52 THE TWO APPRENTICES.

would take care, he said, and get Mr. Osborne's con-
sent to their going.

There was no difficulty about that. Mr. Osborne
was the most indulgent of masters; and the two
young men set off arm-in-arm, in the highest spirits,
intending to be very critical, and yet very much
amused.

A great club-room at one of the inns had been
converted into a very pretty little theatre, which was
well lighted, and tolerably decorated. Neither boxes,
pit, nor gallery had one seat to spare ; the players
evidently had taken the little town at the right
moment. Williams, however, was at first amazingly
critical ; found unmeasured fault, and ridiculed
everything. He had seen, he said, in his time, the
finest theatres in London, and he knew what good
acting was, too. The acting, however, pleased him ;
above all things, the acting of Miss Jessie Banner-
man, who performed the character of Dorinda. He
declared that she was a goddess, an angel ; so young,
not above sixteen; so divinely beautiful! she was
equal to any actress in genteel comedy that he had
ever seen. He must know something about her!
He was very fond of players, he said ; loved, of all
things, to have the entrée of the green-room ; had
a vast fancy for acting himself; and ended by pro-
testing that he was deeply in love with that girl,
and would make her acquaintance, or know the
reason why.