,
flying-leaps, above all of the three steam roundabouts which occupied the
centre of the position. It was from the latter that the din of steam-
organs came.

Throbbing humanity in full light was, on second thoughts, better than
architecture in the dark. The young man, lighting a short pipe, and
putting his hat on one side and one hand in his pocket, to throw himself
into harmony with his new environment, drew near to the largest and most
patronized of the steam circuses, as the roundabouts were called by their
owners. This was one of brilliant finish, and it was now in full
revolution. The musical instrument around which and to whose tones the
riders revolved, directed its trumpet-mouths of brass upon the young man,
and the long plate-glass mirrors set at angles, which revolved with the
machine, flashed the gyrating personages and hobby horses
kaleidoscopically into his eyes.

It could now be seen that he was unlike the majority of the crowd. A
gentlemanly young fellow, one of the species found in large towns only,
and London particularly, built on delicate lines, well, though not
fashionably dressed, he appeared to belong to the professional class; he
had nothing square or practical about his look, much that was curvilinear
and sensuous. Indeed, some would have called him a man not altogether
typical of the middle-class male of a century wherein sordid ambition is
the master-passion that seems to be taking the time-honoured place of
love.

The revolving figures passed before his eyes with an unexpected and quiet
grace in a throng whose natural movements did not suggest gracefulness or
quietude as a rule. By some contrivance there was imparted to each of
the hobby-horses a motion which was really the triumph and perfection of
roundabout inventiveness--a galloping rise and fall, so timed that, of
each pair of steeds, one was on the spring while the other was on the
pitch. The riders were quite fascinated by these equine undulations in
this most delightful holiday-game of our times. There were riders as
young as six, and as old as sixty years, with every age between. At
first it was difficult to catch a personality, but by and by the
observer's eyes centred on the prettiest girl out of the several pretty
ones revolving.

It was not that one with the light frock and light hat whom he had been
at first attracted by; no, it was the one with the black cape, grey
skirt, light gloves and--no, not even she, but