wear their uniforms in the holidays when they climb trees. It
emphasizes their Osbirth (if I may use the word) at the expense of their
boyishness. Miss Eva Moore and Mr. Esmond were excellent, the latter
playing a perfect Wyndham part without the Wyndham mannerisms. Mr.
Leslie Banks, representing an entirely incredible person, was exactly
like somebody I knew; a feat, it seems to me, of some skill.

M.

* * * * *

"The Wynmartens."

[Illustration: BLACK TRIES TO CHECK WHITE.

_Lady Wynmarten_ Miss Marie Tempest.
_Dowager Lady Wynmarten_ Miss Agnes Thomas.]

When a young widow wants to commit a flagrant outrage on the proprieties
in order to scandalise a detested mother-in-law, and selects the first
likely man for her accomplice, she will probably not be deterred by fear
of any damage that may occur to his reputation. When _Lady Wynmarten_
engaged the services of _Bill Carrington_ she had the less compunction
because he was only over from India for a week and might rely upon the
fresh air of the high seas to repair the damage and displace the breath
of scandal. Unfortunately, his very limited time in England had been
carefully scheduled for the execution of several important contracts;
and when his firm heard of his escapade and found him twenty minutes
late for a business appointment, he was briefly booted.

It was at this point that the critics began to think of taking notes on
their cuffs about Browning's views on the danger of "playing with
souls," but found on reflection that the case was not so serious as
that. For we knew all the time (by the splendour of her frocks) that the
lady was rich, and we had gathered half-way through that she was
prepared to accept _Bill_ in marriage and make an honest man of him. Not
that their joint adventure had actually achieved immorality. She had
simply dined with him, done a play, had supper at the Savoy, gone on to
a Covent Garden ball, failed to effect an entrance into her house
(having deliberately mislaid her latch-key and cut the bell-wire), and
been taken a little before milk-time to her mother-in-law's, where her
appearance had caused the greatest confusion and scandal, which was
indeed the ultimate purpose of the scheme. But the fatal devotion of her
French maid, who telephoned next morning to all her mistress's friends
to say that her bed had not been slept in, and that a dark mystery
brooded over her whereabouts, te