mmonplace little speech, he muttered to himself, "The lady is beginning
to take things in earnest, whatever Beauchamp may be."

"I have no idea that I can act," rejoined Lionel, laughing; "but I can
stand still in whatever attitude I am placed, and that, I fancy, is all
Sylla requires of me. You do not feel any disposition to volunteer, I
suppose, Mr. Cottrell?"

"Heaven forbid!" rejoined Mr. Cottrell fervently, "Miss Sylla might want
me to stand upon one leg. She will put some of you in most uncomfortable
attitudes, just for the fun of the thing, I know."

"Now," said the manageress-elect, as Mr. Cottrell closed the door behind
him, "what we have got to do is very simple. I have thought of two words
which will each represent in three tableaux. Now, I propose that we
arrange these tableaux--six in all--and then, if we run through them a
second time, just to be sure we have not forgotten our places, we shall
have nothing to do but to talk over any details that may occur to us.
First, Mrs. Sartoris, which will you represent, the Lady or the
Chambermaid of my charades?"

"Well, if you will allow me, I think I will do the Lady," said Mrs.
Sartoris, laughing. "I ought, at all events, to be best in that; but
there are three of us. What is Miss Chipchase going to do?"

"Oh, she is the Band," rejoined Sylla. "You see, we must have soft music
all the way through these charades; and we want somebody to play for us
who knows what we are about, and so can follow us."

"And so," interposed Miss Chipchase, "we have settled that I shall play
the piano."

"Very well, Mrs. Sartoris," said Sylla; "then we will consider that
settled; you do the Ladies and I do the Chambermaids. Now, gentlemen,
you must select your own lines. What will you be, Mr. Sartoris--Walking
Gentleman, Low Comedian, or Melodramatic Villain?"

"Oh, Melodramatic Villain," cried Mrs. Sartoris,--"he will be delighted.
Tom's theatrical proclivities, shocking to relate, are murderous in the
extreme. He is always complaining that he is never entrusted with a real
good assassination."

"Then that's settled," exclaimed Sylla. "Captain Bloxam will take the
Walking Gentleman, and Lionel can do the Low Comedy part."

Under the young manageress's energetic directions the tableaux were
rapidly run through. The little troupe worked with a will, and in
something under two hours they pronounced themselves perfect, and
predicted, as people always do under these