d flower
pots, and planting his starlights, crackers, and Catherine-wheels in
advantageous positions in the vicinity, casting now and again a
delighted glance at the animated scene within, and wondering if he had
ever spent a jollier evening anywhere.

It disturbed him to hear a vehicle rattle up the drive, and to argue
therefrom that some belated guest had missed the feast. Never mind; he
shouldn't be quite out of it.

"Raffles," called he, as he caught sight of that hardworking functionary
through the dining-room window removing the _debris_ of the banquet,
"leave a few `goes' out on the table for any chaps who come late, and
then go and tell Jill I'm ready, and turn down the gas in the drawing-
room."

In due time Raffles delivered his momentous message.

"Oh, the fireworks!" cried Miss Jill, clapping her hands, "the fireworks
are to begin. Aren't you glad, duke? Do get a good seat before the gas
is turned down."

The company crowded into the big bay-window, and endured the extinction
of the light with great good-humour. Indeed, a certain gentleman who
entered the room at this particular juncture, seeing nothing, but
hearing the laughter and talk, said to himself that this was as merry an
occasion as it had been his lot to participate in.

The dim form of Tom might be seen hovering without, armed with a bull's-
eye lantern, at which he diligently kindling matches, which refused to
stay in long enough to ignite the refractory fireworks.

"Never mind," said he to himself, "they'll like it when they do go off."

So they did. After a quarter of an hour's waiting one of the Roman
candles went off with vast _eclat_, and after it two crackers
simultaneously gave chase to the operator half-way round the lawn. One
of the Catherine-wheels was also prevailed upon to give a few languid
rotations on its axis, and some of the squibs, which had unfortunately
got damp, condescended, after being inserted bodily into the lantern, to
go off. Presently, however, the wind got into the lantern, and the
matches being by this time exhausted, and the starlights refusing to
depart from their usual abhorrence for spontaneous combustion, the
judicious Tom deemed it prudent to pronounce this part of the
entertainment at an end.

"All over!" he shouted through the window. "Turn up the light."

When, after the applause which greeted this imposing display, the gas
was turned up, the first sight which met Miss Jill's eyes was the