Papa rarely refused any request on which his
motherless little girl had set her heart.

She skipped upstairs beside him, full of satisfaction, and had just
settled herself on his knee for the half hour of frolic and talk which
was her daily delight and his, when a knock came to the door below, and
Phebe the maid appeared.

"Two persons to see you, sir."

"Show them in here," said the Mayor. Alice lingered and was rewarded,
for the "persons" were no other than Signor Currie himself and his
ring-master. Alice recognized them at once. Both were gorgeously dressed
in black and orange and velvet-slashed sleeves, and came in holding
their plumed hats in their hands. The object of the call was to solicit
the honor of the Mayor's patronage for the evening's entertainment. How
pleased Alice was when Papa engaged a box and paid for it!

"I shall bring my little daughter here," he told Signor Currie. "She is
much taken by a child whom she saw to-day among your performers."

"Mademoiselle Mignon, no doubt," replied the Signor solemnly. "She is,
indeed, a prodigy of talent,--one of the wonders of the age, I assure
your worship!"

"Well," said his worship, smiling, "we shall see to-night. Good-day to
you."

"O Papa, that is delightful!" cried Alice, the moment the men were gone.
"How I wish it were evening already! I can scarcely wait."

Evenings come at last, even when waited for. Alice had not time, after
all, to get _very_ impatient before the carriage was at the door, and
she and Papa and Aunty were in it, rolling away toward the market-place.
Crowds of people were going in the same direction. Half the Papas and
Mammas in Banbury had taken their boys and girls to see the show. There,
behind the market cross, rose the great tent, a flapping red flag on
top. Bright lights streamed from within. How exciting it was! The tent
was so big inside that there was plenty of room for all the people who
wished to come, and more. Ranges of benches ran up till they met the
canvas roof. Below were the boxes, hung with red and white cloth and
banners. Dazzling lights were everywhere, the band was playing, from
behind the green curtain came sounds of voices and horses whinnying to
each other. Alice had never been to a circus before. It seemed to her
the most beautiful and bewildering place which she had ever imagined.

By and by the performance began. How the Banbury children did enjoy it!
The clown's little jokes had done duty in hundr