The Wopples family consisted of twelve star artistes,
beginning with Mr Theodore Wopples, aged fifty, and ending with
Master Sheridan Wopples, aged ten, who did the servants' characters,
delivered letters, formed the background in tableaux, and made
himself generally useful. As the cast of the comedy was only eight,
two of the family acted as the orchestra, and the remaining two took
money at the door. When their duties in this respect were over for
the night, they went into the pit to lead the applause.
At last the orchestra finished, and the curtain drew up, displaying
an ancient house belonging to a decayed family. The young Squire,
present head of the decayed family (Mr Cibber Wopples), is fighting
with his dishonest steward (admirably acted by Mr Dogbery Wopples),
whose daughter he wants to marry. The dishonest steward, during Act
I, without any apparent reason, is struck with remorse, and making
his will in favour of the Squire, departs to America, but afterwards
appears in the last act as someone else. Leaving his will on the
drawing-room table, as he naturally would, it is seized by an Eton
boy (Master Sheridan Wopples), who hides it, for some unexplained
reason, in the cruet-stand, being the last piece of family plate
remaining to the decayed family. This is seized by a comic bailiff
(Mr Theodore Wopples), who takes it to his home; and the decayed
family, finding out about the will, start to chase the bailiff and
recover the stolen property from him.
Pages:
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157