state. Samuel, coachman, groom, and gardener to Mr. Pendennis,
took his place in the pit, where Mr. Foker's man was also visible. It
was dotted with non-commissioned officers of the Dragoons, whose band,
by kind permission of Colonel Swallowtail, were, as usual, in the
orchestra; and that corpulent and distinguished warrior himself, with
his Waterloo medal and a number of his young men, made a handsome show
in the boxes.

"Who is that odd-looking person bowing to you, Arthur?" Mrs. Pendennis
asked of her son.

Pen blushed a great deal. "His name is Captain Costigan, ma'am," he
said--"a Peninsular officer." In fact it was the Captain in a new
shoot of clothes, as he called them, and with a large pair of white kid
gloves, one of which he waved to Pendennis, whilst he laid the other
sprawling over his heart and coat-buttons. Pen did not say any more. And
how was Mrs. Pendennis to know that Mr. Costigan was the father of Miss
Fotheringay?

Mr. Hornbull, from London, was the Hamlet of the night, Mr. Bingley
modestly contenting himself with the part of Horatio, and reserving his
chief strength for William in 'Black-Eyed Susan,' which was the second
piece.

We have nothing to do with the play: except to say that Ophelia looked
lovely, and performed with admirable wild pathos laughing, weeping,
gazing wildly, waving her beautiful white arms, and flinging about her
snatches of flowers and songs with the most charming madness. What an
opportunity her splendid black hair had of tossing over her shoulders!
She made the most charming corpse ever seen; and while Hamlet and
Laertes were battling in her grave, she was looking out from the back
scenes with some curiosity towards Pen's box, and the family party
assembled in it.

There was but one voice in her praise there. Mrs. Pendennis was in
ecstasies with her beauty. Little Laura was bewildered by the piece, and
the Ghost, and the play within the play (during which, as Hamlet lay
at Ophelia's knee, Pen felt that he would have liked to strangle Mr.
Hornbull), but cried out great praises of that beautiful young creature.
Pen was charmed with the effect which she produced on his mother--and
the clergyman, for his part, was exceedingly enthusiastic.

When the curtain fell upon that group of slaughtered personages, who
are despatched so suddenly at the end of 'Hamlet,' and whose demise
astonished poor little Laura not a little, there was an immense shouting
and applause from all