standing contemplating the first scene when the manager
accosted him.

"Been in front to-night?" said Mr. Crummles.

"No," replied Nicholas, "not yet. I am going to see the play."

"We've had a pretty good Let," said Mr. Crummles. "Four front places in
the centre, and the whole of the stage box."

"Oh, indeed!" said Nicholas; "a family, I suppose?"

"Yes," replied Mr. Crummles. "It's an affecting thing. There are six
children, and they never come unless the Phenomenon plays."

It would have been difficult for any party to have visited the theatre
on a night when the Phenomenon did _not_ play, inasmuch as she always
sustained one, and not uncommonly two or three characters, every night;
but Nicholas, sympathizing with the feelings of a father, refrained from
hinting at this trifling circumstance, and Mr. Crummies continued:

"Six,--pa and ma eight,--aunt nine,--governess ten,--grandfather and
grandmother, twelve. Then, there's the footman who stands outside with a
bag of oranges and a jug of toast-and-water, and sees the play for
nothing through the little pane of glass in the box-door--it's cheap at
a guinea; they gain by taking a box."

"I wonder you allow so many," observed Nicholas.

"There's no help for it," replied Mr. Crummles; "it's always expected
in the country. If there are six children, six people come to hold them
in their laps. Ring in the orchestra, Grudden!"

It was Mr. Crummles' habit to give a benefit performance, commonly
called a "bespeak," to any member of his company fortunate enough to
have either a birthday or any other anniversary of sufficient importance
to challenge attention on the posters, and not long after Nicholas
entered the company, this honor fell to the lot of one of the prominent
actresses, Miss Snevellicci. Mr. Crummles then informed Nicholas that
there was some work for him to do before that event took place.

"There's a little canvassing takes place on these occasions," said Mr.
Crummles, "among the patrons, and the fact is, Snevellicci has had so
many bespeaks in this place that she wants an attraction. She had one
when her stepmother died, and when her uncle died; and Mrs. Crummles and
myself have had them on the anniversary of the Phenomenon's birthday,
and our wedding-day, and occasions of that description; so that, in
fact, it is hard to get a good one. Now, won't you help this poor girl,
Mr. Johnson, by calling with her to-morrow morning upon one or two of
the pr