d
having no witnesses to call, produces a checked handkerchief, and
subpoenas his own conscience, which has such an effect on the villain,
that he swoons, and sees demons in the jury-box, and tells them that "he
is ready," and that "he comes," &c. &c.

When the deserter, being just about to be shot, is miraculously saved by
his mistress, who cuts the matter very fine indeed, by rushing in between
"present" and "fire;" and, having ejaculated "a reprieve!" with all her
might, falls down, overcome by fatigue--poor dear! as well she may--having
run twenty-three miles in the changing of a scene, and carried her baby on
her arm all the blessed way, in order to hold him up in the tableau at the
end.

N.B.--Whenever married people rescue one another as above, the
"_denouement_" belongs to the class "unnatural;" which is used when the
author wishes to show the intensity of his invention--as, (_ex. gr._
again)

When an old man, having been wounded fatally by a young man, requests, as
a boon, to be permitted to examine the young man's neck, who, accordingly
unloosing his cravat, displays a hieroglyphic neatly engraved thereon,
which the old man interprets into his being a parricide, and then dies,
leaving the young man in a state of histrionic stupor.

When a will is found embellished with a Daguerreotype of four fingers and
a thumb, done in blood on the cover, and it turns out that the residuary
legatee is no better than he should be--but, on the contrary, a murderer
nicely ripe for killing.

The "supernatural" _denouement_ is the last resource of a bewildered
dramatist, and introduces either an individual in green scales and wings
to match, who gives the audience to understand that he is a fiend, and
that he has private business to transact below with the villain; who,
accordingly, withdraws in his company, with many throes and groans, down
the trap.

Or a pale ghost in dingy lawn, apparently afflicted with a serious
haemorrhage in the bosom, who appears to a great many people, running, in
dreams; and at last joins the hands of the young couple, and puts in a
little plea of her own for a private burial.

And there are many other variations of the three great classes of
_denouements_; such as the helter-skelter
nine-times-round-the-stage-combat, and the grand _melee_ in which
everybody kills everybody else, and leaves the piece to be carried on by
their executors; but we dare unveil the mystery no further.

*