ould have been pronounced a handsome face, but
for an overpowering expression of impudence and vulgarity; a sort
of footman-out-of-place-looking creature; his hands were thrust
into the pockets of his coat behind, and in consequence exposing a
portion of his person, as ridiculously, and perhaps as
unconsciously, as a turkey-cock does when he intends to make
himself very agreeable. He was walking rather fancifully up and
down the room, partly singing, partly whistling '_The Bay of
Biscay O_,' and at the long-lived, but most nonsensical chorus, he
shook the fag-ends of his divided coat tail, as if in derision of
that fatal 'short sea,' so well known and despised in that
salt-water burial-place. I was pretending to read a paper, when a
carrier entered, and placed a play-bill before me on the table. I
had taken it up and began perusing it, when he strutted up, and
leaning over my shoulder, said:

''I beg pardon, Sir; just a moment.'

'I put it toward him.

''No matter, Sir, no matter; I've seen all I want to see; the same
old two-and-sixpence; _Hamlet, Mr. Sandford_, in large letters;
_and Laertes, Mr. Vandenhoff_! O----!'

'And with an epithet not in any way alluding to the 'sweet South,'
he stepped off to the _Biscay_ tune, allegro. I was amused; and
perhaps the expression of my face encouraged him to return
instantly, and with the familiarity of an old acquaintance, for he
said:

''My dear Sir, that's the way the profession is going to the
devil: here, Sir, is the '_manager_'--with a sneer--'one of the
d----dest humbugs that ever trod the stage, must have his name in
large letters, of _course_; and the _and_ Laertes, Mr. Vandenhoff;
he's a favorite of the Grand Mogul, as we call old Sandford, and
so he gets all the fat; and d'ye know why he's shoved down the
people's throats? Because he's so d----d bad the old man shows to
advantage alongside of him. Did you ever see him?'

'I shook my head.

''Why, Sir, he's a tall, stooping, lantern-jawed,
asthmatic-voiced, spindle-shanked fellow.' Here he put his foot on
the rail of my chair, and slightly scratched the calf of his leg.
'Hair the color of a cock-canary,' thrusting his fingers through
his own coal-black ringlets; 'with light blue eyes, Sir, trimmed
with pink gymp. He hasn't been long caught; just from some n