cult to accomplish, and that the difficulties, of getting out at all in the first instance, and if you surmount them, of keeping out in the second, are pretty much on a par, and no slight ones either and so Miss Amelia Martin shortly discovered. It is a singular fact (there being ladies in the case) that Miss Amelia Martin's principal foible was vanity, and the leading characteristic of Mrs. Jennings Rodolph an attachment to dress. Dismal wailings were heard to issue from the secondfloor front, of number forty-seven, Drummond-street, Georgestreet, Euston-square; it was Miss Martin practising. Halfsuppressed murmurs disturbed the calm dignity of the White Conduit orchestra at the commencement of the season. was the appearance of Mrs. Jennings Rodolph in full dress, that occasioned them. Miss Martin studied incessantly-the practising was the consequence. Mrs. Jennings Rodolph taught gratuitously now and then-the dresses were the result. was. It Weeks passed away; the White Conduit season had begun, and progressed, and was more than half over. The dressmaking business had fallen off, from neglect; and its profits had dwindled away almost imperceptibly. A benefitnight approached; Mr. Jennings Rodolph yielded to the earnest solicitations of Miss Amelia Martin, and introduced her personally to the "comic gentleman" whose benefit it The comic gentleman was all smiles and blandnesshe had composed a duet, expressly for the occasion, and Miss Martin should sing it with him. The night arrived; there was an immense room-ninety-seven sixpenn'orths of ginand-water, thirty-two small glasses of brandy-and-water, fiveand-twenty bottled ales, and forty-one neguses; and the ornamental painter's journeyman, with his wife and a select circle. of acquaintance, were seated at one of the side tables near the orchestra. The concert began. Song-sentimental-by a light-haired young gentleman in a blue coat, and bright basket buttons [applause]. Another song, doubtful, by another gentleman in another blue coat and more bright basket buttons[increased applause]. Duet, Mr. Jennings Rodolph, and Mrs. Jennings Rodolph, "Red Ruffian, retire !"-[great applause.] Solo, Miss Julia Montague (positively on this occasion only)"I am a Friar"-[enthusiasm]. Original duet, comic-Mr. H. Taplin (the comic gentleman) and Miss Martin-"The Time of Day." "Brayvo!-Brayvo!" cried the ornamental painter's journeyman's party, as Miss Martin was gracefully led in by the comic gentleman. "Go to work, Harry," cried the comic 46 gentleman's personal friends. "Tap-tap-tap," went the leader's bow on the music-desk. The symphony began, and was soon afterwards followed by a faint kind of ventriloquial chirping, proceeding apparently from the deepest recesses of the interior of Miss Amelia Martin. 'Sing out"-shouted one gentleman in a white great-coat. "Don't be afraid to put the steam on, old gal," exclaimed another, “S—s—s—s— S-S-S -went the five-and twenty bottled ales. "Shame, shame!" remonstrated the ornamental painter's journeyman's party—“ S―s—s-s"-went the bottled ales again, accompanied by all the gins, and a majority of the brandies. "Turn them geese out," cried the ornamental painter's journeyman's party, with great indignation. "Sing out," whispered Mr. Jennings Rodolph "Off, off, off," cried the rest of the audience. 66 Bray-vo!" shouted the painter's party. It wouldn't do -Miss Amelia Martin left the orchestra, with much less ceremony than she had entered it; and, as she couldn't sing out, never came out. The general good-humor was not restored until Mr. Jennings Rodolph had become purple in the face, by imitating divers quadrupeds for half an hour, without being able to render himself audible; and, to this day, neither has Miss Amelia Martin's good-humor been restored, nor the dresses made for and presented to Mrs. Jennings Rodolph, nor the vocal abilities which Mr. Jennings Rodolph once staked his professional reputation that Miss Martin possessed. CHAPTER IX. THE DANCING ACADEMY. Of all the dancing academies that ever were established, there never was one more popular in its immediate vicinity than Signor Billsmethi's, of the "King's Theatre." It was not in Spring-gardens, or Newman-street, or Berners-street, or Gower-street, or Charlotte-street, or Percy-street, or any other of the numerous streets, which have been devoted time out of mind to professional people, dispensaries, and boarding-houses; it was not in the West-end at all-it rather approximated to the eastern portion of London, being situated in the populous and improving neighborhood of Gray's innlane. It was not a dear dancing academy-four-and-sixpence a quarter is decidedly cheap upon the whole. It was very select, the number of pupils being strictly limited to seventyfive, and a quarter's payment in advance being rigidly exacted. There was public tuition and private tuition-an assembly-room and a parlor. Signor Billsmethi's family were always thrown in with the parlor, and included in parlor price; that is to say, a private pupil had Signor Billsmethi's parlor to dance in, and Signor Billsmethi's family to dance with; and when he had been sufficiently broken in in the parlor, he began to run in couples in the Assembly-room. Such was the dancing academy of Signor Billsmethi, when Mr. Augustus Cooper, of Fetter-lane, first saw an unstamped advertisement walking leisurely down Holborn-hill, announcing to the world that Signor Billsmethi, of the King's Theatre, intended opening for the season with a Grand Ball. Now, Mr. Augustus Cooper was in the oil and color line -just of age, with a little money, a little business, and a little mother, who, having managed her husband and his business in his lifetime, took to managing her son and his business after his decease; and so, somehow or other, he had been cooped up in the little back parlor behind the shop on week days, and in a little deal box without a lid (called by courtesy a pew) at Bethel Chapel, on Sundays, and had seen no more of the world than if he had been an infant all his days; whereas Young White, at the gas-fitter's over the way, three years younger than him, had been flaring away like winkin'-going to the theatre-supping at harmonic meetings -eating oysters by the barrel-drinking stout by the galloneven stopping out all night, and coming home as cool in the morning as if nothing had happened. So Mr. Augustus Cooper made up his mind that he would not stand it any longer, and had that very morning expressed to his mother a firm determination to be "blowed," in the event of his not being instantly provided with a street-door key. And he was walking down Holborn-hill, thinking about all these things, and wondering how he could manage to get introduced into genteel society for the first time, when his eyes rested on he 590 Signor Billsmethi's announcement, which it immediately struck him was just the very thing he wanted; for he should not only be able to select a genteel circle of acquaintance at once, out of the five-and-seventy pupils at four-and-sixpence a quarter, but should qualify himself at the same time to go through a hornpipe in private society, with perfect ease to himself and great delight to his friends. So, he stopped the unstamped advertisement-an animated sandwich, composed of a boy between two boards-and having procured a very small card with the Signor's address indented thereon, walked straight at once to the Signor's house-and very fast he walked too, for fear the list should be filled up, and the fiveand-seventy completed, before he got there. The Signor was at home, and, what was still more gratifying, he was an Englishman! Such a nice man—and so polite! The list was not full, but it was a most extraordinary circumstance that there was only just one vacancy, and even that one would have been filled up, that very morning, only Signor Billsmethi was dissatisfied with the reference, and, being very much afraid that the lady wasn't select, wouldn't take her. "And very much delighted I am, Mr. Cooper," said Signor Billsmethi, "that I did not take her. I assure you, Mr. Cooper-I don't say it to flatter you, for I know you're above it-that I consider myself extremely fortunate in having a gentleman of your manners and appearance, sir." 66 "I am very glad of it too, sir," said Augustus Cooper. "And I hope we shall be better acquainted, sir," said Signor Billsmethi. "And I'm sure I hope we shall too, sir," responded Augustus Cooper. Just then, the door opened, and in came a young lady, with her hair curled in a crop all over her head, and her shoes tied in sandals all over her ankles. "Don't run away, my dear," said Signor Billsmethi; for the young lady didn't know Mr. Cooper was there when she ran in, and was going to run out again in her modesty, all in confusion-like. "Don't run away, my dear," said Signor Billsmethi, "this is Mr. Cooper-Mr. Cooper, of Fetter-lane. Mr. Cooper, my daughter, sir-Miss Billsmethi, sir, who I hope will have the pleasure of dancing many a quadrille, minuet, gavotte, country-dance, fandango, double-hornpipe, and farinagholkajingo with you, sir. She dances them all, sir; and so shall you, sir, before you're a quarter older, sir." And Signor Billsmethi slapped Mr. Augustus Cooper on the back, as if he had known him a dozen years,- -so friendly, -and Mr. Cooper bowed to the young lady, and the young lady curtseyed to him, and Signor Billsmethi said they were as handsome a pair as ever he'd wish to see; upon which the young lady exclaimed, "Lor, Pa!" and blushed as red as Mr. Cooper himself you might have thought they were both standing under the red lamp at a chemist's shop; and before Mr. Cooper went away it was settled that he should join the family circle that very night-taking them just as they wereno ceremony nor nonsense of that kind-and learn his positions in order that he might lose no time, and be able to come out at the forthcoming ball. Well; Mr. Augustus Cooper went away to one of the cheap shoemakers' shops in Holborn, where gentlemen's dresspumps are seven and sixpence, and men's strong walking just nothing at all, and bought a pair of the regular seven-and-sixpenny, long-quartered, town mades, in which he astonished himself quite as much as his mother, and sallied forth to Signor Billsmethi's. There were four other private pupils, in the parlor: two ladies and two gentlemen. Such nice people! Not a bit of pride about them. One of the ladies in particular, who was in training for a Columbine, was remarkably affable; and she and Miss Billsmethi took such an interest in Mr. Augustus Cooper, and joked, and smiled, and looked so bewitching, that he got quite at home, and learnt his steps in no time. After the practising was over, Signor Billsmethi, and Miss Billsmethi, and Master Billsmethi, and a young lady, and the two ladies, and the two gentlemen, danced a quadrille-none of your slipping and sliding about, but regular warm work, flying into corners, and diving among chairs, and shooting out at the door, something like dancing! Signor Billsmethi in particular, notwithstanding his having a little fiddle to play all the time, was out on the landing every figure, and Master Billsmethi, when everybody else was breathless, danced a hornpipe, with a cane in his hand, and a cheese-plate on his head, to the unqualified admiration of the whole company. Then, Signor Billsmethi insisted as they were so happy, that they should all stay to supper, and proposed sending Master Billsmethi for the beer and spirits, whereupon the two gentlemen swore, "strike 'em wulgar if they'd stand that ;" and were just going to quarrel who should pay for it, when Mr. Augustus Cooper said he would, if they'd have the kindness to allow him-and they had the |