Only
the people in the boxes were still silent, staring coldly at the
prote'ge' who had played them so odious a prank. Lady Belmore rose and
called for her chariot. Her example was followed by several ladies of
rank. The rest sat spellbound, and of their number was Miss Tylney
Long, at whose rigid face many glasses were, of course, directed.
Meanwhile the play proceeded. Those lines that were not drowned in
laughter Mr. Coates spoke in the most foolish and extravagant manner.
He cut little capers at odd moments. He laid his hand on his heart and
bowed, now to this, now to that part of the house, always with a grin.
In the balcony-scene he produced a snuff-box, and, after taking a
pinch, offered it to the bewildered Juliet. Coming down to the
footlights, he laid it on the cushion of the stage-box and begged the
inmates to refresh themselves, and to `pass the golden trifle on.' The
performance, so obviously grotesque, was just the kind of thing to
please the gods. The limp of Hephaestus could not have called laughter
so unquenchable from their lips. It is no trifle to set Englishmen
laughing, but once you have done it, you can hardly stop them. Act
after act of the beautiful love-play was performed without one sign of
satiety from the seers of it.
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