talking to the Prince Consort, who sat with her in
the royal box, in the rear of which stood the members of the royal
suite. In another corner of the hall there hung a letter, carefully
framed, which bore the signature of "Nelson and Bronte," and close
beside it there was a clever pencil sketch by George Cruikshank,
representing a London 'bus full of people of that period, and with the
price, one shilling, marked up in large figures outside it--a curious
glimpse of bygone days. In Mr. Toole's dining room we found that clever
lady artist, Folkard, who some time ago painted so faithful a likeness
of old Mrs. Keeley, engaged in giving the finishing touches to an
equally admirable portrait of my genial host himself. The dining room,
no less than the other room, was crammed with "virtuous and bigoted
articles." There was some beautiful old china which had once belonged to
Charles Dickens, and some handsome ivory elephants which Mr. Toole had
brought with him from Columbo stood upon the sideboard. A very lovely
oil painting by Keeley Halswelle, not in the least in his usual style,
represented a far stretch of country, over the blue sky of which vast
cumuli were massing themselves in snowy piles. There was a portrait, by
Clint, of Stephen Kemble, who, like Mark Lemon, used to play _Falstaff_
without padding. A painting of Joseph Jefferson, the celebrated American
Rip Van Winkle, reminded me of a splendid picture of his which I always
used to admire so much in the "Players' Club" in New York, and I
observed, as Mr. Toole pointed out a clever sketch by Mr. Weedon
Grossmith, that it was curious to notice how many actors were also good
painters. "Why, yes," replied Toole with a quizzical smile, "I have
painted a good many years myself." "Oh, indeed," said I--not immediately
catching his meaning--"may I ask what you have painted?" "My face," said
he, with an amused chuckle of much enjoyment at having caught me. Mr.
Toole then pointed out to me James Wallack, the father of the celebrated
American actor, Lester Wallack, in his favourite character of _The
Brigand_. "Ah!" said Mr. Toole, "that reminds me of an anecdote that's
told about James Wallack, and which ought to be a warning to actors
never to make speeches from the stage. Wallack was playing _The Brigand_
one night, and he was in the midst of his great dying scene, when an old
gentleman, who was sitting in the stalls, got up and put on his hat,
tied a scarf round his neck, and b