The Fourth Act is an anticlimax, and shows up the faulty construction of the drama.  Of course the news comes that the Dancing Girl is dead, and this information is brought by a Sainte Nitouche of a “Sister” of some Theatrical Order (not admitted after half-past seven), whose very appearance is a suggestio falsi.  Equally, of course, a letter is found, which, as exculpating Gooseberry, induces the old cuss of a Puritan father to shake hands with the converted “Spotted Nobleman”; but, be it remembered, the Dook is still his landlord, and the value of the property is going up considerably.  Then it appears that the old humbug of an agent has sagaciously speculated in the improvement of the island, and poor Gooseberry feels under such an obligation to that sly puss of an agent’s daughter, that, in a melancholy sort of way, he offers her his hand, which she, the artful little hussy of a Becky Sharp, with considerable affectation of coyness, accepts, and down goes the Curtain upon as unsatisfactory and commonplace a termination to a good Melodrama as any Philistine of the Philistines could possibly wish.  It would have been a human tragedy indeed had poor Gooseberry poisoned himself, and the girl whose life he had saved had arrived just too late, only to die of a broken heart.  But that “is quite another story.”

The piece is well played all round, especially by the men.  Mr. TREE is excellent, except in the ultra-melodramatic parts, where he is too noisy.  The very best thing he does is the perfect finish of the Second Act, when, without a word, he sits in the chair before the fire lost in dismal thought.  This is admirable:  as perfect in its dramatic force as it is true to nature.  It is without exception the best thing in the whole piece.  Mr. F. KERR as Reginald Slingsby, achieves a success unequalled since Mr. BANCROFT played the parvenu swell Hawtree.  It should be borne in mind that Mr. KERR only recently played admirably the poor stuttering shabby lover in The Struggle for Life.  Il ira loin, ce bon M. KERR.  Miss JULIA NEILSON looks the part to the life:  when she has ceased to give occasional imitations of Miss ELLEN TERRY, and can really play the part as well as she looks it, then nothing more could be possibly desired.  All the others as good as need be, or can be.

[Illustration:  FINAL TABLEAU.

Triumph of the Artful Agent and his lame Duck of a Daughter, Sybil Slyboots, alias Becky Sharp, afterwards the Merry Duchess of Gooseberry.]

* * * * *

THE BOGEY, MAN!

(RETORT OF A LADY-PLAYER WHO PLAYS “FOR LOVE.")