"I'd rather be here," said Jeremy. "It's beautifully hot here and
there's a lovely smell."

"There is," said Uncle Samuel.

Then the gas went down, and the curtain went up, and Dick, now in a
suit of red silk with golden buttons, continued his adventures. I
have not space here to describe in detail the further events of his
life--how, receiving a telegram from the King of the Zanzibars about
the plague of rats, he took ship with his cat and Alderman
Fitzwarren and his wife, how they were all swallowed by a whale,
cast up by a most lucky chance on the Zanzibars, nearly cooked by
the natives, and rescued by the King of the Zanzibars' beautiful
daughter, killed all the rats, were given a huge feast, with dance
and song, and finally Dick, although tempted by the dusky Princess,
refused a large fortune and returned to Alice of Eastcheap, the true
lady of his heart. There were, of course, many other things, such as
the aspirations and misadventures of Mrs. Fitzwarren, the deep-
voiced lady who had already so greatly amused Jeremy. And then there
was a Transformation Scene, in which roses turned into tulips and
tulips into the Hall of Gold, down whose blazing steps marched stout
representatives of all the nations.

It was in the middle of this last thrilling spectacle, when Jeremy's
heart was in his mouth and he was so deeply excited that he did not
know whether it were he or the lady next to him who was eating
peppermints, that his uncle plucked him by the sleeve and said in
his ear: "Come on. It's close on the end. We must go."