f dismal men in
cocked hats were 'executing' the overture to _Tancredi_, and a numerous
assemblage of ladies and gentlemen, with their families, had rushed from
their half-emptied stout mugs in the supper boxes, and crowded to the
spot. Intense was the low murmur of admiration when a particularly small
gentleman, in a dress coat, led on a particularly tall lady in a blue
sarcenet pelisse and bonnet of the same, ornamented with large white
feathers, and forthwith commenced a plaintive duet.

We knew the small gentleman well; we had seen a lithographed semblance of
him, on many a piece of music, with his mouth wide open as if in the act
of singing; a wine-glass in his hand; and a table with two decanters and
four pine-apples on it in the background. The tall lady, too, we had
gazed on, lost in raptures of admiration, many and many a time--how
different people _do_ look by daylight, and without punch, to be sure!
It was a beautiful duet: first the small gentleman asked a question, and
then the tall lady answered it; then the small gentleman and the tall
lady sang together most melodiously; then the small gentleman went
through a little piece of vehemence by himself, and got very tenor
indeed, in the excitement of his feelings, to which the tall lady
responded in a similar manner; then the small gentleman had a shake or
two, after which the tall lady had the same, and then they both merged
imperceptibly into the original air: and the band wound themselves up to
a pitch of fury, and the small gentleman handed the tall lady out, and
the applause was rapturous.

The comic singer, however, was the especial favourite; we really thought
that a gentleman, with his dinner in a pocket-handkerchief, who stood
near us, would have fainted with excess of joy. A marvellously facetious
gentleman that comic singer is; his distinguishing characteristics are, a
wig approaching to the flaxen, and an aged countenance, and he bears the
name of one of the English counties, if we recollect right. He sang a
very good song about the seven ages, the first half-hour of which
afforded the assembly the purest delight; of the rest we can make no
report, as we did not stay to hear any more.

We walked about, and met with a disappointment at every turn; our
favourite views were mere patches of paint; the fountain that had
sparkled so showily by lamp-light, presented very much the appearance of
a water-pipe that had burst; all the ornaments were ding