behave herself, I fancy."

A strong desire to make off seized the girl; but, remembering that
she had presented herself for inspection, she controlled the
impulse, and returned to him with no demonstration of displeasure,
but a little more fire in "the fine eye," and a more erect carriage
of the "capital figure."

"All right, my dear. Give your name to Mr. Tripp, and your mind to
the business, and consider yourself engaged,"--with which
satisfactory remark the little man vanished like a ghost.

"Lucy, did you hear that impertinent 'my dear'?" asked Christie,
whose sense of propriety had received its first shock.

"Lord, child, all managers do it. They don't mean any thing; so be
resigned, and thank your stars he didn't say 'love' and 'darling,'
and kiss you, as old Vining used to," was all the sympathy she got.

Having obeyed orders, Lucy initiated her into the mysteries of the
place, and then put her in a corner to look over the scenes in which
she was to appear. Christie soon caught the idea of her part,--not a
difficult matter, as there were but few ideas in the whole piece,
after which she sat watching the arrival of the troop she was to
lead. A most forlorn band of warriors they seemed, huddled together,
and looking as if afraid to speak, lest they should infringe some
rule; or to move, lest they be swallowed up by some unsuspected
trap-door.

Presently the ballet-master appeared, the orchestra struck up, and