[Illustration: "Signals to Portia that it is not such an amusing game
as he thought."]

A mimic battle takes place on a bridge--i.e., rival factions shake
their fists with prudent defiance over one another's shoulders.
(_An Old Lady in the Balcony, who has been watching this desperate
encounter, finds that she has missed a very important Scene between_
Shylock _and_ Jessica _at the other end of the stage, and remorsefully
resolves to be more observant in future, as the Scene changes to
"Portia's Palatial Home."_) _Portia_ enters (_the Lady in the Stalls,
who has been here before, tells her companion that_ Portia's _dress
was "lovely when it was clean_"), and greets her guests by extending
both arms and inviting them to inspect the palms of her hands, thereby
intimating that the abundance of canopied recesses, and the absence of
any furniture to sit down upon, is due to the fact that the apartment
has been recently cleared for a parlour game. The company express a
well-bred gratification by bowing. Enter the _Prince of Morocco (who
is of course identified by various Spectators in the Stalls without
Catalogues as_ "Othello," _or "the Duke of Thingumbob_--you _know the
chap I mean_"), followed by his retinue; he kisses _Portia's_ hand,
as she explains to him, the _Prince of Arragon_, and _Bassanio_, the
rules of the game in three simple gestures. They reply, by flourishes,
that they have frequently played it at home, and promise faithfully
not to cheat. The three caskets are brought in and placed on a table;
the _Prince of Morocco_ is the first player, and walks towards them
very slowly, stopping at every ten paces and signalling to _Portia_
that he is all right so far, and that she is not to be at all uneasy
on his account. On coming in sight of the caskets, he pauses and turns
to the audience, as if it had only just occurred to him that the