No more startling, and at the same time ludicrous, examples of stage "business " had hitherto met my gaze than when I saw Faust, upon Mephistopheles claiming the fulfilment of his bond, snatch up a promiscuous Bible (for the presence of which upon his library table there is certainly no warrant in Goethe's tragedy) and hold it up menacingly before the very nose of the terror-stricken fiend, who cowers, shrinks, and shivers, subjugated by its uncalled-for interference, and ultimately vanishes through a practicable panel of the laboratory "set," driven from his legitimate prey by a shower of rose-leaves, rained upon the expiring voluptuary by seraph hands in the flies. This amazing anti-climax, however, was, not greeted by the audience with shouts of derisive laughter, according to its intrinsic merit, but with vociferous plaudits, reiterated recalls of the leading actors, and a thundering summons to the composer, who came on between the Devil and Faust whilst the celestial petals were still falling ! It should be remembered that this performance took place in one of our two great opera-houses.