which he is assaulted by the decayed family, who rush out from all
parts. Ultimately, he reveals himself and hands back the cruet stand
and the estates to the decayed family, after which a general
marrying all round took place, which proceeding was very gratifying
to the boys in the gallery, who gave their opinions very freely, and
the curtain fell amid thunders of applause. Altogether 'The Cruet
Stand' was a success, and would have a steady run of three nights at
least, so Mr Wopples said--and as a manager of long standing, he was
thoroughly well up in the subject.

Villiers, Vandeloup, and Barty went out and had a drink, and as none
of them felt inclined to go to bed, Villiers told them he knew Mr
Theodore Wopples, and proposed that they should go behind the scenes
and see him. This was unanimously carried, and after some difficulty
with the door-keeper--a crusty old man with a red face and white
hair, that stood straight up in a tuft, and made him look like an
infuriated cockatoo--they obtained access to the mysterious regions
of the stage, and there found Master Sheridan Wopples practising a
breakdown while waiting for the rest of the family to get ready.
This charming youth, who was small, dried-up and wonderfully sharp,
volunteered to guide them to his father's dressing-room, and on
knocking at the door Mr Wopples' voice boomed out 'Come in,' in such
an unexpected manner that it made them all jump.

On entering the room they found Mr Wopples, dressed in a light tweed
suit, and just putting on his coat. It was a small room, with a
flaring gas-jet, under which there was a dressing-table littered
over with grease, paints, powder, vaseline and wigs, and upon it
stood a small looking-glass. A great basket-box with the lid wide
open stood at the end of the room, with a lot of clothes piled up on