_Lohengrin_ met with very great success, and we ran it alternately with _Carmen_, _Don Giovanni_, _Faust_, and several other operas, in which Mdlle. Gerster maintained her pre-eminence. During all this time we were busily rehearsing Boito's _Mefistofele_, which I was unable to produce until the early part of July. The following was the cast:-- "Margherita" and "Helen of Troy" ... Mdme. Christine Nilsson. "Martha" and "Pantalis" ... Mdme. Trebelli. "Mefistofele" ... Signor Nannetti. "Faust" ... Signor Campanini. The rehearsals were under the immediate personal superintendence of the composer Boito, and the scenic department under that of the celebrated scene-painter Magnani. The greatest pains were taken to give such a representation of this opera as would be worthy of the composer's high reputation. At last the day arrived, the 6th July; but not the properties, which were expected in large cases from Italy, but could not be heard of and were nowhere to be found. I went to all the likely places in London, telegraphed to Boulogne and to Calais, but in vain. Finally, however, at half-past six in the evening, they were brought to the stage door. The reader cannot, of course, understand the enormous difficulty which arose in unpacking these hundreds of various properties, each one done up in separate paper. At last shields, armour, spears, serpents, goblets, torches, demon's wigs, etc., etc., were all piled up on the stage. The supernumeraries and chorus were ready dressed, and were left to help themselves, the supers, who were all guardsmen, picking out the prettiest properties they could find; and it was with immense difficulty that, with Boito's aid, we could distribute the most necessary for the performance. The success of this opera is doubtless fresh in the minds of most lovers of music. I look upon it as one of the most memorable on record. It went without a hitch. Madame Nilsson as "Margherita" impressed me by her singing and acting in the prison scene as she had never done before. The opera was repeated every other night until the close of the season, the receipts continually increasing.