Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1854-11-13
EVENING STAR,
NY VISIT TO AN OPERA MAsQuERApF

AND WHAT HAPPENED TO ME.
If the reader will promise not to laugh
L will give him the story of my first visit
to an opera masquerade. I had come up
to London from Manchester by coach.
having several orders to take, and wish
ing personally to see after our agents, be-
sides having about two thousand pounds
to receive on account of our firm. Well,
you must know that we had only one
inside passenger beside myself, who ap-
peared discreet, proper behaved man,
| and rather gave me to understand that
he was clergyman. Some how or 9TH
er, don't know why, the conversation
turned on my affairs, when | told him
exactly what | was coming up about
and indeed produced one or two of the
bills had in my pocket book, as he Of
fered to tell me whether the drawers and
acceptors were good; where they lived
and all other information relative to
them. We had very pleasant journey,
and | was quite disappointed when my
friend got out just before We entered Lon.
don, as [ was much delighted with him,
and anxious to renew our acquaintance.
unfortunately agreed-not that l ap-
prove of such things, but merely as
matter of business-to meet him that
evening at the opera masquerade. Nay,
don't start-I merely consented to go
there to receive considerable order the
gentleman offered to procure for me, and
give me there. accordingly got up
about IL O'Clock at night, for went to
bed directly arrived in Char1ng Cross,
and walked from my hotel to the opera
house. Oh, such scene, such confusion,
such hurley hurley, never beheld. Shop
boys aping the leading fashionables of the
day; married men in dominos seeking in
trigues, or looking after suspected wives;
ballet girls dressed up; courtezans almost
undressed, pushing, squeezing, josiling
along.
| All, in short, seemed to have forgotten
their natural decency, and nothing but
my desire to meet my friend, could have
tempted me to remain. Presently, a
very elegant-looking female came up to
me. She was very closely masked, but
from the delicacy of her hands, saw she
was lady; and the head of her domino,
once falling back, gave me an idea that
she was young and pretty. To my as
tonishment, she addressed me by name,
and told me several things, for which l
am even yet at loss to account. She
took my arm, and must confess [ spent
the time very pleasantly in her company;
so much so, as almost to make me forget
the person [ came to seek.
About o'clock, she proposed that we
should sup; but as she said it would be
impossible for lady of her rank to un-
mask in the public theatre, we drove to
a very highly respectable house
hard by, where we enjoyed an excellent
exceeding beauty, l drank but little. The
little, however, she helped me to, and l
confess, Iepjoyed my champagne doubly,
coming from so fair hand. All of a
sudden, 1 felt myself falling off into
most delicious slumber. l vainly strove
to fight against it. The lovely creature,
| before whom l could not do so rude a
thing as sleep, far from being annoyed at
| my failing faculties, actually came around,
and the last thing that l can recollect
was her gently placing pillow beneath
my head. From that moment till the
next morning, have no recollection of
what had passed.
1t was about II o'clock the following
day when [ awoke. found myself in a
. very handsome room, my head still con-
fused from my orgies of the preceding
night, and my left arm bound up. L rang
the bell, and learned to my great sur
prise that was still in the hotel where [
had stopped: and just as had apparent
ly concluded that meal, [ had been taken
with fit or somniferous attack of such
determined obstinacy, that though sur
geon had been sent for and bled me, it
had been deemed advisable to have me
removed instantly to bed. The waiter
congratulated me on my recovery.
"And the lady?" demanded T, re-
membering my companion of the last
evening.
ooh, sir, she was in great distress, she
told us she was your niece and said she
would call before 9 o'clock this morning,
to ask after your health
"Did she do so!''
"Oh, Lord, yes sir, she was here by 8
o'clock, and took away bundle with
her; and then she came again about an
hour ago, and brought something back
with her. She said it was your linen,
and as she was so nearly related to you
We allowed her to do So"
My first thought was that l had been
robbed. Jumped up directly, but found
my things just as [ had left them the
night before. My pocket book still re-
mained in my breast pocket; my purse
was untouched in my waistcoat. So 1
dismissed the waiter and began to dress
myself, sorely puzzled at the conduct of
this charming creature, who had evident
ly fallen in love with me.
Inow descended, paid my bill, and
leaving my address in case she should
call, repaired to my hotel in Charring
Cross. Arrived at the bar, though felt
foolish at having slept out, l boldly
asked for my key.
| sSNnur kew 81 lD