uestion; and I said,
"I am rather depressed, but I believe my eye is in pretty good
spirits."'"

CHAPTER XXXVIII.

THE TILNEY STREET OUTRAGE--"ARE YOU NOT GOING TO PUT ON THE BLACK CAP,
MY LORD?"

One evening, while sitting with some friends in Tilney Street, there
was one of the most tremendous explosions ever heard. It seemed as if
the world was blown up. But as nothing happened, we did not leave the
room, and went on with the conversation.

It was not until the next day it was ascertained that an attempt had
been made to blow in Reginald Brett's front door, which was a few
houses off, and that it had been perpetrated by some Fenians, whose
friends had been awarded penal servitude for life for a similar
outrage with dynamite. Why their anger was directed against Mr.
Reginald Brett--a most peaceful and excellent man--it was difficult
to say, for he was very kind-hearted, and, above all, the son of the
Master of the Rolls, who never tried prisoners at all, only counsel.

Having made inquiries the next morning--I don't know of whom, there
were such a number of people in Tilney Street--I was astonished to
hear some one say, "They meant to pay _you_ that visit, Sir Henry."

"Then _they knocked at the wrong door_," said I.

The stranger seemed to know me, and I had a little further
conversation with him. It turned out he was a Chancery barrister, and
a friend of Brett's.

"Why," I asked, "do you think they meant the visit for me?"

"Well," he answered, "it was."

"If it was intended for me," I replied, "I can only say they, were
most ungrateful, for I gave their friends all I could."

"Yes--penal servitude for life."

"Very well," I added; "if they think they'll frighten me by blowing in
Reginald Brett's front door, they are very much deceived."

Lord Esher, I believe, always considered that _he_ was the object of
this attack, and as I had no wish to disturb so comforting an idea,
took no further notice, and the Fenians took no further notice of
me. Years after, however, my name was mentioned in Parliament in
connection with this case; nor was my severity called in question.

There were no more explosions in Tilney Street, but a singular
circumstance occurred, which placed me in a position, if I had desired
it, to deprive Lord Esher of the satisfaction of believing that he was
the object of so much Fenian attention. But if it was a comfort to him
or a source of pride, I did not see why I should tak