"Well, except what?"
"Except, sir, that he has only got two fingers on his left hand."
The mystery was explained.
The fate of this man was truly pitiable. A neighbour's house having taken fire, and being in imminent hazard of destruction, Hamilton rushed in with several others to save some children who were in danger of perishing in the flames. He darted up stairs through the smoke and reached the second story. The instant he set his feet upon it, the whole flooring gave way, and sank with him into the mass of glowing fire below, from which his body, burnt to a cinder, was dug out some days afterwards.
CHAPTER XVII.
1809 to 1812.
Opening of the new Covent Garden Theatre—The Great O. P. Rows—Grimaldi's first appearance as Clown in the public streets—Temporary Embarrassments—Great success at Cheltenham and Gloucester—He visits Berkeley Castle and is introduced to Lord Byron—Fish Sauce and Apple Pie.
On the 18th of September in this year, the new theatre in Covent Garden opened with Shakspeare's tragedy of Macbeth and the musical afterpiece of The Quaker, with the following casts:—