It was in the middle of the third act, when "Don José," the tenor (Ravelli), was about to introduce an effective high note which generally brought down the house, that "Carmen" rushed forward and embraced him--why I could never understand. Being interrupted at the moment of his effect, he was greatly enraged, and by his movements showed that he had resolved to throw Madame Hauk into the orchestra. But she held firmly on to his red waistcoat, he shouting all the time, "_Laissez moi, Laissez moi!_" until all the buttons came off one by one, when she retired hastily to another part of the stage. Ravelli rushed forward and exclaimed, "_Regardez, elle a déchiré mon gilet!_" and with such rage that he brought down thunders of applause, the people believing this genuine expression of anger to be part of the play. Shortly afterwards, on the descent of the curtain, a terrible scene occurred, which led to my receiving this letter the following morning:-- "Palmer House, Chicago, "February 9th, 1886. "DEAR COLONEL MAPLESON, "The vile language, the insults, and threats against the life of my wife in presence of the entire Company, quite incapacitate her from singing further, she being in constant fear of being stabbed or maltreated by that artist, the unpleasant incident having quite upset her nervous system. She is completely prostrate, and will be unable to appear again in public before her health is entirely restored, which under present aspects will take several weeks. I have requested two prominent physicians of this city to examine her and send you their certificates. Please, therefore, to withdraw her name from the announcements made for the future. "As a matter of duty, I trust you will feel the necessity to give ample satisfaction to Miss Hauk for the shameful and outrageous insults to which she was exposed last night, and Mr. Ravelli can congratulate himself on my absence from the stage, when further scenes would have occurred. "I fully recognize the unpleasant effect this incident may have on your receipts, more especially so should I inflict upon him personally the punishment he deserves. "I am, dear Colonel Mapleson, "Very truly yours, "(Signed) E. DE HESSE WARTEGG." The following day I received this, other epistle:-- "February 10th. "DEAR SIR,