SCENE II.--_Same as preceding._ Mr. TOOVEY _is slowly recovering from

the mental collapse produced by the mention of the word "Eldorado."_

_Mrs. Toovey._ ALTHEA is out of the room, Pa, so there is no reason why you should not speak out plainly.

_Mr. Toovey (to himself)._ No reason--oh! But I must say _something_. If only I knew whether it was my Eldorado--but, no, it's a mere coincidence! (_Aloud--shakily._) CHARLES, my boy, you--you've shocked me very much indeed, as you can see. But, about the name of this establishment, now--isn't it a curious one for--for a _music-hall_, CHARLES? M--mightn't it be confused with--well--say a _mine_, now?

_Mrs. T._ THEOPHILUS, this is scarcely the tone----. I expected you to give this misguided boy a solemn warning of the ruin he may incur by having anything to do with such a haunt.

_Mr. T. (to himself)._ Ah, I'm afraid I'm only too well qualified to do that. (_Aloud._) I do, CHARLES, I _do_--though at the same time, I can quite understand how one may, unwittingly--I mean, you might not be aware of----

_Mrs. T._ You, Pa, of all people in the world, trying to find excuses for his depravity! The very name of the place is enough to indicate its nature!

_Mr. T. (hastily)._ No, my love, surely not. _There_ I think you go too far--too far altogether!

_Mrs. T._ I appeal to Mr. CURPHEW to say whether such a place is a proper resort for _any_ young man.

_Curphew (to himself)._ Wish I was well out of this! (_Aloud._) I--I really don't feel qualified to give an opinion, Mrs. TOOVEY. Many young men _do_ go to them, I believe.

_Charles (to himself)._ Is this chap a prig, or a humbug? I'll draw him. (_Aloud._) I suppose, from that, you never think of going yourself?

_Mrs. T._ Mr. CURPHEW'S tastes are rather different from yours, CHARLES. I am very sure that he is never to be seen among the audience at any music-hall, are you, Mr. CURPHEW?

_Curph. (to himself)._ Could I break it to her gently, I wonder. (_Aloud._) Never--my professional duties make that impossible.

_Charles (to himself)._ I knew he was a muff! (_Aloud._) I should have thought you could easily get a pass to any place you wanted to go--in your profession.

_Curph. (to himself)._ He suspects something. (_Aloud._) Should you? Why?

_Charles._ Oh, as you're on a newspaper, you know. Don't they always have a free pass for everywhere?

_Curph._ If they have, I have never had occasion to make use of it.

_Charles._ Well, of course you may turn up your nose at music-halls, and say they're not intellectual enough for you.

_Curph._ Pardon me, I never said I turned up my nose at them, though you'll admit they don't profess to make a strong appeal to the intellect.

_Charles._ If they did, you wouldn't catch _me_ there. But I can tell you, it's not so bad as you seem to think; every now and then they get hold of a really good thing. You might do worse than drop into the El. or the Val., the Valhalla, you know, some evening--just to hear WALTER WILDFIRE.

_Curph._ Much obliged; but I can't imagine myself going there for such a purpose.

_Mrs. T._ CHARLES, if you suppose Mr. CURPHEW would allow himself to be corrupted by a boy like you----

_Charles._ But look here, Aunt. WALTER WILDFIRE'S all right--he is _really_; he was a gentleman, and all that, before he took to this sort of thing, and he writes all his own songs--and ripping they are, too! His line is the Broken-down Plunger, you know. (Mrs. T. _repudiates any knowledge of this type_.) He's got one song about a Hansom Cabby who has to drive the girl he was engaged to before he was broke, and she's married some other fellow since, and has got her little daughter with her, and the child gives him his fare, and--well, somehow it makes you feel choky when he sings it. Even Mr. CURPHEW couldn't find anything to complain of in WALTER WILDFIRE!

_Althea (who has entered during this speech)._ Mamma, I can't find your spectacles anywhere. Mr. CURPHEW, who is this WALTER WILDFIRE CHARLES is so enthusiastic about?

_Mrs. T. (hastily)._ No one that Mr. CURPHEW knows anything of--and certainly not a fit person to be mentioned in _your_ hearing, my dear, so let us say no more about it. Supper must be on the table by this time; we had better go in, and try to find a more befitting topic for conversation. CHARLES, have the goodness to put this--this _disgraceful_ paper in your pocket, and let me see no more of it. I shall get your Uncle to speak to you seriously after supper.

_Mr. T. (aloud, with alacrity)._ Yes, my love, I shall certainly speak to CHARLES after supper--very seriously. (_To himself._) And end this awful uncertainty!

_Curph. (to himself, as he follows to the Dining-room)._ "Not a fit person to be mentioned in her hearing!" I wonder. Would _she_ say the same if she knew? When shall I be able to tell her? It would be madness as yet.