Take it that the captivating Frederick Belville, who is announced for the part, is, along with his other qualifications, his gallantry, his grace, his ringlets, his pathetic smile, his lustrous eyes, his plaintive tenor, and five-and-twenty years--a little bit of a rip--rather frail in the particular of brandy and water, and so, not quite reliable.

Will not the prudent manager provide a substitute respectably to fill the part, in the sad event of one of those sudden indispositions to which Belville is but too liable! It may be somewhat 'fat and scant of breath,' ay, and scant of hair and of teeth too.

But though he has played Romeo thirty years ago, the perruquier, and the dentist, and the rouge-pot, and the friendly glare of the foot-lights will do wonders; and Podgers--steady fellow!--will be always at the right wing, at the right moment, know every line of his author, and contrive to give a very reasonable amount of satisfaction to all parties concerned.

Following this precedent, then, that wise virgin, Miss Magnolia, and her sagacious mamma, had allotted the role in question to Arthur Slowe, who was the better furnished for the part, and, on the whole, the stronger 'cast.' But failing him, Lieutenant O'Flaherty was quietly, but unconsciously, as the phrase is,'under-studying' that somewhat uncertain gentleman.
'And the general's off to Scarborough,' said Toole.
'Old Chattesworth! I thought it was to Bath.
'Oh, no, Scarborough; a touch of the old rheum, and stomach I sent him there; and he's away in the Hillsborough packet for Holyhead this morning, and Colonel Stafford's left in command.' 'And my Lady Becky Belmont's superseded,' laughed Miss Magnolia, derisively.
'And who do you think's going to make the grand tour?
from Paris to Naples, if you please, and from Naples to Rome, and up to Venice, and home through Germany, and deuce knows where beside; you'll not guess in a twel'month,' said Toole, watching her with a chuckle.
'Devereux, maybe,' guessed the young lady.
'No 'tisn't,' said Toole, delighted; 'try again!' 'Well, 'tis, let me see.

Some wild young rogue, with a plenty of money, I warrant, if I could only think of him--come, don't keep me all day--who the plague is he, Toole ?' urged the young lady, testily.
'Dan Loftus,' answered Toole, 'ha, ha, ha, ha!' 'Dan Loftus!--the grand tour--why, where's the world running to?
Oh, ho, ho, ho, hoo! what a macaroni!' and they laughed heartily over it, and called him 'travelled monkey,' and I know not what else.
'Why, I thought Dr.Walsingham designed him for his curate; but what in the wide world brings Dan Loftus to foreign parts--"To dance and sing for the Spanish King, and to sing and dance for the Queen of France ?"' 'Hey! Dan's got a good place, I can tell you--travelling tutor to the hopeful young lord that is to be--Devereux's cousin.