Peg Woffington

nding to wait for Mrs. Woffington, and

talent. If he has been a silent personage hitherto, it is merely because it was not his cue to talk, but listen; otherwise, he was rather a master of the art of speech. He could be insinuating, e

how he was to defeat Sir Charles, who was tall, stout, handsome, rich, witty, self-sufficient, cool, majes

nly the serenity of that adamantine countenance was disturbed; his eye dilated; his grace and dignity were shaken. He huddle

re all driven from his mind; for he beheld that approaching, which is the great

on to a carpenter behind the scene; a seedy-black poet instantly pushed the carpenter away (down a trap, it is thought), and

met at the door. "Ah! Mr. Triplet!" said the fugitive, "enchanted-to wish

is avocations, though numerous, would not prevent his paying Mr. Rich the compliment of waiting all day in his green-

aid the boy of busines

let," sai

r you in the hall," said the ur

e reading." He then derided his own absurdity in having ever for a moment desponded. "Master o

ings. What sparkling eyes there would be in Lambeth to-day! The butcher, at sig

arn the English language, cost what it might; sausages should be diurnal; and he himself would not be puffed up, fat, lazy. No! he would work a

ctions took a

ody who will play them as I should. (This was true!) It will be hard work, all this; but then I sh

d he. "Oh, I see," said he, "these are the tragedies. He sends them to me for some trifling alterations; managers always do." Triplet then determined to adopt these alterations,

n sight. He had to look between the leaves of the manuscripts for it; it was not ther

weight of the blow; but at last he saw that the manager of the Theater Royal, Covent

ich rested on Mrs. Woffington's picture. His anguish was so sharp, it choked his breath; when he recovered it, his eye bent down upon the picture. "Ah, Jane," he groaned, "you know this villainous world better than I!" He placed the

not have died without tingeing the death-rattle with some absurdity; but, after all, he was a father driven to despair; a

e seat before he could find strength to go h

eemed the goddess of gayety, impervious to a care. She swept in with a bold, free step, for she was rehearsing a man's part, and t

turn aside from my least pleasure, Though all thy force were armed to bar my

ook on a level with her eye, she had nea

tched, but polite, "pray continue. Happy the hearer,

what we do for them, when we coax good music to grow on

am. I have here thre

oked askant at the

his insane fits, "if I might but subm

was as when a strange dog s

ress re

such things," cr

would rather be hanged than read a manuscript. Yet what hopeless trash

ater a judge of such things," cried

cepted them?" sa

months, and see, madam, he has r

's lip

teach it to their audiences. Managers, sir, are like Eastern monarchs, inaccessible but to s

dam? Imp

imes; you must write twelve more tragedies, and then he will read one; and when he has read it, he will favor you with hi

rds, gay Nature'

sweets'-mu

and that he dared not ask her. She was up in the world, he was down. She was great, he was nobody. He felt a sort of c

t off like a fifth act. His Don Quixote

" sai

id Triplet,

tell you who you are. Yours is a face that h

t I know what is due to you better than to be g

r. Triplet!" And this vivacious dame, putting her b

tragedies, and kicked at them convulsively when they were down, for fe

d to give sixpence to at Goodman's Fields, and pat her on the head and give

member the young person; she was very engaging. I trust no harm hath befallen he

rich brogue; "an' is it the comanther

cious!" gas

w a whole sentence of meaning. "Fine cha-ney orang

have patted you on that queen-

e hintirely, only there's more in it. Well, Mr. Triplet, you see what time has done for me;

ill be in his heart, dum spiritus hoss regit artus, cock his ears, erect his tail, and trot fiery to his extremest hedge, and look over it, nostril distended, mane flowing, and neigh the hunt onward like a trumpet; so Triplet,

his lips, "Providence has blessed me with an excellent wife and fou

e is she p

er health is t

e-painter. Do you

aid, I transferred the distemper from my canvas to

had joined the laugh, inquired quietly

he stage is to come!" and

y smile

, and a cheerful spirit, I should be wrong, madam, to repine; and this day, in particular, is a happy one,"

Triplet's

summary of the crafty Triplet's facts. So easy is it for us Tr

, no engagement; four children supported by hi

book; and smi

we would cut one in half, and slice away the finest passages, and then I would act

ed by this picture. "I'll go home

u had better leave th

am! You will

make poor Ri

, he has re

comes after, when it comes at all. W

s green

his green b

u play Silvia, madam; I was so charmed, that I came every night. I took your face home with me-fo

ook the gree

dently gratified. Poor, silly Mrs. Triplet

better trade than writing dull tragedies. Work for other people's vanity,

humble, devoted servant." He bowed ridiculously low, and moved toward the door; but something gushed across his heart, and he returned with long strides to her. "Madam!" cried he, with a jaunty manner, "you have inspired a son of Thespis with dreams of eloquence, y

n changed, she wore a look we have not yet seen upon her-it was a half-cunning, half-spiteful look; it was su

offington here?"

nder, I declare!"

rted with an ad

art with them all

a Woffington by agricultural courtshi

stic maids," quoth the

laughed, and said, laughingly: "Te

nly make y

laugh, who provide so m

ral merriment. Imagine a romantic soul

ty! Am I so

u are out of place on the stage, and wants to take t

r. And what does the man think I am to do without this (here

e mimicked a kiss) "from

h, don't stop to invent; I should detect

oposes to be your friend rather than your lover, and keep you

n't you tell him my real characte

an appearance of earnest. The

mon sense and the world. I really think there is only on

t would

r, madam, of laying certai

have only just had time to run my eye

the diplomat allowed himself to fall into the absurd position to whic

ed of houses and coaches and pins. Oh! yes, here's so

lace carefully, and announc

That word is 'earth.' Ah! well, you know

him the letter, and resum

ur answer, madam,

it," was

tand your answer," sai

the lady-like reply. "You must beat my answer into you

the bird

he laughed with quiet insolence. "Tel

re you so ignorant of the stage and the world as not to kno

s the cool reply. S

ntinued she, "that I have beg

button broke off

highest compliments you have l

k the button

tinued. "And now, sir, having played your rival's game, and showed me your whole hand" (a light broke in upon our diplomat), "do something to recover the reputation of a man of

s clinched

"that you may see how easily the man of the wo

have a woman's tongue, if not her wit; but, my good soul," added she, with cool haut

aid Pomander, grinding his teeth. "I will sen

d to th

double favor, go

esied to

ween her and her love. All very cle

t Mrs. Woffington, with

," vowed Pomander,