ow watch,"
observed Lal maliciously. "Sleeping and breathing, sleeping and
breathing, the sulphur tablets will soon commence to work."

Slowly as they watched, thick jets of yellow vapour commenced to rise
upward and all around.

"Come," whispered Lal, "the thick fog stops like a wall at the back of
their pedestals and all round Trafalgar Square. As I told you,"
chuckled the Lion, "the fog is only upon the _outside_ of where the
party will take place."

He now quickly drew the children out of the fog inside the immense
charmed circle of Trafalgar Square, where the atmosphere was quite
clear, but as yet quite dark.

The Lion lifted up his head and gave a most piercing and peculiar
whistle; once, twice, three times and yet a fourth he repeated this
signal.

The signal was answered in a curious manner. The whole space commenced
to vibrate with a strange humming sound which resembled violins,
violoncellos, flageolets and flutes being played upon very faintly.
The sounds were so weirdly fascinating that any one might have imagined
it proceeded from a little group of Eastern musicians playing upon
reeds in order to charm some snake to uncoil and become sociable after
a lengthy seclusion in its wicker-work basket.

"What is that music?" asked Ridgwell.

"The eight Dolphins of the fountains are humming happily. They are
waiting to carry out my commands," answered the Lion.

Once again the Lion whistled four times.

Ridgwell and Christine, who were listening intently, could hear the
scurrying of flying feet racing along. The sound drew nearer and
nearer, until several dark forms were jostling each other immediately
in front of where they stood, and they could feel the warm breath of
some living things upon their hands. Suddenly in the darkness there
was a chorus of hoarse laughter.

Ridgwell and Christine started slightly.

"Are they spirits?" inquired Ridgwell, with a note of anxiety in his
voice.

"No," vouchsafed the Lion, "only the four merry laughing little Lions
from outside Westminster Abbey. They are the most ridiculous creatures
in all London.

"Stop laughing," commanded the Lion.

"Hear me, Gamble, Grin, Grub, and Carry-on-Merry, and hearken
attentively.

"Carry-on-Merry, have you all stopped laughing?" demanded the Lion.

"Yes, mighty Lal, we are simply grinning at present, which is as near
to being serious as we can ever become. We are only waiting for your
commands."

The Lion lifted