Mr.Beresford was reading the ballad, and we took up the tableaux at the point where Hynde Horn has come from a far countrie to see why the diamonds in the ring given him by his own true love have grown pale and wan.

He hears that the king's daughter Jean has been married to a knight these nine days past.
'But unto him a wife the bride winna be, For love of Hynde Horn, far over the sea.' He therefore borrows the old beggar's garments and hobbles to the king's palace, where he petitions the porter for a cup of wine and a bit of cake to be handed him by the fair bride herself.
'"Good porter, I pray, for Saints Peter and Paul, And for sake of the Saviour who died for us all, For one cup of wine and one bit of bread, To an auld man with travel and hunger bestead.
And ask the fair bride, for the sake of Hynde Horn, To hand them to me so sadly forlorn." Then the porter for pity the message convey'd, And told the fair bride all the beggar man said.' The curtain went up again.

The porter, moved to pity, has gone to give the message to his lady.

Hynde Horn is watching the staircase at the rear of the stage, his heart in his eyes.

The tapestries that hide it are drawn, and there stands the king's daughter, who tripped down the stair-- 'And in her fair hands did lovingly bear A cup of red wine, and a farle of cake, To give the old man for loved Hynde Horn's sake.' The hero of the ballad, who had not seen his true love for seven long years, could not have been more amazed at the change in her than was Ronald Macdonald at the sight of the flushed, excited, almost tearful king's daughter on the staircase, Lady Ardmore's diamonds flashing from her crimson satin gown, Lady Ardmore's rubies glowing on her white arms and throat; not Miss Dalziel, as had been arranged, but Francesca, rebellious, reluctant, embarrassed, angrily beautiful and beautifully angry! In the next scene Hynde Horn has drained the cup and dropped the ring into it.
'"Oh, found you that ring by sea or on land, Or got you that ring off a dead man's hand ?" "Oh, I found not that ring by sea or on land, But I got that ring from a fair lady's hand.
As a pledge of true love she gave it to me, Full seven years ago as I sail'd o'er the sea; But now that the diamonds are changed in their hue, I know that my love has to me proved untrue."' I never saw a prettier picture of sweet, tremulous womanhood, a more enchanting, breathing image of fidelity, than Francesca looked as Mr.
Beresford read:-- '"Oh, I will cast off my gay costly gown, And follow thee on from town unto town; And I will take the gold kaims from my hair, And follow my true love for evermair."' Whereupon Hynde Horn lets his beggar weeds fall, and shines there the foremost and noblest of all the king's companie as he says:-- '"You need not cast off your gay costly gown, To follow me on from town unto town; You need not take the gold kaims from your hair, For Hynde Horn has gold enough and to spare." Then the bridegrooms were changed, and the lady re-wed To Hynde Horn thus come back, like one from the dead.' There is no doubt that this tableau gained the success of the evening, and the participants in it should have modestly and gratefully received the choruses of congratulation that were ready to be offered during the supper and dance that followed.