ilure,
and the rival house was only able to make a faint opposition to the new
star with Miss M'Whirter, who, though an old favourite, had lost her
upper notes and her front teeth, and, the fact was, drew no longer.

Directly Sir George heard Mrs. Walker, he tapped Podmore, who
accompanied her, on the waistcoat, and said, "Poddy, thank you; we'll
cut the orange boy's throat with that voice." It was by the familiar
title of orange boy that the great Baroski was known among his
opponents.

"We'll crush him, Podmore," said Lady Thrum, in her deep hollow voice.
"You may stop and dine." And Podmore stayed to dinner, and ate cold
mutton, and drank Marsala with the greatest reverence for the great
English composer. The very next day Lady Thrum hired a pair of horses,
and paid a visit to Mrs. Crump and her daughter at "Sadler's Wells."

All these things were kept profoundly secret from Walker, who received
very magnanimously the allowance of two guineas a week which Woolsey
made him, and with the aid of the few shillings his wife could bring
him, managed to exist as best he might. He did not dislike gin when he
could get no claret, and the former liquor, under the name of "tape,"
used to be measured out pretty liberally in what was formerly Her
Majesty's prison of the Fleet.

Morgiana pursued her studies under Thrum, and we shall hear in the next
chapter how it was she changed her name to RAVENSWING.

CHAPTER VII. IN WHICH MORGIANA ADVANCES TOWARDS FAME AND HONOUR, AND IN
WHICH SEVERAL GREAT LITERARY CHARACTERS MAKE THEIR APPEARANCE.

"We must begin, my dear madam," said Sir George Thrum, "by unlearning
all that Mr. Baroski (of whom I do not wish to speak with the slightest
disrespect) has taught you!"

Morgiana knew that every professor says as much, and submitted to
undergo the study requisite for Sir George's system with perfect good
grace. Au fond, as I was given to understand, the methods of the two
artists were pretty similar; but as there was rivalry between them, and
continual desertion of scholars from one school to another, it was
fair for each to take all the credit he could get in the success of
any pupil. If a pupil failed, for instance, Thrum would say Baroski had
spoiled her irretrievably; while the German would regret "Dat dat yong
voman, who had a good organ, should have trown away her dime wid dat old
Drum." When one of these deserters succeeded, "Yes, yes," would either
professor cry, "I formed he