cushion to be Perdita."

"And where's Bohemia?"

"Oh! the hall must be Bohemia, and the stair-carpet the sea, because
then the aunts won't hear the lion and bear roaring."

With these precautions, the characteristic roaring and growling of
lion and bear, and the shrieks of the courtier, though not absolutely
unheard in the drawing-room, produced no immediate results. But in
the very midst of Lady Jane's signing her name to some paper, she
gave a violent start, and dropped the pen, for they were no stage
shrieks--"Ah! ah! It is coming down! Help me down! Ernest, Ernest!
help me down! Ah!"--and then a great fall.

The little mahogany bracket on the wall had been mounted by the help
of a chair, but it was only fixed into the plaster, being intended to
hold a small lamp, and not for young ladies to stand on; so no sooner
was the chair removed by which Kate had mounted, than she felt not
only giddy in her elevation, but found her pedestal loosening! There
was no room to jump; and Ernest, perhaps enjoying what he regarded as
a girl's foolish fright, was a good way off, endeavouring to wind up
the musical-box, when the bracket gave way, and Hermione descended
precipitately with anything but the sound of soft music; and as the
inhabitants of the drawing-room rushed out to the rescue, her legs
were seen kicking in the air upon the landing-place; Ernest looking
on, not knowing whether to laugh or be dismayed.

Lord de la Poer picked her up, and sat down on the stairs with her
between his knees to look her over and see whether she were hurt, or