ed, and the
gentleman was announced.

"My name, sir, is Opie," said the stranger; "I am quite delighted to see
you here. You intend gratifying the good people of Tewksbury of course?"

"Gratifying! what _can_ you mean?"

"If your name is announced, there'll not be a box to be had."

"I always look after my own boxes, I can tell you," replied Dumps.

"By all means, you _will_ come out here of course?"

"Come out? to be sure, I sha'n't stay within doors always."

"What do you mean to come out in?"

"Why, what I've got on will do very well."

"Oh, that's so like you," said Opie, shaking his sides with laughter,
"you really _are_ inimitable!--What character do you select here?"

"Character!" said Dumps, "the stranger."

"The Stranger! _you?_"

"Yes, _I._"

"And you really mean to come out here as the Stranger?" said Opie.

"Why, yes to be sure--I'm but just come."

"Then I shall put your name in large letters immediately, we will open
this evening; and as to terms, you shall have half the receipts of the
house."

Off ran Mr. Opie, who was no less a personage than the manager of the
theatre, leaving Dumps fully persuaded that he had been closeted with
a lunatic.

Shortly afterwards he saw a man very busy pasting bills against a wall
opposite his window, and so large were the letters that he easily
deciphered, "THE CELEBRATED MR. LISTON IN TRAGEDY. This evening THE
STRANGER, the Part of THE STRANGER BY MR. LISTON." Dumps had never seen
the inimitable Liston, indeed comedy was quite out of his way. But now
that the star was to shine forth in tragedy, the announcement was
congenial to the serious turn of his mind, and he resolved to go.

He ate an early dinner, went by times to the theatre, and established
himself in a snug corner of the stage box. The house filled, the hour
of commencement arrived, the fiddlers paused and looked towards the
curtain, but hearing no signal they fiddled another strain. The audience
became impatient; they hissed, they hooted, and they called for the
manager: another pause, another yell of disapprobation, and the manager
pale and trembling appeared, and walked hat in hand to the front of the
stage. To Dumps's great surprise it was the very man who visited him in
the morning. Mr. Opie cleared his throat, bowed repeatedly, moved his
lips, but was inaudible amid the shouts of "hear him." At length silence
was obtained, and he spoke as follows:--

"Ladies and Gentlemen,

"I ap