in one of the streets at the
West End, near St. James's Palace, when Rollo asked this question, on
the morning of the day after they paid their visit to St. Paul's. The
man on the ladder was placing some lamps on a frame over the door of a
large and beautiful mansion, as if for an illumination. The lamps were
disposed in such a manner as to form a great star, with the letters "V.
R." on a very large scale, one on each side of it.

"The V. R. stands for Victoria Regina," said Mr. George; "that is,
Victoria Queen."

"Then it must be that they are going to have an illumination in honor of
the queen," rejoined Rollo. "I have seen two more of such frames putting
up before this."

On going along a little farther, Rollo pointed out another house to Mr.
George where lamps were arranged for an illumination; and then,
presently, another. Mr. George accordingly stopped to ask a policeman
what it meant.

"It is the queen's birthday," said the policeman; "and this evening they
illuminate the houses."

"I'm glad of that," said Rollo. "We will come out and see; won't we,
uncle George?"

The part of the town where Mr. George and Rollo were walking at this
time--the vicinity of St. James's Square--is the region occupied by the
palaces and mansions of some of the higher nobility of England. These
residences are built in a very open manner, standing, many of them,
apart from each other, and being in the midst of parks, gardens,
terraces, and pleasure grounds, which give to the views that are
presented to the eye of the stranger in walking among them a most
enchanting variety. As Mr. George and Rollo passed along the streets
among these residences, they soon began to observe other marks of
excitement besides the illuminations. They saw unusual numbers of
well-dressed people walking along the sidewalks; and at length, on
turning a corner, they came suddenly into a street where the margin of
the sidewalk, for a long distance, was lined with crowds of
people,--men, women, and children,--who seemed to be waiting for
something to pass by. They were, in fact, waiting to see the queen.

As has already been said, it was the queen's birthday; and it is the
custom for the queen, on her birthday, to hold what is called "a drawing
room," in which she receives the calls and congratulations of the
nobility of England, the foreign ministers resident in London, and of
such strangers as are of sufficient distinction, in respect to their
wealth, t