wouldn't
have changed places with them for anything. He gave a little sigh of
satisfaction. "I could drop an orange on to Aunt Amy's head," he said.
"Wouldn't she jump!"

"You must keep quiet," said Uncle Samuel. "You're good enough as you
are."

"I'd rather be here," said Jeremy. "It's beautifully hot here and
there's a lovely smell."

"There is," said Uncle Samuel.

Then the gas went down, and the curtain went up, and Dick, now in a suit
of red silk with golden buttons, continued his adventures. I have not
space here to describe in detail the further events of his life--how,
receiving a telegram from the King of the Zanzibars about the plague of
rats, he took ship with his cat and Alderman Fitzwarren and his wife,
how they were all swallowed by a whale, cast up by a most lucky chance
on the Zanzibars, nearly cooked by the natives, and rescued by the King
of the Zanzibars' beautiful daughter, killed all the rats, were given a
huge feast, with dance and song, and finally Dick, although tempted by
the dusky Princess, refused a large fortune and returned to Alice of
Eastcheap, the true lady of his heart. There were, of course, many other
things, such as the aspirations and misadventures of Mrs. Fitzwarren,
the deep-voiced lady who had already so greatly amused Jeremy. And then
there was a Transformation Scene, in which roses turned into tulips and
tulips into the Hall of Gold, down whose blazing steps marched stout
representatives of all the nations.

It was in the middle of this last thrilling spectacle, when Jeremy's
heart was in his mouth and he was so deeply excited that he did not know
whether it were he or the lady next to him who was eating peppermints,
that his uncle plucked him by the sleeve and said in his ear: "Come on.
It's close on the end. We must go."

Jeremy very reluctantly got up, and stumbled out over knees and legs and
exclamations like:

"There's Japan!" "No, it ain't; it's Chiney!" "You's a fine, hearty
young woman!" and so on. He was dragged through the black curtain, down
the stone steps, and into the street.

"But it wasn't the end," he said.

"It will be in one minute," said his uncle. "And I want us to get home
first."

"Why?" said Jeremy.

"Never you mind. Come on; we'll race it."

They arrived home breathless, and then, once again in the old familiar
hall, Uncle Samuel said:

"Now you nip up to the nursery, and then they'll never know you've been
out at all."

"Never know?