"Saturn,--dead agin his Second and Tenth House, I'll swear. Lord of
Ascendant, mayhap; in combustion of the Sun,--who knows?"

"You're not an astrologer?" said Vance, suspiciously, edging off.

"Bit of it; no offence."

"What does it signify?" said Lionel, impatiently; "go on. So you called
Mr. Waife 'Gentleman Waife;' and if you had not been an astrologer you
would have been puzzled to see him in such a calling."

"Ay, that's it; for he warn't like any as we ever see on these boards
hereabouts; and yet he warn't exactly like a Lunnon actor, as I have seen
'em in Lunnon, either, but more like a clever fellow who acted for the
spree of the thing. He had sich droll jests, and looked so comical, yet
not commonlike, but always what I calls a gentleman,--just as if one o'
ye two were doing a bit of sport to please your friends. Well, he drew
hugely, and so he did, every time he came, so that the great families in
the neighbourhood would go to hear him; and he lodged in my house, and
had pleasant ways with him, and was what I call a scollard. But still I
don't want to deceive ye, and I should judge him to have been a wild dog
in his day. Mercury ill-aspected,--not a doubt of it. Last year it so
happened that one of the great gents who belong to a Lunnon theatre was
here at fair-time. Whether he had heard of Waife chanceways, and come
express to judge for hisself, I can't say; like eno'. And when he had
seen Gentleman Waife act, he sent for him to the inn--Red Lion--and
offered him a power o' money to go to Lunnon,--Common Garden. Well, sir,
Waife did not take to it all at once, but hemmed and hawed, and was at
last quite coaxed into it, and so he went. But bad luck came on it; and