Chapter M: LASSALLE as the French nobleman, whom some one described as "Sam

Bris_," excellent. Good house for the _Huguenots_.

_Tuesday._--Here we are _Lohengrinning_ again. _Lohengrin_ not a comic opera: the name being rather misleading. Melodious, mellifluous Mlle. MELBA as _Elsa de Brabante_. NED DE RESZKE as the _Great King_, FURSCH-MADI-GRAS unrivalled as _Ortruda_, DAN DRADY as _Freddy_, one of his most dramatic performances; Signor ABRAMOFF as the _Family Herald_--quite a volume--and JACK DE RESZKE as a _Knight on the Swannee River_, or perhaps a knightly visitor from Swansea. Poor JACK suffering from hoarseness. DRURIOLANUS comes forward to explain this. Audience imagines that DRURIOLANUS himself is going to take poor JACK'S place. Rather disappointed in consequence. "Could have done it, of course," says DRURIOLANUS afterwards, "but bad example for other members of the governing committee." JACK DE R.'S hoarseness scarcely noticeable. No one would have known it if DRURIOLANUS hadn't told us. Some people can't keep a secret.

_Wednesday._--_Vide_ last Wednesday's report. Only difference being that Signor PLUNKETTO GREENO is not _in statu quo ante_, the part of the _Commendatore, M.P. for Stony Stratford_, being taken by Signor DE VASCHETTI.

_Thursday._--Missed it. _Romeo et Juliette._ Believe it was performed, not having heard anything to contrary. Reported that Mr. and Mrs. G. were present. Remember he was there last season, when same Opera was played. Came up then, I think, from Dollis Hill. "All roads lead to Romeo," the G.O.M. is reported to have said to FLORAL HALL, the Covent Gardenia Box Office Manager and enthusiastic devotee of the G.O.M., or "Grand Opera Man."

_Friday._--_La Favorite_ in French. Evidently neither particular nor universal Favourite, as so many _habitues_, conspicuous when here by their noble presence, are now still more conspicuous by their noble absence. Mlle. RICHARD, her first visit to Royal Franco-Italian Opera at Covent Garden, is the Favourite to-night, and the Favourite wins. Opportunity for Mlle. BAUERMEISTER, who has one of the prettiest airs in the Opera to start with, but then "is heard no more," having only to exhibit, in sympathetic dramatic action, her deep distress at the sufferings of the unhappy Favourite, the victim of _Alfonse_, King of Castille. _King Alfonse_ gives a garden-party, with "gipsy revellers" of the period, led by small and early PALLADINO. Refreshments are probably served in an adjoining apartment, but _King Alfonse_, being, perhaps, a trifle dry, occupies his time in the chair of state by trifling with a lozenge. Great difficulty among audience as to whether _Fernand_ is MONTARIOL or YBOS. Having seen MONTARIOL as _David_ in the _Meistersingers_, I do not recognise him as Fernand; but having seen YBOS as _Raoul_, in the _Huguenots_, FERNAND'S legs seem familiar to me. If the voice is the voice of MONTARIOL, the legs are the legs of YBOS. DRURIOLANUS IBOSS says it is _not_ YBOS but MONTARIOL; while a distinguished Operatic Committeeman tells a despairing critic that it _is_ YBOS, and not MONTARIOL. Anyhow, Mons. YBOS-AUX-JAMBES-MONTARIOLIENNES is a good, though not great, _Fernand_. The chorus whether as Monks of one of the great Theatrical Orders, not-admitted-after-seven, or as members of the Castilian Aristocracy, are admirable. Signor GASPAR--a name that suggests a singer rather out of condition, and, like _Hamlet_, "scant of breath" (he should be appropriately attired in "pants")--keeps his eye on Signor BEVIGNANI, and Signor BEVIGNANI pulls him through. _Mem._ What an education in modern languages it must require to be a chorister of the R. I. O. C. G.! Italian, French, English, of course; and perhaps one night they'll come out with something of WAGNER'S in the original German. Everybody looking forward to the revival of _Le Prophete_ on Monday next.

_Saturday._--_Non adsum_, because 'ad sum-where else to go. Covent Garden, however, not closed in consequence. Hear that JEAN is to get L600 per week in America. Good interest this for one tenner.

* * * * *

"DEAR UNCLE BEN--YOU'RE ALWAYS SO KIND!--_WOULD_ YOU SIT ON MY BONNET A LITTLE. I'VE TAKEN OUT THE PINS."]

* * * * *

ONE TOO MANY FOR HIM.

SIGNOR SMITHINI _loquitur_:--

_Houp-la!_ Oh, it's all very fine
That there whip to keep twirling and cracking,
But with such a trio as mine
There's no very great fun in "bare-backing."
Two of them, I'm sure, were enough
To keep--in _this_ Circus--in tether.
A third you must thrust in!--what stuff!
How _am_ I to keep 'em together?
"Land Purchase" I had well in hand,
And "Tithes" made a pretty fair second;
But t'other? I can't understand
How JOKIM could so have misreckoned.
Of all awkward 'osses to hold
The worst is his pet, "Compensation,"
And if in the tan I ain't rolled,
'Twill be thanks to my fine equitation!
_Must_ get him along? Oh, of course!
It will not do to fail, now we've started.
But how? I'm a chap of resource,
And I fancy I'm not chicken-hearted,
Yet some lookers-on shouts out "Go!"
Whilst others ejaculate "Drop him!"
And, SOLLY, I'm hanged if I know
How safely to drive him _or_ stop him.
I may get him round,--'twill take time,--
To drop him would now raise derision;
I'm tired, and not quite in my prime,
And of failure have somehow a vision.
Of course, I will still do my best;
I am always devoted to "Duty,"
But oh! I should so like a rest.
_Houp-la_ then! Oh, come up, you beauty!!

* * * * *

IMPORTANT.--The Two Pins Club are going to have a race. Of course it will be "from point to point."

* * * * *

LE 'OCKEY STICK-BALLE FIGHT.

_Contributed by Our Own "Sportings-Life" Man._

MON CHER MONSIEUR PUNCH,