of paradise in her hat.
Goodness gracious! how they all acted at her, Gawler and all, and how
happy Mrs. Crump was! She kissed her daughter between all the acts, she
nodded to all her friends on the stage, in the slips, or in the
real water; she introduced her daughter, Mrs. Captain Walker, to the
box-opener; and Melvil Delamere (the first comic), Canterfield (the
tyrant), and Jonesini (the celebrated Fontarabian Statuesque), were all
on the steps, and shouted for Mrs. Captain Walker's carriage, and waved
their hats, and bowed as the little pony-phaeton drove away. Walker, in
his moustaches, had come in at the end of the play, and was not a little
gratified by the compliments paid to himself and lady.

Among the other articles of luxury with which the Captain furnished
his house we must not omit to mention an extremely grand piano, which
occupied four-fifths of Mrs. Walker's little back drawing-room, and at
which she was in the habit of practising continually. All day and all
night during Walker's absences (and these occurred all night and all
day), you might hear--the whole street might hear--the voice of the lady
at No. 23, gurgling, and shaking, and quavering, as ladies do when they
practise. The street did not approve of the continuance of the noise;
but neighbours are difficult to please, and what would Morgiana have had
to do if she had ceased to sing? It would be hard to lock a blackbird in
a cage and prevent him from singing too. And so Walker's blackbird, in
the snug little cage in the Edgware Road, sang and was not unhappy.

After the pair had been married for about a year, the omnibus that
passes both by Mrs. Crump's house near "The Wells," and by Mrs. Walker's
street off the Edgware Road, brought up the former-named lady almost
every day to her daughter. She came when the Captain had gone to his
business; she stayed to a two-o'clock dinner with Morgiana; she drove
with her in the pony-carriage round the Park; but she never stopped
later than six. Had she not to go to the play at seven? And, besides,
the Captain might come home with some of his great friends, and he
always swore and grumbled much if he found his mother-in-law on the
premises. As for Morgiana, she was one of those women who encourage
despotism in husbands. What the husband says must be right, because he
says it; what he orders must be obeyed tremblingly. Mrs. Walker gave up
her entire reason to her lord. Why was it? Before marriage she had bee