e streets and house-tops gradually reappearing. Only the flags,
with their unrestful shiver and ripple of colour, had disappeared, and,
with them, the waiting crowds and the mounted constables. The ordinary
traffic of vans, omnibuses, and cabs was proceeding as though it had
never been interrupted--the clank and jingle of harness chains, the
cries and whip-crackings of drivers, rose with curious distinctness
above the incessant trampling roar which is the ground-swell of the
human ocean.

"That cloud which thou sawest," said Fakrash, "hath swept away with it
all memory of this affair from the minds of every mortal assembled to do
thee honour. See, they go about their several businesses, and all the
past incidents are to them as though they had never been."

It was not often that Horace could honestly commend any performance of
the Jinnee's, but at this he could not restrain his admiration. "By
Jove!" he said, "that certainly gets the Lord Mayor and everybody else
out of the mess as neatly as possible. I must say, Mr. Fakrash, it's
much the best thing I've seen you do yet."

"Wait," said the Jinnee, "for presently thou shalt see me perform a yet
more excellent thing."

There was a most unpleasant green glow in his eyes and a bristle in his
thin beard as he spoke, which suddenly made Horace feel uncomfortable.
He did not like the look of the Jinnee at all.

"I really think you've done enough for to-day," he said. "And this wind
up here is rather searching. I shan't be sorry to find myself on the
ground again."

"That," replied the Jinnee, "thou shalt assuredly do before long, O
impudent and deceitful wretch!" And he laid a long, lean hand on
Horace's shoulder.

"He _is_ put out about something!" thought Ventimore. "But what?" "My
dear sir," he said aloud, "I don't understand this tone of yours. What
have I done to offend you?"

"Divinely gifted was he who said: 'Beware of losing hearts in
consequence of injury, for the bringing them back after flight is
difficult.'"

"Excellent!" said Horace. "But I don't quite see the application."

"The application," explained the Jinnee, "is that I am determined to
cast thee down from here with my own hand!"

Horace turned faint and dizzy for a moment. Then, by a strong effort of
will, he pulled himself together. "Oh, come now," he said, "you don't
really mean that, you know. After all your kindness! You're much too
good-natured to be capable of anything so atrocious."