that would not hurt him, and, in any case, he was going to school next
week. No one at school would mind whether he had been to the Fair or no.

He felt aloof and apart, as though no one could touch him. He would
not have minded simply going into them all and saying: "I'm off to the
Fair." The obvious drawback to that would have been that he would have
been shut up in his room, and then they might make him give his word...
He would not break any promises.

When Wednesday came it was a lovely day. Out in the field just behind
the Coles' house they were burning a huge bonfire of dead leaves. At
first only a heavy column of grey smoke rose, then flames broke through;
little, thin golden flames like paper; then a sudden fierce red tongue
shot out and went licking up into the air until it faded like tumbling
water against the sunlight. On the outer edge of the bonfire there was
thin grey smoke through which you could see as through glass. The smell
was heavenly, and even through closed windows the crackling of the
burnt leaves could be heard. The sight of the bonfire excited Jeremy. It
seemed to him a signal of encouragement, a spur to perseverance. All
the morning the flames crackled, and men came with wheelbarrows full of
leaves and emptied them in thick heaps upon the fire. At each emptying
the fire would be for a moment beaten, and only the white, thick,
malicious smoke would come through; then a little spit of flame,
another, another; then a thrust like a golden hand stretching out; then
a fine, towering, quivering splendour.

Under the full noonday sun the fire was pale and so unreal, weak, and
sickly, that one was almost ashamed to look at it. But as the afternoon
passed, it again gathered strength, and with the faint, dusky evening it
was a giant once more.

"You come along," it said to Jeremy. "Come along! Come along!"

"I'm going to Mr. Somerset's, Mother," he said, putting two exercise
books and a very new and shining blue Latin book together.

"Are you, dear? I suppose you're safe?" Mrs. Cole asked, looking through
the drawing-room window.

"Oh, it's all right," said Jeremy

"Well, I think it is," said Mrs. Cole. "The street seems quite empty.
Don't speak to any odd-looking men, will you?"

"Oh, that's all right," he said again.

He walked down Orange Street, his books under his arm, the 3s. 3 1/2d.
in his pocket. The street was quite deserted, swimming in a cold, pale
light; the trees, the houses, t