sh, what you require
of me."

"I want to know, in one word, did you cry or not?"

"Promise to tease me no more then, and I'll tell you."

"I promise."

"You won't despise me?"

"Despise you! of course not."

"Well, then--I don't remember!"

On another occasion they were seated in the dusk, by the side of the
canal in the Park, when a little animal began to potter about on an
adjacent bank.

Mrs. Woffington contemplated it with curiosity and delight.

"Oh, you pretty creature!" said she. "Now you are a rabbit; at least, I
think so."

"No," said Vane, innocently; "that is a rat."

"Ah! ah! ah!" screamed Mrs. Woffington, and pinched his arm. This
frightened the rat, who disappeared. She burst out laughing: "There's a
fool! The thing did not frighten me, and the name did. Depend upon it,
it's true what they say--that off the stage, I am the greatest fool
there is. I'll never be so absurd again. Ah! ah! ah! here it is again"
(scream and pinch, as before). "Do take me from this horrid place, where
monsters come from the great deep."

And she flounced away, looking daggers askant at the place the rat had
vacated in equal terror.

All this was silly, but it pleases us men, and contrast is so charming!
This same fool was brimful of talent--and cunning, too, for that matter.

She played late that night, and Mr. Vane saw the same creature, who
dared not stay where she was liable to a distant rat, spring upon the
stage as a gay rake, and flash out her rapier, and act valor's king to
the life, and seem ready to eat up everybody, King Fear included; and
then, after her brilliant sally upon the public, Sir Harry Wildair came
and stood beside Mr. Vane. Her bright skin, contrasted with her powdered
periwig, became dazzling. She used little rouge, but that little made
her eyes two balls of black lightning. From her high instep to
her polished forehead, all was symmetry. Her leg would have been a
sculptor's glory; and the curve from her waist to her knee was Hogarth's
line itself.

She stood like Mercury new lighted on a heaven-kissing hill. She placed
her foot upon the ground, as she might put a hand upon her lover's
shoulder. We indent it with our eleven undisguised stone.

Such was Sir Harry Wildair, who stood by Mr. Vane, glittering with
diamond buckles, gorgeous with rich satin breeches, velvet coat,
ruffles, _pictcae vestis et auri;_ and as she bent her long eye-fringes
down on him (he was seated), all her fier