourselves to the quality of the perforive THEM the sanction of our names, but that we confer the distinctionclearly stated, I take it to be, as it were, a duty, that we should extend our patronage to a degraded stage, even for the sake of the associations hich it is entwined Have you got two-and-sixpence for half-a-crown, Miss Snevellicci?' said Mr Curdle, turning over four of those pieces of money

Miss Snevellicci felt in all the corners of the pink reticule, but there was nothing in any of the an author, and thought it best not to go through the for in his own pockets at all

'Let s a-piece to the boxes, Miss Snevellicci, is exceedingly dear in the present state of the drama-three half-crowns is seven-and-six; we shall not differ about sixpence, I suppose? Sixpence will not part us, Miss Snevellicci?'

Poor Miss Snevellicci took the three half-croithseveral supple the places for the two clean bills as soon as they ca up the conference

'Odd people those,' said Nicholas, when they got clear of the house

'I assure you,' said Miss Snevellicci, taking his arm, 'that I think myself very lucky they did not owe all thesixpence short Now, if you were to succeed, they would give people to understand that they had always patronised you; and if you were to fail, they would have been quite certain of that fro'

At the next house they visited, they were in great glory; for, there, resided the six children ere so enraptured with the public actions of the pheno called down fro lady, proceeded to poke their fingers into her eyes, and tread upon her toes, and show her many other little attentions peculiar to their time of life

'I shall certainly persuade Mr Borum to take a private box,' said the lady of the house, after a racious reception 'I shall only take two of the children, and will entlehty boy, leave the little girl alone'

This was addressed to a young gentle the pheno whether she was real

'I a to Miss Snevellicci 'I cannot think of allowing you to go, without first taking a glass of wine Fie, Charlotte, I am ashamed of you! Miss Lane, overness, and this entreaty was rendered necessary by the abrupt behaviour of the youngest Miss Borureen parasol, was now carrying it bodily off, while the distracted infant looked helplessly on

'I aood-natured Mrs Boruain to Miss Snevellicci, 'I cannot understand (E in the next, and so natural in all-oh, dear!'

'I am very happy to hear you express so favourable an opinion,' said Miss Snevellicci 'It's quite delightful to think you like it'