Drury Lane Theatre, the
procession soon turned into Bow Street, and leaving Covent Garden
Theatre behind, presently resumed a Southwestward course, deflecting
at St. Martin's Lane so as to come at last into Gerrard Street, and
turning thence Northward into Dean Street. Here the maid led the
chair-men along the West side of the way; but Philip and I kept the
East side. At last the girl stopped before a door with a pillared
porch, and the carriers set down the chair.

Instantly Captain Falconer's footman leaped from the box of the coach,
and, while the maid was at the chair door to help her mistress, dashed
into the porch and stood so as to prevent any one's reaching the door
of the house. The captain himself, springing out of the coach, was
at Madge's side as soon as she had emerged from the chair. Philip
and I, gliding unseen across the street, saw him hand something to
the front chair-man which made that rascal open his mouth in
astonishnent--'twas, no doubt, a gold piece or two--and heard him
say:

"You and your fellow, begone, and divide that among you. Quick!
Vanish!"

The men obeyed with alacrity, bearing their empty chair past Phil and
me toward Gerrard Street at a run. The captain, by similar means, sent
the boy with the light scampering off in the opposite direction.
Meanwhile, Philip and I having stopped behind a pillar of the next
porch for a moment's consultation, Madge was bidding the footman stand
aside from before her door. This we could see by the rays of a street
lamp, which were at that place sufficient to make a carried light not
absolutely necessary.

"Come into the coach, madam," said Falconer, seizing one of her hands.
"You remember my promise. I swear I shall keep it though I hang for
it! Don't make a disturbance and compel me to use force, I beg. You
see, the street is deserted."

"You scoundrel!" she answered. "If you really think you can carry me
off, you're much--"

"Nay," he broke in, "actresses _are_ carried off, and not always for
the sake of being talked about, neither! Fetch the maid, Richard--I
wouldn't deprive a lady of her proper attendance. Pray pardon
this--you put me to it, madam!"

With which, he grasped her around the waist, lifted her as if she were
a child, and started with her toward the coach. The footman, a huge
fellow, adopted similar measures with the waiting-woman, who set up a
shrill screaming that made needless any cries on Madge's part.

Philip and I dashed