On the 7th December, during a rehearsal of _Fidelio_, my insurance agent called to complete the insurance. I showed him the inventories of the different departments, and agreed to insure for £30,000; but as the costumier's list was not at hand, and the costumier himself was out at dinner, the agent suggested my giving him £10 on account and keeping the matter open until the following Monday, when he would call again. Just as he was leaving the room my treasurer came in, stating that he had just heard that the Japanese people did not intend to avail themselves of his services after he had given them all the information respecting the working of his department. I asked whom they _had_ engaged. He mentioned the name of Mr. Hingston, at which I started, and said-- "If Hingston is engaged, good-bye to the theatre. It will make the fifteenth that will have been burnt under his management." On hearing this, the insurance agent stepped across the room and again suggested that I should hand him the £10 to keep me right till Monday. I jokingly said: "There is no fear;" and he took his departure. I remained working in my office at Pall Mall until about six o'clock that evening. As I was engaged to dine at Mdlle. Titiens's in St. John's Wood, I had but a few moments to put my head into the box-office, which was just closing, and ask Mr. Nugent for some opera tickets for the following night. I did not, according to my custom, go through his office on to the stage (which I might have done while he was getting out the tickets), fearing I should be too late for the dinner. About half-past eleven o'clock that evening our party was alarmed by a violent ringing of the bell. Then my servant rushed in with his clothes very much torn, uttered some inarticulate sounds, and fell on a chair, pointing upwards. On looking out of the window we saw that the sky was bright red, although we were four miles from the fire. Mdlle. Titiens and Signor Bevignani exclaimed with one voice: "It's the theatre!" I hastened down at once, accompanied by Bevignani, only to find impassable barriers of soldiers and populace, and it was not without great difficulty I could approach the building. On my pointing out to the firemen certain doors which they ought to break open in order to recover wardrobes, music, &c., I was told to "mind my own business." They then went to quite another part and began chopping and breaking, whereas had they allowed themselves to be guided by me they might have saved a considerable portion of my property. It was not until three hours afterwards that the fire reached that part of the theatre which I had pointed out as containing things which might have been saved.