with his dishonest steward (admirably acted by Mr Dogbery Wopples),
whose daughter he wants to marry. The dishonest steward, during Act
I, without any apparent reason, is struck with remorse, and making
his will in favour of the Squire, departs to America, but afterwards
appears in the last act as someone else. Leaving his will on the
drawing-room table, as he naturally would, it is seized by an Eton
boy (Master Sheridan Wopples), who hides it, for some unexplained
reason, in the cruet-stand, being the last piece of family plate
remaining to the decayed family. This is seized by a comic bailiff
(Mr Theodore Wopples), who takes it to his home; and the decayed
family, finding out about the will, start to chase the bailiff and
recover the stolen property from him. This brought the play on to
Act II, which consisted mainly of situations arising out of the
indiscriminate use of doors and windows for entrances and exits. The
bailiff's mother-in-law (Mrs Wopples) appears in this act, and,
being in want of a new dress, takes the cruet stand to her 'uncle'
and pawns it; so Act II ends with a general onslaught of the decayed
family on Mrs Wopples.

Then the orchestra played the 'Wopples' Waltz', dedicated to Mr
Theodore Wopples by Mr Handel Wopples, and during the performance of
this Mr Villiers walked into the theatre. He was a little pale, as
was only natural after such an adventure as he had been engaged in,
but otherwise seemed all right. He walked up to the first row of the
stalls, and took his seat beside a young man of about twenty-five,
who was evidently much amused at the performance.

'Hullo, Villiers!' said this young gentleman, turning round to the
new arrival, 'what d'ye think of the play?'