Her heart, which had been in the right place
throughout, remained inflexibly in the right place still. Her
explanation of the circumstances proved this, if nothing else did. The
letter began with a statement: She had overheard, at the last rehearsal
(quite unintentionally), personal remarks of which she was the
subject. They might, or might not, have had reference to her--Hair; and
her--Figure. She would not distress Mrs. Marrable by repeating them.
Neither would she mention names, because it was foreign to her nature
to make bad worse. The only course at all consistent with her own
self-respect was to resign her part. She inclosed it, accordingly, to
Mrs. Marrable, with many apologies for her presumption in undertaking a
youthful character, at--what a gentleman was pleased to term--her
Age; and with what two ladies were rude enough to characterize as her
disadvantages of--Hair, and--Figure. A younger and more attractive
representative of Julia would no doubt be easily found. In the meantime,
all persons concerned had her full forgiveness, to which she would only
beg leave to add her best and kindest wishes for the success of the
play.

In four nights more the play was to be performed. If ever any human
enterprise stood in need of good wishes to help it, that enterprise was
unquestionably the theatrical entertainment at Evergreen Lodge!

One arm-chair was allowed on the stage; and into that arm-chair Miss
Marrable sank, preparatory to a fit of hysterics. Magdalen stepped
forward at the first convulsion; snatched the letter from Miss
Marrable's hand; and stopped the threatened catastrophe.

"She's an ugly, bald-headed, malicious, middle-aged wretch!" said
Magdalen, tearing the letter into fragments, and tossing them over the
heads of the company. "But I can tell her one thing--she shan't spoil
the play. I'll act Julia."

"Bravo!" cried the chorus of gentlemen--the anonymous gentleman who had
helped to do the mischief (otherwise Mr. Francis Clare) loudest of all.

"If you want the truth, I don't shrink from owning it," continued
Magdalen. "I'm one of the ladies she means. I said she had a head like a
mop, and a waist like a bolster. So she has."

"I am the other lady," added the spinster relative. "But I only said she
was too stout for the part."

"I am the gentleman," chimed in Frank, stimulated by the force of
example. "I said nothing--I only agreed with the ladies."

Here Miss Garth seized her opportunity, and