and pianoforte
together; and the harp-player was Wiepart, whose
name seems famous, though new to me. There was one
female singer, a short Miss Davis, all in blue,
bringing up for the public line, whose voice was
said to be very fine indeed; and all the
performers gave great satisfaction by doing what
they were paid for, and giving themselves no airs.
No amateur could be persuaded to do anything.

* * * * *

This said Captain Simpson told us, on the
authority of some other Captain just arrived from
Halifax, that Charles[226] was bringing the
_Cleopatra_ home, and that she was probably by
this time in the Channel; but, as Captain S. was
certainly in liquor, we must not quite depend on
it. It must give one a sort of expectation,
however, and will prevent my writing to him any
more. I would rather he should not reach England
till I am at home, and the Steventon party gone.

My mother and Martha both write with great
satisfaction of Anna's behaviour. She is quite an
Anna with variations, but she cannot have reached
her last, for that is always the most flourishing
and showy; she is at about her third or fourth,
which are generally simple and pretty.

* * * * *

We _did_ go to the play after all on Saturday. We
went to the Lyceum, and saw the _Hypocrite_, an
old play taken from Moliere's _Tartuffe_, and were
well entertained. Dowton and Mathews were the good
actors; Mrs. Edwin was the heroine, and her
performance is just what it used to be. I have no
chance of seeing Mrs. Siddons; she _did_ act on
Monday, but, as Henry was told by the box-keeper
that he did not think she would, the plans, and
all thought of it, were given up. I should
particularly have liked seeing her in _Constance_,
and could swear at her with little effort for
disappointing me.

Eliza caught her cold on Sunday in our way to the
D'Antraigues.[227] The horses actually gibbed on
this side of Hyde Park Gate: a load of fresh
gravel made it a formidable hill to them, and they