individual playing--in contrast with the team-work of (particularly) the
First Act, which was ragged and amateurish.

Mr. BASIL RATHBONE'S _Peter_ was an effective study, avoiding Scylla of the
commonplace and Charybdis of the mawkish--no mean feat. A young man with a
future, I dare hazard; with a gift of clear utterance, and sensibility and
a useful figure.

It is a good deal to say that Miss CONSTANCE COLLIER so contrived her
_Duchess of Towers_ as to make us understand _Peter's_ worship.

Miss JESSIE BATEMAN'S _Mrs. Deane_ seemed to me an exceedingly competent
piece of work, and Mr. GILBERT HARE thoroughly enjoyed every mouthful of
_Colonel Ibbetson's_ wickedness, and made us share his appreciation. And
you couldn't accuse him of over-playing, though he certainly looked too bad
to be true.

Mr. WILLIAM BURCHILL'S little sketch of an old French officer was almost
too poignant.

Why the landlord of the _Tete Noir_ was got up to resemble Mr. WILL EVANS
so closely is a deep matter I could not fathom, and, if ever I kill my
uncle, may Fate send me a less rhetorical chaplain than Mr. CYRIL SWORDER!

T.

* * * * *

[Illustration: THE INTRUDER.]

* * * * *

THE ORDER OF THE B.S.O.

One of the oldest of Mr. Punch's young men thought he would like to hear
some orchestral music on Monday week last, so he dropped in at the Queen's
Hall to assist at a concert of the new British Symphony Orchestra. The name
of the founder and conductor, Mr. RAYMOND ROZE, was already familiar, for
Mr. Punch's young man was old enough to remember Mr. ROZE'S mother, MARIE
ROZE, in her brilliant prime as _prima donna_ of the Carl Rosa Company; and
he is glad to know that she is still living in her beloved Paris, where she
was decorated by M. THIERS for her gallant conduct during the siege of
1870. So it is pleasant to find her son so actively associated in the good
work of finding permanent musical engagements for demobilised soldiers in
the British Symphony Orchestra.

The B.S.O. men are not home-keeping soldiers. Every one of them has served
over-seas, and it was a pity that their names and the record of their
services were not printed in the programme, for it is a fine and
inspiriting list, and a striking disproof of the old tradition that
musicians must needs be long-haired, sallow and unathletic. Alert and young
and vigorous they appealed to the eye as well as to the ear