unched out upon a slippery
floor.

Van Bibber was conscious that his friends were applauding him in dumb
show from the balcony, and when his partner asked who they were, he
repudiated them altogether, and said he could not imagine, but that he
guessed from their bad manners they were professional entertainers hired
for the evening.

The music stopped abruptly, and as he saw Mrs. West leaving the balcony,
he knew that his turn had come, and as she passed him he applauded her
vociferously, and as no one else applauded even slightly, she grew very
red.

Her friends knew that they formed the audience which she dreaded, and
she knew that they were rejoicing in her embarrassment, which the head
of the downstairs department, as Mr. Paul described him, increased to an
hysterical point by introducing her as "Miss Ellen Terry, the great
English actress, who would now oblige with a song."

The man had seen the name of the wonderful English actress on the
bill-boards in front of Abbey's Theatre, and he had been told that Miss
Terrell was English, and confused the two names. As he passed Van
Bibber he drew his waistcoat into shape with a proud shrug of his
shoulders, and said, anxiously, "I gave your friend a good introduction,
anyway, didn't I?"

"You did, indeed," Van Bibber answered. "You couldn't have surprised her
more; and it made a great hit with me, too."

No one in the room listened to the singing. The gentlemen had crossed
their legs comfortably and were expressing their regret to their
partners that so much time was wasted in sandwiching songs between the
waltzes, and the ladies were engaged in criticizing Celestine's hair,
which she wore in a bun. They thought that it might be English, but it
certainly was not their idea of good style.

Celestine was conscious of the fact that her husband and Lester were
hanging far over the balcony, holding their hands to their eyes as
though they were opera-glasses, and exclaiming with admiration and
delight; and when she had finished the first verse, they pretended to
think that the song was over, and shouted, "Bravo, encore," and
applauded frantically, and then apparently overcome with confusion at
their mistake, sank back entirely from sight.

"I think Miss Terrell's an elegant singer," Van Bibber's partner said to
him. "I seen her at the hotel frequently. She has such a pleasant way
with her, quite lady-like. She's the only actress I ever saw that has
retained her timidi