"Elizabeth Eliza! you must tell us what kind of faces to make up!"
cried another of the boys.
And the audience were heard meanwhile taking the seats on the
other side of the thin curtain.
"You sit in front, Mrs. Bromwick; you are a little hard of hearing;
sit where you can hear."
"And let Julia Fitch come where she can see," said another voice.
"And we have not any words for them to hear or see!" exclaimed
John Osborne, behind the curtain.
"Oh, I wish we'd never determined to have charades! exclaimed
Elizabeth Eliza.
"Can't we return the money?"
"They are all here; we must give them something!" said John
Osborne, heroically.
"And Solomon John is almost dressed," reported Ann Maria,
winding a veil around her head.
"Why don't we take Solomon John's word 'Hindoos' for the first?"
said Agamemnon.
John Osborne agreed to go in the first, hunting the "hin," or
anything, and one of the little boys took the part of the hen, with
the help of a feather duster.
The bell rang, and the first scene began.
It was a great success. John Osborne's Irish was perfect. Nobody
guessed the word, for the hen crowed by mistake; but it received
great applause.
Mr. Peterkin came on in the second scene to receive the
water-rates, and made a long speech on taxation. He was
interrupted by Ann Maria as an old woman in a huge bonnet. She
persisted in turning her back to the audience, speaking so low
nobody heard her; and Elizabeth Eliza, who appeared in a more
remarkable bonnet, was so alarmed she went directly back, saying
she had forgotten something But this was supposed to be the
effect intended, and it was loudly cheered.
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