Caleb was aware of her eagerness and, having in himself nothing of the mountebank, supposed that she was merely longing to display her legs to the mob. He vented the bile of his jealousy upon the waiter. “I’ll report you to Mr. Seedwell,” he stormed. “How dare you bring champagne without an order?” “Madame....” “Get out of here,” Caleb shouted. “This is no madam, you lousy wretch. I’ll have no rascals like you come pimping round this young lady.” Sky rockets were shedding their fiery blossoms upon the air, and the water below was jewelled with their reflections. Tourbillions leapt up to tremble for a moment in golden spirals. Mutation followed mutation as shivered wheels of rubies turned to fountains of molten emeralds and amethysts and blazing showers of topaz. Above the explosions, above the applause, the shrill voice of Madame Oriano rang out continually, “_Bravo! Bravissimo! Ancora! Bene! Benissimo! Che Splendore! Che magnificenza!_” Letizia stood rapt like a saint that expects a corporeal assumption to the seventh heaven. “It’s time I went up,” she breathed. “Not yet,” Caleb pleaded, in horror of the moment when that lewd and accursed mob should gloat upon her slim form. “It is. It is! Let me go, Caleb! Gemini, you crazy fool, you’ll make me late.” Letizia sprang away from his detaining arms. “Why don’t you set fire to your shirt, Caleb, and slide down behind me?” she called back to him in mockery. There were shouts of enthusiasm when the figure of Letizia stood up dimly against the stars. Followed a silence. Old John Gumm fired the fizgigs and the serpents. With a shriek of triumphant joy Letizia launched herself from the mast. High above the wondering murmurs of the crowd her mother’s voice resounded. “_Che bella ragazza!_[5] _Brava! Bravissima! Avanti, figlia mia! Che forma di Venere!_”[6] [5] “What a lovely girl!” [6] “Forward, my daughter! What a figure of Venus!” “Almighty God,” Caleb groaned. “She might be naked.” When the flaming vision touched earth, he rushed forward to recapture it; but Letizia, intoxicated with success, flung herself into the arms of three or four young bucks who were waiting to carry her off to champagne, while from the grotto in the middle of the lawn the Triton orchestra struck up Weber’s seductive _Invitation to the Waltz_. CHAPTER II THE FACTORY