Queen excited—­thinks it’s for her; but Louis stops the dance, takes the bracelet, and gives it to Louise.  “A present from Paris.  There, that’s for being a good girl—­take it, and say no more about it.”  She does, and they finish the minuet. Louis, on turning round to the dais, discovers that the Queen has gone away, which he seems to think most unreasonable of her—­just when he was dancing his very best!  There is more ballet, after which the King discovers that Louise is missing too.  Her Page comes on and hands him a letter, which he opens triumphantly.  “A rendezvous, eh?  Never knew jewellery fail yet!  How I am carrying on, to be sure!” says his face.  But, as he reads, his eyes begin to roll, and he has another attack of swelling.  Then the curtains at the back are withdrawn again, and on the top of the steps, where the stuffed lambs were, he sees Louise de Lavalliere in a nun’s robe, entering a Convent. Louis can’t believe it; he thinks it must be part of the performance, though not on the original programme.  As he goes nearer to see, the curtains close, open again—­and there is nothing.  And the baffled monarch realises the melancholy truth—­Louise has gone into a nunnery, without even returning the “bracelet of great value”!  Whereupon the Act-drop mercifully falls, and veils his discomfiture.  And that’s all!

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[Illustration:  SO NICE OF HER!

Captain Muffet. “MAY I VENTURE TO HOPE THAT YOU WILL GIVE ME A WALTZ OR QUADRILLE?”

Lady Sparker. “OH, I’M SO SORRY, I’M ENGAGED FOR EVERY DANCE!  I’M ENGAGED ALSO FOR SUPPER TWICE; BUT I PROMISE YOU FAITHFULLY YOU SHALL HAVE MY THIRD GLASS OF LEMONADE!”]

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LADY GAY’S SELECTIONS.

DEAR MR. PUNCH.—­Several people who do not know me as the writer of the “Selections,” have told me that they took the tip about “Balmoral” for the Manchester Cup, but backed it to win instead of to be last—­thereby winning money!—­now—­of course the last thing a tipster wishes, is that his prophecy should turn out successful, therefore I am delighted at the result, as also was Sir MINTING BLOUNDELL, who won a good stake, and is the only person who knows the secret of my incognito.  He congratulated me most heartily on my success, which he said was the more wonderful as he knew the owner did not much fancy the horse!—­but, as I told him—­if owners of race-horses knew as much as some of the public—­(to say nothing of the prophets)—­they would never lose the money they do, and would probably give up racing!  The selection was entirely my own “fancy.”  I need scarcely say, I never ask an owner anything, and if he volunteers the information that he thinks his horse “has a good chance,” I find as a rule, it’s just as well to “let the horse run loose,” as they put it; though that is an expression I never quite understood, as I’ve never yet seen a horse “run loose” in a race, except on one or two occasions when the jockey has been thrown at the start—­which now I come to think of it, may be the origin of the expression!