At the Unity might sometimes be met David James and Tom Thorne, of the Strand Theatre. The club was just opposite to the theatre. When James and Thorne left the Strand, and, in partnership with Harry Montague, took the Vaudeville, a great amount of public interest was displayed in the venture. The new managers relied on burlesque as an opening experiment, preceded by comedy. The comedy was provided by Andrew Halliday. I forget who wrote the burlesque—Byron, perhaps. But the fortunes of the managers were to be founded by the new work of a new man, and the two burlesque actors from the House of Swanborough were to be enabled to rely thereafter on comedy, and to dispense entirely with burlesque. The new author was James Albery; the new play, “Two Roses.” For this production the services of Henry Irving were engaged—an engagement which evinced considerable managerial discretion, and, incidentally, gave Irving his first real opportunity of making a hit with the London public. All the members of the managerial triumvirate were provided with strong parts. George Honey gave a memorable impersonation of a good-hearted bagman—the “Our Mr. Jenkins” of the bills. Some of his lines were delivered with great unction. He comes under the influence of his wife’s religious belief, and evolves into what he calls “a shining light.” He and his wife are encountered by the heroine of the play. “How do you do, Mr. Jenkins—or perhaps I should ask, how do you shine?” “With the mild effulgence of the glow-worm,” is the answer of Our Mr. Jenkins. “We are all worms,” interpolates his wife. “Yes, my dear; _but we don’t all glow_,” was the answer, given by Honey with a half-deprecatory, half exultant expression that was simply inimitable and delightful. But the Digby Grand of Irving was, after all said and done, the gem of the production. In all his after-life he never surpassed it. Only once did he equal it. I have seen Irving in every impersonation he gave in London, and I shall always hold that he reached high-water mark with the selfish swell of “Two Roses,” and that he touched that mark for the second time with Matthias in “The Bells.”