heat, the offensive smells, and the row, to become curious, and
determined to see all that was to be seen. Presently the lights were
fully turned on, and the orchestra struck up a lively medley tune,
suitable to the taste of the audience. The orchestra, though small, was
a good one, and some very clever performers were amongst its members.
The play at length commenced, and appeared to create great interest and
command attention. The lady admitted that the characters were well
represented, and the drama very creditably got up. At length came a very
sensational portion of the play. That part where _Maria Martin_ is
enticed into the Red Barn by _Corder_. In this exciting scene, _Maria_,
as if having a presentiment of her fate, stands still and refuses to
move. She appears in a state of stupor and _Corder_ endeavours to urge
her to accompany him. Now there were seated in the middle of the pit two
sweeps, who appeared deeply interested in the performance, and finding
that _Corder_ could not induce _Maria_ to go forward, one of them, amidst
the silence that the cunning of the scene had commanded, screamed
out--"Why don't you give her some snuff, and make her sneeze!" The
silence thus broken was broken indeed, and the house roared with
laughter. Our two friends were not backward in partaking of the
merriment. The lady went almost into hysterics, so violent were her
paroxysms of mirth. In the midst of the clamour, Holloway, hearing these
loud bursts of laughter at a time when there should be complete silence,
rushed on to the stage, fancying something had gone wrong. Darting to
the footlights, as well as his little fat figure would let him, he roared
out, "What's all this here row about?" and glancing round to see on whom
he could heap his vengeance, he caught sight of our two friends, and
looking up indignantly at them, he continued--"I von't have no row in my
the-a-ter. If you vants to kick up a row you'd better go the The-a-ter
R'yal." The audience seeing Mr. Holloway addressing the gallery, all
eyes were now turned up to where our friends were seated, and the lady,
(who had thrown up her veil in consequence of the intense heat) being
recognised, was saluted by some one shouting out "Three cheers for Mrs.
---," whereupon the audience began hurrahing, in the midst of which our
two adventurers made off as quickly as they could. They declared that
neither of them could tell how they did so, being conscious of noth