"What is the old boy talking about?" asked her brother.
"Why, what do you think? We are in luck's way to-night. He says that
they are offering Geoffrey the Under Secretaryship of the Home Office."
"He'll be a bigger prig than ever now," growled Lord Garsington. "Yes,
it is luck though; let us hope it won't turn."
They sat down to supper, and Lord Garsington, who had already been
dining, helped himself pretty freely to champagne. Before them was a
silver candelabra and on each of the candles was fixed a little painted
paper shade. One of them got wrong, and a footman tried to reach over
Lord Garsington's head to put it straight.
"I'll do it," said he.
"No, no; let the man," said Lady Honoria. "Look! it is going to catch
fire!"
"Nonsense," he answered, rising solemnly and reaching his arm towards
the shade. As he touched it, it caught fire; indeed, by touching it he
caused it to catch fire. He seized hold of it, and made an effort to put
it out, but it burnt his fingers.
"Curse the thing!" he said aloud, and threw it from him. It fell flaming
in his sister's dress among the thickest of the filmy laces; they
caught, and instantly two wreathing snakes of fire shot up her.
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