on as quite a capital joke, and an essential part of the
entertainment.

Dear, dear, what a place it looked, that Astley's; with all the paint,
gilding, and looking-glass; the vague smell of horses suggestive of
coming wonders; the curtain that hid such gorgeous mysteries; the clean
white sawdust down in the circus; the company coming in and taking
their places; the fiddlers looking carelessly up at them while they
tuned their instruments, as if they didn't want the play to begin, and
knew it all beforehand! What a glow was that, which burst upon them
all, when that long, clear, brilliant row of lights came slowly up; and
what the feverish excitement when the little bell rang and the music
began in good earnest, with strong parts for the drums, and sweet
effects for the triangles! Well might Barbara's mother say to Kit's
mother that the gallery was the place to see from, and wonder it wasn't
much dearer than the boxes; well might Barbara feel doubtful whether to
laugh or cry, in her flutter of delight.

Then the play itself! the horses which little Jacob believed from the
first to be alive, and the ladies and gentlemen of whose reality he
could be by no means persuaded, having never seen or heard anything at
all like them--the firing, which made Barbara wink--the forlorn lady,
who made her cry--the tyrant, who made her tremble--the man who sang
the song with the lady's-maid and danced the chorus, who made her
laugh--the pony who reared up on his hind legs when he saw the
murderer, and wouldn't hear of walking on all fours again until he was
taken into custody--the clown who ventured on such familiarities with
the military man in boots--the lady who jumped over the nine-and-twenty
ribbons and came down safe upon the horse's back--everything was
delightful, splendid, and surprising! Little Jacob applauded till his
hands were sore; Kit cried 'an-kor' at the end of everything, the
three-act piece included; and Barbara's mother beat her umbrella on the
floor, in her ecstasies, until it was nearly worn down to the gingham.

In the midst of all these fascinations, Barbara's thoughts seemed to
have been still running on what Kit had said at tea-time; for, when
they were coming out of the play, she asked him, with an hysterical
simper, if Miss Nell was as handsome as the lady who jumped over the
ribbons.

'As handsome as her?' said Kit. 'Double as handsome.'

'Oh Christopher! I'm sure she was the beautifullest creature