" Leonik."

The bearer did not wait for an answer. Philip, however
determined to go at once; and, merely disguising himself with
a mask, about twelve o'clock, he entered the boarded area of
the theatre. It was a very gay sight: one that, ten years agoy
no one would ever have expected to see in steady-going England
It was not, to be sure, the masquerade of the old school, such
as wc read of in by-gone theatrical works, where the prin-
cipal business consisted in drinking bad champagne — the
true nectar of the gents; and the chief fun was to shout and
scream, in the spirit of illustrations still extant, where many
are drunk, and more are noisy, and huntsmen are whipping
downs across the supper-table, with similar pleasantries. At
all events, there was some degree of order. The costumes
were effective — the reign of the clowns, and Irishmen, and
huntsmen, had terminated — the music was such as Almack's
might have coveted; and the gents would have been kicked
and turned out, had they given any of their snobbish pro-
pensities full play.
A waltz was going on as Philip entered. In a large circle,
the inner boundary of which was formed by the wands of the
masters of the ceremonies, making a ring-fence, shoals of
masks were hurrying on^ and whirling round and round.
