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620 THE ADVENTURES OF PHILIP
Y
CHAPTER XLII
THE REALMS OF BLISS
OU know—all good boys and girls at Christmas know—that,
before the last scene of the pantomime, when the Good Fairy
ascends in a blaze of glory, and Harlequin and Columbine
take hands, having danced through all their tricks and troubles and
tumbles, there is a dark, brief, seemingly meaningless, penultimate
scene, in which the performers appear to grope about perplexed,
whilst the music of bassoons and trombones, and the like, groans
tragically. As the actors, with gestures of dismay and outstretched
arms, move hither and thither, the wary frequenter of pantomimes
sees the illuminators of the Abode of Bliss and Hall of Prismatic
Splendour nimbly moving behind the canvas, and streaking the darkness
with twinkling fires—fires which shall blaze out presently in
a thousand colours round the Good Fairy in the Revolving Temple
of Blinding Bliss. Be happy, Harlequin ! Love and be happy and
dance, pretty Columbine ! Children, mamma bids you put your
shawls on. And Jack and Mary (who are young and love pantomimes)
look lingeringly still over the ledge of the box, whilst the
fairy temple yet revolves, whilst the fireworks play, and ere the
Great Dark Curtain descends.
My dear young people, who have sat kindly through the
scenes during which our entertainment has lasted, be it known to
you that last chapter was the dark scene. Look to your cloaks,
and tie up your little throats, for I tell you the great baize will
soon fall down. Have I had any secrets from you all through the
piece? I tell you the house will be empty and you will be in the
cold air. When the boxes have got their nightgowns on, and you
are all gone, and I have turned off the gas, and am in the empty
theatre alone in the darkness, I promise you I shall not be merry.
Never mind ! We can make jokes though we are ever so sad.
We can jump over head and heels, though I declare the pit is half
emptied already, and the last orange-woman has slunk away. Encore
une pirouette, Columbine ! Saute, Arlequin, mon ami ! Though
there are but five bars more of the music, my good people, we must
jump over them briskly, and then go home to supper and bed.