ke to know all about the affair of the fishing
rod, and the fish-hooks, and the cook next door--which was amusing from
some points of view, though not perhaps the cook's--but there really is
no time even for that.

The only thing that there's time to tell about is the Adventure of
Maskelyne and Cooke's, and the Unexpected Apparition--which is also the
beginning of the end.

It was Nurse who broke into the gloomy music of the autumn rain on the
window panes by suggesting a visit to the Egyptian Hall, England's Home
of Mystery. Though they had good, but private reasons to know that their
own particular personal mystery was of a very different brand, the
four all brightened at the idea. All children, as well as a good many
grown-ups, love conjuring.

'It's in Piccadilly,' said old Nurse, carefully counting out the proper
number of shillings into Cyril's hand, 'not so very far down on the left
from the Circus. There's big pillars outside, something like Carter's
seed place in Holborn, as used to be Day and Martin's blacking when I
was a gell. And something like Euston Station, only not so big.'

'Yes, I know,' said everybody.

So they started.

But though they walked along the left-hand side of Piccadilly they saw
no pillared building that was at all like Carter's seed warehouse or
Euston Station or England's Home of Mystery as they remembered it.

At last they stopped a hurried lady, and asked her the way to Maskelyne
and Cooke's.

'I don't know, I'm sure,' she said, pushing past them. 'I always shop
at the Stores.' Which just shows, as Jane said, how ignorant grown-up
people are.

It was a policeman who at last explained to them that England's
Mysteries are now appropriately enough enacted at St George's Hall.

So they tramped to Langham Place, and missed the first two items in
the programme. But they were in time for the most wonderful magic
appearances and disappearances, which they could hardly believe--even
with all their knowledge of a larger magic--was not really magic after
all.

'If only the Babylonians could have seen THIS conjuring,' whispered
Cyril. 'It takes the shine out of their old conjurer, doesn't it?'

'Hush!' said Anthea and several other members of the audience.

Now there was a vacant seat next to Robert. And it was when all eyes
were fixed on the stage where Mr Devant was pouring out glasses of all
sorts of different things to drink, out of one kettle with one spout,
and the audience