in whom
Jackson found delight, caused Herrick only to groan; the knockabout
comedians he hoped would break their collar-bones; the lady who danced
Salome, and who fascinated Kelly, Herrick prayed would catch pneumonia
and die of it. And when the drop rose upon the Countess Zichy's bears,
his dissatisfaction reached a climax.

There were three bears--a large papa bear, a mamma bear, and the baby
bear. On the programme they were described as Bruno, Clara, and Ikey.
They were of a dusty brown, with long, curling noses tipped with white,
and fat, tan-colored bellies. When father Bruno, on his hind legs and
bare feet, waddled down the stage, he resembled a Hebrew gentleman in a
brown bathing suit who had lost his waist-line. As he tripped doubtfully
forward, with mincing steps, he continually and mournfully wagged his
head. He seemed to be saying: "This water is much too cold for me." The
mamma bear was dressed in a poke bonnet and white apron, and resembled
the wolf who frightened Little Red Riding-Hood, and Ikey, the baby bear,
wore rakishly over one eye the pointed cap of a clown. To those who knew
their vaudeville, this was indisputable evidence that Ikey would furnish
the comic relief. Nor did Ikey disappoint them. He was a wayward son.
When his parents were laboriously engaged in a boxing-match, or dancing
to the "Merry Widow Waltz," or balancing on step-ladders, Ikey, on all
fours, would scamper to the foot-lights and, leaning over, make a swift
grab at the head of the first trombone. And when the Countess Zichy,
apprised by the shouts of the audience of Ikey's misconduct, waved a toy
whip, Ikey would gallop back to his pedestal and howl at her. To every
one, except Herrick and the first trombone, this playfulness on the part
of Ikey furnished great delight.

The performances of the bears ended with Bruno and Clara dancing heavily
to the refrain of the "Merry Widow Waltz," while Ikey pretended to
conduct the music of the orchestra. On the final call, Madame Zichy
threw to each of the animals a beer bottle filled with milk; and the
gusto with which the savage-looking beasts uncorked the bottles and
drank from them greatly amused the audience. Ikey, standing on his hind
legs, his head thrown back, with both paws clasping the base of the
bottle, shoved the neck far down his throat, and then, hurling it
from him, and cocking his clown's hat over his eyes, gave a masterful
imitation of a very intoxicated bear.

"That,"