that doubtless the Chinese
language had changed a good deal in two thousand years. All languages
did.

From out the darkness under whose cover the Chinaman was modestly
divesting himself of his body, came the voice of Mr. Smitz, rich,
unctuous, saying:

"The next visitant will be from that great race we all admire so much,
the noble race which has done so much to build up this country, which
in every field of American endeavor has been a guiding star to us all.
It gives me great pleasure to tell you that our next visitant from the
world beyond is that great soldier, statesman, and patriot, King Brian
Boru."

"Who the devil wants to see that or any other paddy?" exclaimed the
voice of the Englishman, choleric, savage. "Let me out of this
blarsted, cheating hole. Who wants to see one of that race of
quarrelsome, thieving, wretched rapscallions?"

Whack! Smash! Bang! Crash! The assemblage was thrown into a pitiable
state of terror by a most extraordinary combat and tumult taking place
somewhere in the circle. The remonstrances of Mr. Smitz and the oaths
of the Englishman rose against the general din of the expostulations
of the men and cries of the women. Match after match was struck by the
men, only to be blown out by some mysterious agency, after giving
momentary glimpses of the Englishman astride of a man on the floor,
pummelling him lustily, while Mr. Smitz pulled at the Englishman's
shoulders. At length the noise died away, the sound of some one
remonstrating, "let me at him oncet, let me at the spalpeen, he got me
foul," coming back from some remote region of the atmosphere, as under
the compelling force of the will of the great Smitz, the bodily
envelope of the Irish hero was dissipated and his soul went back to
the beyond.

Then did a match reach the gas without being blown out. Beneath the
chandelier stood Mr. Smitz and the four personages who had sat before
the cabinet and had views on the Boer War.

"What an awful, sacrilegious thing you have done," exclaimed Mr.
Smitz. "You have struck the dead."

"He hit me first."

"Your remarks about the Irish angered him. He could not restrain
himself."

"Well, he couldn't whip me. Next time you materialize him, he'll show
a black eye. Let me out of here, you cheat, you imposter, you and your
pals, or I'll fix you as I did Brian Boru."

Though the company did not take the Englishman's view, they were all
anxious to go. They were quite unstrung by what had oc