to a good Melodrama as any Philistine of the Philistines could
possibly wish. It would have been a human tragedy indeed had poor
Gooseberry poisoned himself, and the girl whose life he had saved had
arrived just too late, only to die of a broken heart. But that "is
quite another story."

The piece is well played all round, especially by the men. Mr. TREE
is excellent, except in the ultra-melodramatic parts, where he is too
noisy. The very best thing he does is the perfect finish of the Second
Act, when, without a word, he sits in the chair before the fire lost
in dismal thought. This is admirable: as perfect in its dramatic force
as it is true to nature. It is without exception the best thing in the
whole piece. Mr. F. KERR as _Reginald Slingsby_, achieves a success
unequalled since Mr. BANCROFT played the _parvenu_ swell _Hawtree_. It
should be borne in mind that Mr. KERR only recently played admirably
the poor stuttering shabby lover in _The Struggle for Life. Il ira
loin, ce bon_ M. KERR. Miss JULIA NEILSON looks the part to the life:
when she has ceased to give occasional imitations of Miss ELLEN TERRY,
and can really play the part as well as she looks it, then nothing
more could be possibly desired. All the others as good as need be, or
can be.

[Illustration: FINAL TABLEAU.

Triumph of the Artful Agent and his lame Duck of a Daughter, Sybil
Slyboots, _alias_ Becky Sharp, afterwards the Merry Duchess of
Gooseberry.]

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