justified by the parallel--pilchard), and opera-dancard.
"Dynamitist," he adds, "I could understand."

ZERO'S TALE OF THE EXPLOSIVE BOMB[4]

I dined by appointment with one of our most trusted agents, in a private
chamber at St. James's Hall. You have seen the man: it was M'Guire, the
most chivalrous of creatures, but not himself expert in our
contrivances. Hence the necessity of our meeting; for I need not remind
you what enormous issues depend upon the nice adjustment of the engine.
I set our little petard for half an hour, the scene of action being hard
by; and, the better to avert miscarriage, employed a device, a recent
invention of my own, by which the opening of the Gladstone bag in which
the bomb was carried should instantly determine the explosion. M'Guire
was somewhat dashed by this arrangement, which was new to him: and
pointed out, with excellent, clear good sense, that should he be
arrested, it would probably involve him in the fall of our opponents.
But I was not to be moved, made a strong appeal to his patriotism, gave
him a good glass of whisky, and despatched him on his glorious errand.

Our objective was the effigy of Shakespeare in Leicester Square: a spot,
I think, admirably chosen; not only for the sake of the dramatist, still
very foolishly claimed as a glory by the English race, in spite of his
disgusting political opinions; but from the fact that the seats in the
immediate neighbourhood are often thronged by children, errand-boys,
unfortunate young ladies of the poorer class, and infirm old men--all
classes making a direct appeal to public pity, and therefore suitable
with our designs. As M'Guire drew near, his heart was inflamed by the
most noble sentiment of triumph. Never had he seen the garden so
crowded; children, still stumbling in the impotence of youth, ran to and
fro, shouting and playing, round the pedestal; an old, sick pensioner
sat upon the nearest bench, a medal on his breast, a stick with which he
walked (for he was disabled by wounds) reclining on his knee. Guilty
England would thus be stabbed in the most delicate quarters; the moment
had, indeed, been well selected; and M'Guire, with a radiant prevision
of the event, drew merrily nearer. Suddenly his eye alighted on the
burly form of a policeman, standing hard by the effigy in an attitude of
watch. My bold companion paused; he looked about him closely; here and
there, at different points of the enclosure, other men