to recommend them! The lookout seems to be a bad one."

Two days later, when Frank was walking along the strand he noticed
the placards in front of a theater.

"Gallery one shilling!" he said to himself; "I will go. I have
never seen a theater yet."

The play was The Merchant of Venice, and Frank sat in rapt attention
and interest through it. When the performance was over he walked
briskly homewards. When he had proceeded some distance he saw a
glare in the sky ahead, and presently a steam engine dashed past
him at full speed.

"That must be a house on fire," he said. "I have never seen a fire;"
and he broke into a run.

Others were running in the same direction, and as he passed the
"Elephant and Castle" the crowd became thicker, and when within
fifty yards of the house he could no longer advance. He could see
the flames now rising high in the air. A horrible fear seized him.

"It must be," he exclaimed to himself, "either our house or the
one next door."

It was in vain that he pressed forward to see more nearly. A line
of policemen was drawn up across the road to keep a large space
clear for the firemen. Behind the policemen the crowd were thickly
packed. Frank inquired of many who stood near him if they could
tell him the number of the house which was on fire; but none could