e lost eternally--my 'art is broken!"

The next moment, we were startled by a long and elaborate trampling of
feet behind the scenes, and the villain Chartress, ran panic-stricken
across the stage, hotly pursued by "good h'Adam Marle." In the eloquent
language of virtue, thus did Adam address him:--"Stay, ruffian, stay!
Inquiring for Chartress at the bar of this inn, I found indeed that you
was the very identical. You foul, venomous, treacherous, voluptuous
liar, where is the un'appy Fanny? where is the victim of your prey?--Ha!
'oary-'edded ruffian, I have yer!" (_Collars Chartress._) "But no! I
will not _strike_ yer; I will _drag_ yer!" It was interesting to see
Adam exemplify the peculiar distinction in the science of assault
implied in his last words, by hauling Chartress all round the stage. It
was awful to observe that the Colonel lost his temper at the second
round, murderously snapped a pistol in "h'Adam's" face, and rushed off
in hot homicidal triumph. We waited breathless for the fall of Marle.
Nothing of the sort happened. He started, frowned, paused, laughed
fiercely, exclaimed,--"The villain 'as missed!" and followed in pursuit.

In the interim, Miss Fanny had been picked up in the street, for the
fourth time, by a benevolent "washerwoman," who happened to be passing
by at the moment; had been conveyed to the said washerwoman's lodgings;
and now appeared before us, despoiled, at last, of all the glories of
the red polka, enveloped from head to foot in clouds of white muslin,
and dying with frightful rapidity in an armchair. In the next and last
scene, all that remained to represent the unhappy heroine was a coffin
decently covered with a white sheet. With slow and funereal steps, the
Curate, Miss Grace, "h'Adam," the Highwayman, and the "venomous and
voluptuous liar," Chartress, approached to weep over it. The Curate had
gone raving mad since we saw him last. His wig was set on wrong side
foremost; the ends of his clerical cravat floated wildly, a yard long at
least over his shoulders; his eyes rolled in frenzy; he swooned at the
sight of the coffin; recovered convulsively; placed Marle's hand in the
hand of Miss Grace (telling him that now one daughter was dead, nothing
was left for him but to marry the other); and then fell flat on his
back, with a thump that shook the stage and made the audience start
unanimously. Marle--well-bred to the last--politely offered his arm to
Grace; and pointing to the coffin