Fairy found he was most anxious she should make a conquest of his father, and seemed to think their future happiness depended in a great measure upon the effect she produced upon Mr. de Courcy, so that Rex was looking forward to the carnival with somewhat mixed feelings, and, to the disappointment of the Leslies, could not be persuaded to appear in fancy dress, which they assured him was the correct thing for young men in all ranks of life on this unique occasion. But Rex refused, declaring he only intended to be a spectator, and his time would be fully occupied in taking care of Fairy, which no one for one moment doubted. Since masks were considered indispensable, he agreed to wear a wire mask to protect his face from the squibs and crackers, which are recklessly flung in all directions, often doing serious injury to some of the passers-by, but this was the utmost he would concede, and Fairy seconded him, declaring that though she liked him very much as he was, she was by no means sure how she would like him if he were dressed up like another person. The Leslies had hired a window in the High-street, and here Mr. de Courcy and Rex were to meet them at seven o’clock to watch the revelry, and then they were all to return to the rectory to supper. Fairy, who had of course often seen the carnival before, was full of childish delight at the prospect, and kept assuring Rex it was the most wonderful sight he had ever seen; there was nothing like it in England; she was sure he would be enchanted; the only drawback was there were sure to be one or two riots, as some turbulent spirits always insulted the Roman Catholics before the evening was over. “Well, I hope they won’t insult my father; he is a Roman Catholic,” said Rex. “Your father a Roman Catholic, Rex! Are you one, too?” asked Fairy, turning a little pale. “No, I am a Protestant, so is my mother, but I don’t think it right to make game of other people’s religion, and insult them because it differs from ours, do you?” “You are like John. He says it is very wicked, and that the carnival does more harm than good. He only goes to try and help to keep order, but I like it, it is such a pretty sight,” replied Fairy, eagerly. In Lewes the preparations began early in the afternoon, when the shops were closed, and all the lower windows in the High-street, through which the procession was to pass, were boarded up—a very necessary precaution, for the reckless flinging of lighted torches, squibs, and crackers would otherwise have broken the windows, and perhaps set fire to the houses. In the Market-place arrangements were made for the making of an enormous bonfire, in which the effigies of Guy Faux, the Pope, and any public person, whether of local or of wider fame, who happened just then to be in bad odour with the Lewes people, were to be burnt at midnight—the closing scene in the drama.