I mention this because it was the encouragement he had over this creeping rocket that made Nubbs get so above himself, if you understand me. He never forgot it, and next autumn term he actually asked the Doctor if he might have a regular firework display in the playground on the night of the Fifth of November. He asked rather cunningly, just after an English History lesson, during which the Doctor had been slating Guy Fawkes frightfully; and having said such a heap of hard things about the beggar, Doctor Dunston couldn’t very well refuse. He said: “Your request is unusual Tomkins; but I can see no objection at the moment. However, I will let you have my answer at no distant date.” And I said to Nubbs: “That means he’ll think and think till he’s got a reason why you shouldn’t, and let you know then.” But Nubbs said to me: “I believe he’ll let me do it, feeling so jolly bitter as he does about Guy Fawkes.” And blessed if he didn’t! Nubbs undertook to make the things himself. Nothing was to be bought but chemicals in a raw, unmixed condition, and Doctor Dunston actually headed the subscription list with 2_s._ 6_d._; and Thompson gave the same, and Mannering 2_s._, and “Frenchy” 3_s._ Fifty-two chaps also contributed various sums from 1_s._ to 1_d._; and Nubbs became rather important, and went down gradually to the bottom of the Lower Fifth owing to the strain upon his mind. He gathered together £2 7_s._ 5_d._ in all, and made it up to £2 10_s._ himself; and Fowle’s father, who was in some business where they used sulphur in terrific quantities, got four pounds weight of it for nothing, and Nubbs said it was a godsend for illuminating purposes. He had been to the Crystal Palace, and told us he was going to carry everything out just like they did there, as far as he could with the money. At the last moment he got a tremendous increase of funds in the shape of a pound from his father; and, strangely enough, it was that extra pound that wrecked him. Without that father’s pound he couldn’t have arranged the principal feature of the whole performance; and without that principal feature nothing in the way of misfortunes to Nubbs worth mentioning would have fallen out. But the pound came, and with it a letter very encouraging to Nubby.