istinguish herself. She was a
handsome woman, with a fine, fair skin, and large, full, dark eyes--she
had a wide mouth, which, nearly always on the grin, displayed to the
full her strong white teeth,--her figure was inclined to excessive
_embonpoint_, but this rather endeared her to her admirers than
otherwise,--many of these gentlemen being prone to describe her fleshly
charms by the epithet "Prime!" as though she were a fatting pig or other
animal getting ready for killing.

"Tommy! Tommy!" she screeched presently. "Are you going to sleep? Do you
expect me to dance to a dirge, you lazy devil!"

Tommy, the player of the violin, paused in his efforts, and looked up
drearily. He was an old man, with a lean, long body and pinched
features--his lips had a curious way, too, of trembling when he spoke,
as if he were ready to cry.

"I can't help it," he said slowly. "I don't know it yet. I must practice
it a bit at home. My sight's not so good as it used to be--"

"Such a pair of optics, love, you've never, never seen--
One my mother blacked last night, the other it is green!"

sang Violet, to the infinite delight of all the unwashed-looking
supernumeraries and ballet-girls, who were scattered about the stage,
talking and laughing.

"Shut up, Tommy!" she continued. "You're always talking about your
eyesight. I warn you, if you say too much about it you'll lose your
place. We don't want blind fiddlers in the Brilliant. Put down you
catgut screamer, and fetch me a pint. Ask for the Vere's own
tipple--they'll twig!"

Tommy obeyed, and shuffled off on his errand. As he departed,--a little
man with a very red face, wearing a stove-pipe hat very much on one
side, bounced on the stage as if some one had thrown him there like a
ball.

"Now, ladies, ladies!" he shouted warningly. "Attention! Once again,
please! The last figure once again!" The straggling groups scrambled
hastily into something like order, and the little man continued--"One,
two, three! Advance--retreat--left, right! Very well, indeed! Arms up a
little more, Miss Jenkins--so! toes well pointed--curtsy--retire! One,
two, three! swift slide to the left wing--forward! Round--take
hands--all smile, please!" This general smile was apparently not quite
satisfactory, for he repeated persuasively--"All smile, please! So!
Round again--more quickly--now break the circle in a centre--enter Miss
Vere--" he paused, growing still redder in the face, and demanded,