Curious evolutions, both human and
equestrian, were performed during the operation.
Small boys took flying leaps over the prostrate
barrels ; the stalwart steeds cut figures of
eight in the narrow thoroughfare, occasionally
backing into the chandler's shop opposite, to
the imminent peril of the Dutch cheeses, balls
of twine, screws of tobacco, and penny canes
there exposed to view, and the loudly
expressed consternation of the proprietrix ; the
pavement on one side was rendered
temporarily impassable by a barricade of tightly
strained cordage, and the otherwise equable
temper of the servant-maid from number four,
seriously ruffled, as, emerging from the door
with a foaming jug of half-and-half, a dirty
rope came right across her clean white stocking.
Then, after all this, have the gigantic
draymen rested and refreshed themselves.
A temporary game of hide-and-seek has
taken place — each red-capped butt-twister
wandering alaout anxiously inquiring for his
" mate ;" but the lost have been found ; and,
when from the dark and poky parlour we
re-enter the bow-windowed bar (where the
sweet-smelling thicket of lemons, and the
punch-bowls, the punch-ladles, with William
and Mary guineas soldered in them, and the
bright-eyed landlord's daughter are) — we find
the mighty yeomen discussing huge dishes of
beefsteaks and onions, and swallowing deep
draughts from the Pierian spring of Barclay's
best.

Take with me, I entreat, a glass of Dutch
bitters from that pot-bellied, quaint-shaped
bottle with the City shield and dagger on it,
for all the world like one of the flasks in
Hogarth's Modern Midnight Conversation.
Then as the draymen have finished their repast,
and our chariot awaits us, let us sally forth
into London again, and seek a fresh tap.

What have we here ? A pictorial "public."
Lithographic prints, wood engravings in the
windows; Highland gentlemen, asseverating,
in every variety of attitude, that their names
are Norval — that their pedigrees are pastoral,
and that their last past places of residence
were the Grampian Hills; Hamlet declaring
his capacity to tell a hawk from a handsaw;
Job Thornbury vindicating the rights of the
Englishman's fireside; Lady Macbeth lamenting
the inutility of all the perfumes of Arabia
to sweeten " this little hand " — which looks
large; clowns bewailing the loss of a " farden,"
grinning hideously meanwhile — all as
performed by Messieurs and Mesdames So-and-so,
at the Theatres Royal. The little glazed
placards in the window, telling of chops,
steaks, and Schweppe's soda-water, are
elbowed, pushed from their stools, by
cartoons of the " Bounding Brothers of the
Himalaya Mountains ;" Signor Scapino and his
celebrated dog Jowler ; Herr Diavolo Buffo,
the famous corkscrew equilibrist (from the
Danube), and tight-rope dancer ; or
Mademoiselle Smicherini the dancer, with
undeniable silk fleshings, and very little else.
Lower down, bills of theatrical benefits
tournaments at tea-gardens, " readings" from
Shakspeare, and harmonic meetings dispute
the pavement with the legitimate possessors
of the soil — the brewers and distillers. Within
is a grove — a forest rather, of play-bills, waving
their red and black leaves in Valombrosan
density. Patent theatres, minor theatres,
country theatres — even Transatlantic temples
of the drama. This is a theatrical " public"—
a house of call for Thespians. Over the way
is the Theatre Royal, Barbican ; round the
corner, up the court and two pair of stairs,
Mr. Wilfred Grindoff Belville, has his
theatrical agency office ; here meet the Sock and
Buskin Club ; and here, in days gone by, the
great Konks, the tragedian, was wont to
imbibe that bottle and a half of gin, without
the aid of which he disdained to perform his
famous character of " The Robber of the
Hills."

To the theatrical public come the actors of
the Theatre Royal, Barbican, their friends
and acquaintances, being actors at other
theatres, and that anomalous class of persons
who hunt for orders, and scrape acquaintance
with theatrical people, of which and of whom
they afterwards discourse voluminously in
the genteel circles. Hither, also, come
comedians, dancers, and pantomimists who are for
the time out of engagements, who have placed
their names on Mr. W. G. Belville's " list,"
and expect situations through his agency. A
weary-looking, heart-sick with hope deferred
body they are. There, intently studying the
bill of the Bowie-knife Theatre, New York, is
Mr. Montmorency de Courcy (né Snaggs) in
a mulberry-coloured body-coat and gilt basket
buttons, check trousers, and a white hat.
He is from the Northern Circuit, and hopes,
please the pigs and Mr. Belville, to do second
low comedy in London yet, though he has
been a long time " out of collar." At the
door, you have Mr. Snartell, the low comedian
from Devonport, and Mr. Rollocks, the heavy
father from the Bath Circuit, who affects, in
private life, a low-crowned hat with a
prodigious brim (has a rich though somewhat
husky bass voice), and calls everybody " My
son." These, with many more dark-haired,
close-shaven, and slightly mouldily-habited
inheritors of the mantles of Kean, Dowton, or
Blanchard, wait the live-long day for the
long-wished-for engagements.

Inside, at the bar, Signor Scapino, in
propriâ personâ, is exercising his celebrated
dog Jowler at standing on the hind legs,
placing a halfpenny on the counter, and
receiving a biscuit instead; two or three
stage-carpenters are enjoying themselves over
the material used to " grease the traps," i. e.
half-a-crown's worth of stimulants placed to
their credit by the author of the last new
piece over the way; while the author himself,
a mysterious individual in spectacles, and
clutching an umbrella, eagerly scrutinises
the pile of country play-bills, in the hope of