e people and the play
or passing pretty compliments with the fair favourites by his side,
diverted, perchance, by the ill-begotten quarrel of some fellow with a
saucy orange-wench over the cost of her golden wares. The true gallants
preferred being robbed to haggling--for the shame of it.

A knowing one in the crowd was heard to say: "'Tis Castlemaine to the
King's left."

"No, 'tis Madame Carwell; curse her," snarled a more vulgar companion.

"Madame Querouaille, knave, Duchess of Portsmouth," irritably exclaimed
a handsome gallant, himself stumbling somewhat over the French name,
though making a bold play for it, as he passed toward his box, pushing
the fellow aside. He added a moment later, but so that no one heard:
"Portsmouth is far from here."

It was the Duke of Buckingham--the great Duke of Buckingham, in the pit
of the King's House! Truly, we see strange things in these strange
times! Indeed, William Penn himself did not hesitate to gossip with the
orange-wenches, unless Pepys lied--and Pepys never lied.

"What said he?" asked a stander-by, a butcher, who, with apron on and
sleeves to elbow, had hastily left his stall at one of the afternoon and
still stood with mouth agape and fingers widespread waiting for the
play. Before, however, his sooty companion could answer, they were
jostled far apart.

The crowd struggled for places in eager expectation, amid banter none
too virtuous, whistlings and jostlings. The time for the play had
arrived. "Nell! Nell! Nell!" was on every lip.

And who was "Nell"?

From amidst the players, lords and coxcombs crowded on the stage stepped
forth Nell Gwyn--the prettiest rogue in merry England.

A cheer went up from every throat; for the little vixen who stood before
them had long reigned in the hearts of Drury Lane and the habitues of
the King's House.

Yea, all eyes were upon the pretty, witty Nell; the one-time
orange-girl; now queen of the theatre, and the idol of the Lane. Her
curls were flowing and her big eyes dancing beneath a huge hat--more,
indeed, a canopy than a hat--so large that the audience screamed with
delight at the incongruity of it and the pretty face beneath.

This pace in foolery had been set at the Duke's House, but Nell out-did
them, with her broad-brimmed hat as large as a cart-wheel and her quaint
waist-belt; for was not her hat larger by half than that at the rival
house and her waist-belt quainter?

As she came forward to speak the prologu