, Lawless, Coleman, and myself. The morning after Coleman's
arrival, the whole party formed themselves into a committee of taste, to
decide on the most appropriate words for the charades, select dresses,
and, in short, make all necessary arrangements for realising a few of
the very strong and original, but somewhat vague, ideas, which everybody
appeared to have conceived on the subject.

"Now, ladies and gentlemen," began Freddy, who had been unanimously
elected chairman, stage-manager, and commander-in-chief of the whole
affair, "in the first place, who is willing to take a part? Let all
those who wish for an engagement at the Theatre Royal, Heathfield, hold
up their hands."

Lawless, Coleman, and I were the first who made the required signal, and
next the little white palms of Fanny and Lucy Markham (whom Mrs. Coleman
had made over to my mother's custody for a few days) were added to the
number.

"Harry, you'll act, will you not?" asked I.

"Not if you can contrive to do without me," was the ~342~~ reply. "I did
it once, and never was so tired in my life before. I suppose you mean to
have speaking charades; and there is something in the feeling that one
has so many words to recollect, which obliges one to keep the memory
always on the stretch, and the attention up to concert pitch, in a way
that is far too fatiguing to be agreeable."

"Well, as you please, most indolent of men; pray, make yourself quite at
home, this is Liberty Hall, isn't it, Lawless?" returned Coleman, with
a glance at the person named, who, seated on the table, with his legs
twisted round the back of a chair, was sacrificing etiquette to comfort
with the most delightful unconsciousness.

"Eh? yes to be sure, no end of liberty," rejoined Lawless; "what are
you laughing at?--my legs? They are very comfortable, I can tell you, if
they're not over ornamental; never mind about attitude, let us get on to
business, I want to know what I'm to do?"

"The first thing is to find out a good word," returned Coleman.

"What do you say to Matchlock?" inquired I. "You might as well have
Blunderbuss while you are about it," was the reply. "No, both words are
dreadfully hackneyed; let us try and find out something original, if
possible."

"Eh? yes, something original, by all means; what do you say to
Steeplechase?" suggested Lawless.

"Original, certainly," returned Freddy; "but there might be difficulties
in the way. For instance, how would you set abou