numbered, are they? Very well--represents a forest--er--the home of
Orson. If we were permitted to peep behind one of those trunks, we
should doubtless see Orson himself, crouching in readiness to spring
upon the unsuspecting Valentine. So, often when we--&c., &c. The next
scene we shall show you represents the--er--burning of Valentine's ship.
Valentine has gone on a voyage, with the object of--er--finding Orson.
If the boat in the picture was only larger, we could no doubt identify
Valentine, sitting there undismayed, calmly confident that,
notwithstanding this--er--unfortunate interruption, he will be guided,
sooner or later, to his--er--goal. Yes, dear children, if we only have
patience, if we only have faith, &c., &c. Here we see--(_an enormous
Bison is suddenly depicted on the screen_) eh? oh, yes--here we have a
specimen of--er--Orson's _pursuits_. He chases the bison. Some of you
may not know what a bison is. It is a kind of hairy cow, and--(_He
describes the habits of these creatures as fully_ _as he is able._)
(THE YOUTHFUL RUSTIC. "Theer baint nawone a-erntin' of 'un, Zur.") What?
Oh, but there _is_, you know. Orson is pursuing him, only--er--the
bison, being a very fleet animal, has outrun his pursuer for the moment.
Sometimes we flatter ourselves that we have outrun _our_ pursuer--but,
depend upon it, &c., &c. But now let us see what Valentine is
about--(_Discovering, not without surprise, that the next picture is a
Scene in the Arctic Regions_). Well, you see, he has succeeded in
reaching the coast, and here he is--in a sledge drawn by a reindeer,
with nothing to guide him but the Aurora Borealis, hastening towards the
spot where he has been told he will find Orson. He doesn't despair,
doesn't lose heart--he is sure that, if he only keeps on, if
he--er--only continues, only perseveres--(_Aside._ What drivel I _am_
talking! _To_ ASSISTANT. I say, are there many _more_ of this sort?
because we _don't_ seem to be getting on!)--Well, now we come to--(_a
Moonlight Scene, with a Cottage in Winter, appears_)--to the--ah--home
of Valentine's _mother_. You will observe a light in the casement. By
that light the good old woman is sitting, longing and praying for the
return of her gallant boy. Ah, dear children, what a thing a good old
mother is! (_To the_ VICAR'S DAUGHTER.) "I really can _not_ keep on like
this much longer. I'm positively certain these slides are out of order!"
THE V.'S D. "Oh, no; I'm sure it's _all_ right. Do _please_ go on.
They're _so_ interested!" THE YOUNG HECKLER. "'Ow 'bout Valentoine,
Zur?--wheer be 'ee?" Ah, where is Valentine, indeed? (_To_ ASS.) Next
slide--quick! (_Recognises with dismay a View of the Grand Canal._)
No--but, I say--_really_, I _can't_--Here we have Valentine at Venice.
He has reached that beautiful city,--well called the Queen of the
Adriatic,--at last! He contemplates it from his gondola, and yet he has
no heart just now to take in all the beauty of the scene. He feels that
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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