the torrent, and--well, he sat down. With dramatic instinct in every nerve of his body, firmly entered, half a minute afterwards, Henry Irving; looked about him warily; then strode down the bridge--you know the stride--till he also reached the fatal spot, threw his arms wildly round, and--well, he sat down. Need I tell you that the awe of the situation was fading? Now came my turn. Standing on a platform behind the scene from the commencement, I had seen what had happened to my two friends; so, stepping gingerly down the bridge, I arrived on the stage without sitting down, had my encounter with the two ruffians, escaped from them, had run wildly up the bridge again to receive the shot from _Falcon's_ pistol, and had fallen, according to stage-manager's instructions, a foot or so below the treacherous spot. On came _Idalia_--she had heard the shot. 'Ah! a body on the bridge!' She runs down, recognises me--'Great heavens, 'tis he!'--rushes further down, reaches the fatal place, away go her arms, and--well, she sat down: the folds of her dress falling over me and completely hiding me from the view of the audience. That was the end of the act--it was a powerful one. We had all done our level best, but the waterfall had scored the most. [Illustration: MR. WYNDHAM AS "PEREGRINE PORTER." (Fourteen Days.) _From a Photograph._] "The next scene was a simple drawing-room. The waterfall was gone, thank Heaven, and we could rely upon ourselves. The act began. It was interesting and dramatic: a powerful scene between Miss Herbert and Irving--accusation of murder, defiance, vengeance for my death--all very startling; sufficiently so to drive for the time the slippery knave from everybody's mind. A great scene, well acted and well received; everything going splendidly, and an effect in store bound to please the audience. "The hero is not dead, for he suddenly appears; appears, as a hero always does, at the back of the stage; great applause at his resuscitation; Miss Herbert backs with joy and surprise right to the footlights, and I prepare to rush towards her; success is in our grasp; the audience are in splendid humour; spite of all difficulties, we have triumphed. Alas, the vanity of human hopes! The waterfall was lying in wait for me. I told you the scene was a drawing-room; but I did not tell you that it was an Italian one--consequently, that the carpet covered only the centre of the stage. Across it I madly rushed towards my faithful love. '_Idalia_,' I exclaimed, 'I never expected to see you again!'--reached one of those rivulets, that had trickled in exactly the same direction I was going--reached it unknowingly--slipped, and--well, _I_ sat down. [Illustration: _From a Photo by Falk, New York._ MR. WYNDHAM AS "BOB SACKETT." (Brighton.)] "Never in the whole course of my life have I heard such a roar as went up from that auditorium.