A GRACEFUL COMPLIMENT.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 11528, 10 March 1903, Page 5

A GRACEFUL COMPLIMENT.

In the evening after Jut arrival at Auckland, Madame Melb.i attended the J. C. Williamson Company's pt-i foinianco of "If I were King," at FT is Majesty's Theatre, her arrival being awaited by many hundreds of people, who filled the arcade and cheered the great singer as .-he. passed in. Owing to the fact that the theatre was in partial darkness-, ami the first act in progrei-s when tiio diva entered, who was i«i-orted to her private box by -Mr Richard Stewart (.Mr J. C. Williamson's representative), the audience were denied an immediate opportunity of making any demonstration. In the course of the second act, however, the opportunity was given to them by Mr Cuyler 'Hasiing.>, iv a most happy fashion. Waiting for an appropriate line to properly convey tho compliment he had in mind, the actor, sacrificing the dialogue allotted to him in tho role of Francois Villon, by a neat interchange of a word, picked up a goblet, and. raising it as though to propose a, toast, .said, "Here's to the sweetest singer this side of Heaven. And" —looking straight at Madame Melba — "if my eyes do not dazzle me, I see her iow." Tho audience quickly rose to the Jctor's meaning, and there followed a loud lnd prolonged outburst of cheering and tpplauso in the diva's honour. Madam"; Melba, by an inclination of htr head towards Mr Hastings, acknowledged his tact end courtesy, anil a smiling bow towards the audience expressed to them her pleasure M the little incident.