Emily Brown
with Horace Hunter. Mr. Hunter took his wife home, and begged pardon,
and _was_ pardoned; and Mr. Trott took _his_ wife home, begged pardon
too, and was pardoned also. And Lord Peter, who had been detained beyond
his time by drinking champagne and riding a steeple-chase, went back to
the Honourable Augustus Flair's, and drank more champagne, and rode
another steeple-chase, and was thrown and killed. And Horace Hunter took
great credit to himself for practising on the cowardice of Alexander
Trott; and all these circumstances were discovered in time, and carefully
noted down; and if you ever stop a week at the Winglebury Arms, they will
give you just this account of The Great Winglebury Duel.

CHAPTER IX--MRS. JOSEPH PORTER

Most extensive were the preparations at Rose Villa, Clapham Rise, in the
occupation of Mr. Gattleton (a stock-broker in especially comfortable
circumstances), and great was the anxiety of Mr. Gattleton's interesting
family, as the day fixed for the representation of the Private Play which
had been 'many months in preparation,' approached. The whole family was
infected with the mania for Private Theatricals; the house, usually so
clean and tidy, was, to use Mr. Gattleton's expressive description,
'regularly turned out o' windows;' the large dining-room, dismantled of
its furniture, and ornaments, presented a strange jumble of flats, flies,
wings, lamps, bridges, clouds, thunder and lightning, festoons and
flowers, daggers and foil, and various other messes in theatrical slang
included under the comprehensive name of 'properties.' The bedrooms were
crowded with scenery, the kitchen was occupied by carpenters. Rehearsals
took place every other night in the drawing-room, and every sofa in the
house was more or less damaged by the perseverance and spirit with which
Mr. Sempronius Gattleton, and Miss Lucina, rehearsed the smothering scene
in 'Othello'--it having been determined that that tragedy should form the
first portion of the evening's entertainments.

'When we're a _leetle_ more perfect, I think it will go admirably,' said
Mr. Sempronius, addressing his _corps dramatique_, at the conclusion of
the hundred and fiftieth rehearsal. In consideration of his sustaining
the trifling inconvenience of bearing all the expenses of the play, Mr.
Sempronius had been, in the most handsome manner, unanimously elected
stage-manager. 'Evans,' continued Mr. Gattleton, the younger, addressin