[Illustration:  MR. IRVING MAKING HIS GREAT HIT.  THE BULL’S-EYE!

After such a hit,—­“there is no cause for fear now!”]

ACT II.—­Library and Armoury.  Convenient swords and loaded blunderbusses. Lord Keeper Ashton appears.  Quite right that there should be the Keeper present, in view of Lucy subsequently going mad.  Young Henry Ashton, the youth GORDON CRAIG, a lad of promise, and performance, has the entire stage to himself for full two minutes, to show what he can do with a speech descriptive of some pictures.  Master alone with Keeper, suggests duel.  Why arms in Library, unless duel?  Fight about to commence according to Queensberry rules, when Master sees portrait.  Whose? Lucy’s?  “No,” says Master; “not to be taken in.  I know LUCY’S picture; it was done by WARD.”  The Keeper explains that this is a portrait, not of the author of The History of Two Parliaments, and Fleecing Gideon, but of his daughter Lucy, which has never yet been seen in any exhibition or loan collection.  “Oho,” says Master, “then I won’t fight a chap who has a daughter like that.”  Ha!  Mad bull “heard without”—­one of the “herd without,”—­Master picks up blunderbuss, no blunder, makes a hit and saves a miss; i.e., Lucy.  What shall he have who kills the bull with a bull ’it?  Why, a tent at Cowshot, near Bisley.

Next Scene.—­Wolf’s Crag.  Grand picture—­thunder—­music—­Dr. MACKENZIE—­Mr. MACINTOSH—­“the two MACS”—­doing excellent work in orchestra, and on stage—­storm—­Miss MARRIOTT admirable as old Witch—­red light in fire-grate—­blank verse by MERIVALE, and on we go to

ACT III.—­A Scene never to be forgotten—­the Mermaiden’s Well (quite well, thank you), by HAWES CRAVEN, henceforth to be HAWES McCRAVENSWOOD.  Pines, heather, sunlight, and two picturesque lovers, Master and Miss, exchanging vows.  Master gloomy, Miss lively.  Miss promises to become Missus.  Enter Master’s future Modern Mother-in-law.  Intended to be vindictive, but really a comfortable and comely body.  Might be Mrs. McBouncer in McBox and McCox.  Naturally enough, off goes Master to France.

[Illustration:  What Mr. Mackintosh ought to have done.  “Balancing the Feather.”  An entertainment on the sands.]

ACT IV.—­Another splendid scene.  Magnificently attired, Hayston of Bucklaw attempts to raise a laugh.  Success. Mrs. Mac Bouncer coerces Lucy in white satin to sign the fatal contract that will settle Master.  Ah! that awful laugh—­far more tragic than the one secured by Bucklaw!  It is Lucy going mad!  She has already shown signs of incipient insanity by calling Mr. HOWE, otherwise Bide-the-Bent, a “holy Father,”—­much to that excellent comedian’s surprised content.  Contract signed.  Return of “Master.” Denoument must be seen to be appreciated.  Here McMERIVALE bids Sir WALTER good-bye, and finishes in his own way.  Last scene of all, and the loveliest.  The earliest rays of the sun shining on the advancing tide! Caleb picks up all that is left of “Master”—­a feather!  With Miss ELLEN, Master HENRY, McMARRIOTT, McMERIVALE, MACKINTOSH, MACKENZIE, and HAWES McCRAVENSWOOD, here is a success which the advancing tide of popular favour will float till Easter or longer, and will then leave a new feather in the cap of Master.