e Dutch
national air, life-sized elephants with gilded castles, huge giraffes,
alarming lions, terrific tigers, beautiful swans, and Sedan chairs were
whirling madly, with great effect of glitter and gaiety.

"All my life I've wanted to ride in a merry-go-round," said Nell, "and I
never have. Now's our one chance. There's a Spanish bull and a Polar
bear to let. Come on."

She seized my hand, and before I realized what we were doing, I was
sitting on a large bull, wildly clinging to its horns, while Nell, just
in front, perched on the back of a sly-looking white bear.

No sooner were we settled than the four young soldiers who had stared in
the fit-man's tent, jumped on some other animals in the procession, and
as we began to fly round the big ring, they called out and waved their
hands as if they were friends of ours. I was afraid they must have
followed us out of the tent, and I could understand enough Dutch to know
that they were saying things about our looks. Every one in the crowd
laughed and encouraged them, and several people standing by to watch,
spoke to Nell and me as we whirled.

It was an awful situation. What with the embarrassment, the shame, the
horrid consciousness of being part of the show, and the giddiness that
came over me with the motion, it was all I could do to keep from crying.
But if I had sobbed while spinning round the ring on the back of a bull,
I should have been a more conspicuous figure than ever, so I controlled
myself with all my might. Oh, if only I could have got down, to run away
and hide! but there we both had to sit till time for the merry-go-round
to stop, and I would have given all that's left of the two hundred
pounds Captain Noble willed me, to make the horrid machinery break down.

As we sailed round and round my agonized eyes caught the surprised gaze
of a man I knew. For an instant I could not remember how, or where, or
how much I knew him; but suddenly it all came back. I recognized Sir
Alexander MacNairne, whose acquaintance we made in Amsterdam, through
Tibe, and the worst thing was that, from the expression of his face, I
was almost sure he recognized us both, in spite of our disguise.

By this time, the sitting on the bull, and the continued whirling at the
mercy of a thousand eyes, began to seem a torture such as might have
been inflicted by the Inquisition if you had argued with them about some
little thing. I'm sure, if any one had sprung forward at this moment to