A few days before the date fixed for the production, he found that only £30 worth of seats had been taken. Then came a Napoleonic scheme. He announced at once four successive performances, and gave the astounding instructions at the office that for the first three out of these four not one place was to be sold beyond those already taken. The rest of the tickets he took home in a carpet-bag and distributed far and wide over a gigantic free list. At the same time he advertised in 'The Times' that, in consequence of a death in the family, two stalls for the first representation of "Faust"--the opera which was exciting so much interest that all places for the first three representations had been bought up--could be had at 25s. each. Meanwhile demands had been made at the box-office for places, and the would-be purchasers were told that everything had gone up to the fourth night: this they repeated to their friends, and the opera began to be seriously talked of. The first performance was received with applause, the second still more warmly, and the third gained additional favour. No further device was necessary for stimulating curiosity: the paying public flocked, and it was given for ten nights in succession, after which it was constantly repeated until the termination of the season. The following was the cast of the _première_ at Her Majesty's:-- _Marguerite_ Tietjens. _Siebel_ Trebelli. _Faust_ Giuglini. _Mephistopheles_ Gassier. _Valentine_ Santley. Not to be outdone, Gye at once produced his own version at Covent Garden, with Carvallo as _Marguerite_, her old part in the original Paris production, Didier as _Siebel_, Faure as _Mephistopheles_, Graziani as _Valentine_, and Tamberlik as _Faust_. The year is also noteworthy for the fact that Pauline Lucca made her _début_ as Valentine in the "Huguenots," while Mdlle. Artot, the pupil of Mme. Viardot, also made her first appearance here. With 1864 (in which Meyerbeer passes away) we find the Italian Opera Company including Patti, Lucca, Tamberlik, Faure, Graziani, Mario, and, of course, Costa, with an interesting addition at the organ in Arthur Sullivan; while to the younger generation, at any rate, a strange realisation of those bygone days is given by the announcement of a gala performance to Garibaldi. At Her Majesty's there is an interesting _première_, the first performance of "Faust" in English, with the following cast:-- _Marguerite_ Mme. Lemmens-Sherrington. _Siebel_ Mme. Lucia. _Mephistopheles_ M. Marchesi. _Valentine_ Mr Santley. _Faust_ Mr Sims Reeves.