lived, and she felt a vague gratitude
to him for allowing her to move in it.

"Isn't it beautiful!" she whispered, turning toward Polly; but Polly's
face was hidden behind the curtain.

The orchestra was coming in, and Glory leaned forward and counted the
fiddles, while Drake talked with Lord Robert across her shoulder.

"I found him reading Rosa's article this morning, and it seems he was
present himself and heard the sermon," said Drake.

"And what's his opinion?" asked Lord Robert.

"Much the same as your own. Affectation--the man is suffering from the
desire to be original--more egotism than love of truth, and so forth."

"Right, too, dear boy. All this vapouring is as much as to say: 'Look at
me! I am the Hon. and Rev. Mr. Thingamy, nephew of the Prime Minister;
and yet----'"

"I don't at all agree with the chief," said Drake, "and I told him so.
The man has enthusiasm, and that's the very salt of the earth at present.
We are all such pessimists in these days! Thank God for anybody who will
warm us up with a little faith, say I!"

Glory's bosom heaved, and she was just about to speak, when, there was a
sudden clap as of thunder, and she leaped up in her seat. But it was only
the beginning of the overture, and she sat down laughing. There was a
tender passage in the music; and after it was over she was very quiet for
a while, and then whispered to Polly that she hoped little Johnnie wasn't
worse to-night, and it seemed wicked to enjoy one's self when any one was
so poorly.

"Who is that?" said Drake.

"My little boy whose leg was amputated," said Glory.

"This Glory is so funny!" said Polly. "Fancy talking of that here!"

"Hush!" said Lord Robert; "the curtain is going up." And at the next
moment Glory was laughing because they were all in the dark.

The play was Much Ado about Nothing, and Glory whispered to Drake that
she had never seen it before, but she had read Macbeth, and knew all
about Shakespeare and the drama. The first scene took her breath away,
being so large and so splendid. It represented the outside of a
gentleman's house, and she thought what a length of time it must have
taken to build it, considering it was to last only a single night. But
hush! The people were going indoors. No; they preferred to talk in the
street. Oh, we were in Italy? Yes, indeed, that was different.

Leonato delivered his first speeches forcibly, and was rewarded with
applause. Glory clapped her hands also, a