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Dec. 7, 1861.]
“IRENE” AT DRURY LANE.
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knowing well the effect it would have on Coral, had hastened in search of her, dreading some misfortune, he scarcely knew what, but nothing so terrible as the fears which now begun to take possession of him.

"Stay a moment," said Keefe. "Is it long since she left you? Are you sure she came here?"

“Yes, yes;” and in a few hurried, unconnected words Denis made Keefe understand how it happened that Coral was now at Long Arrow. “She must have heard—she must have found out—perhaps she saw her—” and he looked at Helen, whose presence restrained him from saying more.

“No one has been here this evening,” said Keefe; “most likely she has gone into the barn, or some of the outhouses; she knew them so well, and you know how whimsical she always was.”

Denis seized eagerly at this hope, and ran towards the barn, while Mrs. Wendell lighted a lantern and followed him.

“You are frightened, love," said Keefe, as he saw how pale Helen was.

“Oh, Keefe, that groan! It was hers; she was listening to us—looking at us, I suppose, through the window. Poor unhappy girl! Oh, Keefe, what shall we do if anything has happened to her?”

It was now Keefe‘s turn to feel alarmed. He had not recollected that wild moan till Helen reminded him of it.

“God forbid!” he said; “but happen what may, my darling, we are not to blame, and you must not look as if you thought we were, unless you want to make me miserable.”

“Dear Keefe, I know we are not to blame, but it is so dreadful to think of.”

“After all, I am sure we shall find her,” said Keefe; but though he said so to cheer Helen, he was himself as much terrified as any one, and instead of going after Denis to search the buildings in the yard, he hastened to the lake shore.

The rain had now ceased, and the moon was bright, but he could find no sign or footstep on the wet sands, nor any trace of her having been there; yet he shuddered as he climbed among the stones and cedars, and looking down on the dark heaving waters beneath, thought she might be lying, still and lifeless, under their waves.

“But why do I think such dreadful thoughts?” he muttered, “perhaps they have found her already."

Hurrying back to the house, he met Helen in the garden. Denis and Mrs. Wendell had searched every nook in the yard, garden, and orchard, but without success.

“She may have gone into the woods,” said Keefe; “why did we not think of them before?”

“More likely she is in the lake,” said Denis, with sullen despair.

“That I don’t believe,” exclaimed Keefe, but though he spoke confidently, he was far from feeling so.

At this instant Frisk rushed into the garden, and running up to Keefe, pulled his trousers eagerly with his teeth, and seemed by every moving gesture in his power to entreat his master to follow him.

“Frisk knows where she is,” cried Helen, “and wants to take you to her. Look at him, Keefe, I am sure that is what he wants."

All eagerly caught at this hope, and Keefe and Denis followed the dog, which ran on before, looking back every moment to see if they were coming. He led them through the garden and orchard into a path which conducted to the shanty formerly occupied by the Bradys.

“I feel sure we're right now," cried Denis, giving way to his naturally sanguine disposition. “She’s gone to our old home, and Frisk knows she’s there.”

“Yes, it must be so,” said Keefe. And with new hope and energy the young men followed the dog, which ran swiftly before them.




“IRENE” AT DRURY LANE.


An advertisement which appeared in the “Gentleman's Magazine" for June and July, 1736, and set forth that “at Edial, near Lichfield, in Staffordshire, young gentlemen were boarded and taught the Latin and Greek languages, by Samuel Johnson,” did not attract very much attention, certainly did not produce many pupils. Captain Garrick, residing at Lichfield, placed two of his sons, George and David, at the new academy. Another pupil was a Mr. Offely, "a young gentleman of good fortune, who died early." It is doubtful if there were any others who benefited by Dr. Johnson's instruction, though Dr. Hawkesworth has been mentioned as a student under him, and David Garrick used afterwards to imply that there were more.

It must have been a strange school. Johnson was about twenty-seven years old—seven years or so older than his pupil, David Garrick. Bishop Percy defends the schoolmaster's personal appearance, which has been often enough attacked. Much misrepresentation has prevailed on the subject he declares. Johnson’s countenance, when in a good humour, was not disagreeable. Many ladies, the bishop avers, thought his person might not have been unattractive when he was young, “his face clear, his complexion good, and his features not ill-formed.” His step-daughter, however, informed Boswell that when Johnson “was first introduced to her mother, his appearance was very forbidding; he was then lean and lank, so that his immense structure of bones was hideously striking to the eye.” His hair was worn straight and stiff, separated at the back. He had convulsive starts and gesticulations, “which tended to excite surprise and ridicule.” That these were sufficiently remarkable is evident from the fact that he failed in his application for the mastership of the Grammar School at Solihull, in Warwickshire, because it was alleged, “that he was a very haughty and ill-natured gent,” and that he had “such a way of distorting his face, which (though he can't help it), it was feared might affect some of the young lads." An attempt to obtain the situation of assistant in Mr. Budworth’s school at Brewood, had been attended with a like result,