The Crimean War was raging at the time, and I witnessed an extraordinary scene when I attended a performance of that opera at Drury Lane on March 2nd. After the first act Mr. Smith the director came out and announced that the Czar was dead. There was tremendous excitement in the house and "God save the Queen" and "Partant pour la Syrie" were loudly demanded by the public amid tremendous cheering. I doubted if the news was true, but hoped at least that the war was at an end.