ence and fire, and excellent manners, on as well as off
the stage, protested that he had already suffered death in the course of
the evening, hoped that he should die a hundred times more on the same
field; but, dead or living, vowed he knew whose humble servant he ever
should be. Ah, if he had but a real crown in place of his diadem of
pasteboard and tinsel, with what joy would he lay it at her ladyship's
feet! Neither my lord nor Mr. Esmond were over well pleased with the
gentleman's exceeding gallantry--a part of which they attributed, no
doubt justly, to the wine and punch, of which he had been partaking very
freely. Theo and her sister, who were quite new to the world, were a
little frightened by the exceeding energy of Mr. Hagan's manner--but
Lady Maria, much more experienced, took it in perfectly good part. At
a late hour coaches were called, to which the gentlemen attended the
ladies, after whose departure some of them returned to the supper-room,
and the end was that Carpezan had to be carried away in a chair, and
that the King of Hungary had a severe headache; and that the Poet,
though he remembered making a great number of speeches, was quite
astounded when half a dozen of his guests appeared at his house the next
day, whom he had invited overnight to come and sup with him once more.

As he put Mrs. Lambert and her daughters into their coach on the night
previous, all the ladies were flurried, delighted, excited; and you may
be sure our gentleman was with them the next day, to talk of the play
and the audience, and the actors, and the beauties of the piece, over
and over again. Mrs. Lambert had heard that the ladies of the theatre
were dangerous company for young men. She hoped George would have a
care, and not frequent the greenroom too much.

George smiled, and said he had a preventive against all greenroom
temptations, of which he was not in the least afraid; and as he spoke he
looked in Theo's face, as if in those eyes lay the amulet which was to
preserve him from all danger.

"Why should he be afraid, mamma?" asks the maiden simply. She had no
idea of danger or of guile.

"No, my darling, I don't think he need be afraid," says the mother,
kissing her.

"You don't suppose Mr. George would fall in love with that painted old
creature who performed the chief part?" asks Miss Hetty, with a toss of
her head. "She must be old enough to be his mother."

"Pray, do you suppose that at our age nobody can care