What was at that time designated the "real" season, should have been inaugurated by the first appearance of Madame Persiani, now at the height of her popularity. But it would seem that for an instant the demon of disaster hovered over Her Majesty's Theatre. Persiani was announced for Tuesday, the 5th April; but, at the last moment, a hand-bill informed the entering crowd that the expected favourite had suffered too much from sea-sickness on her passage from Calais to Dover, to be able to sing. The disappointed public was not to be pacified with a pot pourri from "Gemma" and "Il Giuramento," with Guasco and Moltini, but expressed its dissatisfaction with clamour and hissing. The "check" was unfortunate to a season destined to realize in many respects the sanguine presages with which it commenced. The following Saturday, however, brought forward not only Persiani, but Giorgio Ronconi, who made his debut before an English public as the Enrico of the "Lucia de Lammermoor," a part not well suited to the display of his talents.