e made an effort to prevent it; but, fortunately for the
community, most of them were too drunk to care, and the others to
interfere; while all were so taken by surprise that the deed was done
and the grand conflagration ended before they had realised the full
significance of the blacksmith's act.

When the last head had been driven in, and the last gallon of spirit
summarily dismissed by the fire, Nobbs threw up his arms, and, looking
upward, gave vent to a cheer which ended in a prolonged cry. For a
moment he stood thus, then the hammer dropt from his grasp, and he fell
back insensible.

Poor little Mrs Nobbs was by his side on her knees in a moment, parting
the dark hair from his broad brow, kissing his swart cheeks, and chafing
his strong hands.

"O John! darling John!" she cried, "come back--come back--don't die.
You never was hard or cruel to _me_! Even the drink could not do that.
Come back, John!"

Dr Marsh here gently restrained her. "Don't be alarmed," he said, as
he undid the smith's necktie; "he'll be all right presently. Stand
back, don't crowd round him; and you go fetch a cup of water, Mrs
Nobbs."

The reassuring tones and the necessity for action did much to calm the
excited woman. Before she had returned with the water her husband had
partially recovered. They carried him to his hut, and left him to sleep
off the effects, while his poor little wife watched by his side. When
left quite alone, she went down on her knees beside him, and prayed for
his deliverance with all her heart. Then she rose and sat down with a
calm, contented look, muttering, "Yes; He _is_ the hearer and answerer
of prayer. He _will_ answer me."

She might have gone further and said, "He _has_ answered me," for was
not the destruction of the liquor an answer to the petition before it
was put up? "Before they call I will answer."

"Pina," said Otto the following day, in a tone almost of reproach,
during a private audience with the queen, "Pina, how came you to do such
an insane thing as choose Joe Binney for your premier? Why didn't you
choose Dom? You know well enough that he's fifty times cleverer than
Joe, and even in the matter of strength, though he's not so strong, I'm
very sure that with his pugilistic powers he could keep order quite as
well. Besides, all the people had made up their minds, as a matter of
course, that Dom was to be premier, and then--he's a gentleman."

"I'm thankful that you are not one