Mrs Jo had been trying for some time to produce a play which shouldbe an improvement upon the ad

　　Mrs Jo had been trying for some time to produce a play which shouldbe an improvement upon the adaptations from the French then in vogue,curious mixtures of fine toilettes, false sentiment, and feeble wit,with no touch of nature to redeem them. It was easy to plan playsfull of noble speeches and thrilling situations, but very hard towrite them; so she contented herself with a few scenes of humble lifein which the comic and pathetic were mingled; and as she fitted hercharacters to her actors, she hoped the little venture would provethat truth and simplicity had not entirely lost their power to charm.

　　Mr Laurie helped her, and they called themselves Beaumont andFletcher, enjoying their joint labour very much; for Beaumont'sknowledge of dramatic art was of great use in curbing Fletcher'stoo-aspiring pen,knockoff handbags, and they flattered themselves that they hadproduced a neat and effective bit of work as an experiment.

　　All was ready now; and Christmas Day was much enlivened by lastrehearsals, the panics of timid actors, the scramble for forgottenproperties, and the decoration of the theatre. Evergreen and hollyfrom the woods, blooming plants from the hothouse on Parnassus, andflags of all nations made it very gay that night in honour of theguests who were coming, chief among them, Miss Cameron, who kept herpromise faithfully. The orchestra tuned their instruments withunusual care, the scene-shifters set their stage with lavishelegance, the prompter heroically took his seat in the stifling nookprovided for him, and the actors dressed with trembling hands thatdropped the pins, and perspiring brows whereon the powder wouldn'tstick. Beaumont and Fletcher were everywhere, feeling that theirliterary reputation was at stake; for sundry friendly critics wereinvited, and reporters, like mosquitoes, cannot be excluded from anyearthly scene, be it a great man's death-bed or a dime museum.

　　'Has she come?' was the question asked by every tongue behind thecurtain,fake uggs; and when Tom, who played an old man, endangered hisrespectable legs among the footlights to peep, announced that he sawMiss Cameron's handsome head in the place of honour, a thrillpervaded the entire company, and Josie declared with an excited gaspthat she was going to have stage fright for the first time in herlife.

　　'I'll shake you if you do,' said Mrs Jo, who was in such a wild stateof dishevelment with her varied labours that she might have gone onas Madge Wildlife, without an additional rag or crazy elf-lock.

　　'You'll have time to get your wits together while we do our piece.

　　We are old stagers and calm as clocks,' answered Demi, with a nodtowards Alice, ready in her pretty dress and all her properties athand.

　　But both clocks were going rather faster than usual,Moncler Outlet, as heightenedcolour, brilliant eyes, and a certain flutter under the laces andvelvet coat betrayed. They were to open the entertainment with a gaylittle piece which they had played before and did remarkably well.

　　Alice was a tall girl, with dark hair and eyes, and a face whichintelligence, health, and a happy heart made beautiful. She waslooking her best now, for the brocades, plumes, and powder of theMarquise became her stately figure; and Demi in his court suit, withsword, three-cornered hat, and white wig,moncler jackets women, made as gallant a Baron asone would wish to see. Josie was the maid, and looked her part to thelife, being as pretty, pert, and inquisitive as any French soubrette.