UndoubtedlythisencouragedJeremy’sindependence。
Hewalkedtoandfrothecurate’slodgingbyhimself，andwasabletoobservemanyinterestingthingsontheway。Sometimes，lateintheafternoon，hewouldhavesomelessonthathemusttaketohismasterwho，ashelodgedatthebottomofOrangeStreet，wasaverysafeandsteadydistancefromtheColes。
OfcourseAuntAmyobjected。
“YouallowJeremy，allbyhimself，intothestreetatnight，andhe’sonlyeight。Really，you’retoostrange！“
“Well，inthefirstplace，“saidMrs。Cole，mildly，“itisn’tnight——it’safternoon；inthesecondplace，itisonlyjustdownthestreet，andJeremy’smostobedientalways，asyouknow，Amy。“
“I’msurethatMr。Somersetiswild，“saidAuntAmy。
“MydearAmy，why’？“
“You’veonlygottolookathisface。It’s’flashy。’That’swhatI
callit。“
“Oh，thatisn’tthesortofmanwho’lldoJeremyharm，“saidMrs。
Cole，withamother’swisdom。
Certainly，hedidJeremynoharmatall；hetaughthimnothing，noteven“mensa，“andhowtospell“receive“and“apple。“TheonlythinghedidwastoencourageJeremy’sindependence，andthiswasdone，inthefirstplace，bythewalkstoandfro。
HehadonlybeengoingtoMr。Somerset’sadayortwowhentheannouncementsoftheFairappearedonthewallsofthetown。Hecouldnothelpbutseethem；therewasalargecueontheboardinghalf-waydownOrangeStreet，justoppositetheDoctor’s；aposterwithacolouredpictureof“Wombwell’sCircus，“afineaffair，withspangledladiesjumpingthroughhoops，elephantssittingonstools，tigersprowling，aclowncrackingawhip，and，bestofall，agentleman，withananxiousfaceandascantybutelegantcostume，balancedaboveagazingmultitudeonatight-rope。TherewasalsoabilloftheFairsettingforththattherewouldbea“CattleMarket，Races，Roundabout，Swings，Wrestling，Boxing，FatWomen，Dwarfs，andtheTwo-HeadedGiantfromtheCaucasus。“Duringawholeweek，onceaday，Jeremyreadthisbillfromthetoptothebottom；attheendoftheweekhecouldrepeatitallbyheart。
HeaskedMr。Somersetwhetherhewasgoing。
“Oh，Ishallslipalongoneevening，I’venodoubt，“repliedthatgentleman。“Butit’sabore——awholeweekofit——upsetsone’swork。“
“Itneedn’t，“saidJeremy，“ifyoustayindoors。“
ThisamusedMr。Somersetimmensely。Helaughedagreatdeal。
“Wealwayshaveto，“saidJeremy，ratherhurt。“We’renotallowedfartherthanthegarden。“
“Ah，butI’molderthanyouare，“saidMr。Somerset。“Itwasthesamewithmeonce。“
“Andwhatdidyoudo？Didyougoallthesame？“
“Youbet，Idid，“saidthered-facedhero，moreintentonhisreminiscencesthanontheeffectthatthismighthaveonthemoralsofhispupil。
Jeremywaitedthenfortheparentalcommandthatwasalwaysissued。
Itwas：“Now，children，youmustpromisemenevertogooutsidethehousethisweekunlessyouhaveaskedpermissionfirst。“Andthen：
“Andonnoaccounttospeaktoanystrangeraboutanythingwhatever。“Andthen：“Don’tlookoutofthebackwindows，mind。“
Fromtheextremecornersofthebedroomwindowsyoucouldseeapatchofthemeadowwhereonthegipsy-vanssettled。ThesecommandshadbeenasregularastheFair，andalways，ofcourse，thechildrenhadpromisedobedience。Jeremytoldhisconsciencethatif，thisyear，hegavehispromise，hewouldcertainlykeepit。Hewondered，atthesametime，whetherhemightnotpossiblymanagetobeoutofthehousewhenthecommandswereissued。Heformedahabitofsuddenlyslippingoutoftheroomwhenhesawhisfather’smouthassumingtheshapeofa“command。“Hetooktheutmostcarenottobealonewithhisfather。
Butheneednothavebeenalarmed。Thisyearnocommandappeared。
PerhapsMr。Colethoughtthatitwasnolongernecessary；itwasobviousthatthechildrenwerenottogo，andtheywere，afterall，oldenoughnowtothinkforthemselves。Or，perhaps，itwasthatMr。
Colehadotherthingsonhismind；hewaschangingcuratesjustthen，andasuccessionofwhite-faced，soft-voiced，andloud-bootedyoungmenwereappearingattheColes’hospitabletable。
“Here’sthistiresomeFaircomeroundagain，“saidMrs。Cole。
“Wicked！“saidAuntAmy，withanenviousshudder。“Satanfindswork，indeed，inthistown。“
“Idon’tsupposeit’sworsethananywhereelse，“saidMrs。Cole。
Onthelateafternoonofthedaybeforetheopening，Jeremy，onhiswaytoMr。Somerset’s，caughtthetailendofWombwell’sCircusProcessionmoving，inmistysplendour，acrossthemarket。
Hecouldseebutlittle，althoughhestoodonthepedestalofalamp-post；butBritannia，rockinghighintheair，flashinghersilversceptreintheeveningair，andfollowedbytwoenormousandmelancholyelephants，caughthisgaze。Strainsofabandlingeredabouthim。HeenteredMr。Somerset’sinafrenzyofexcitement，buthesaidnothing。HefeltthatMr。Somersetwouldlaughathim。
HereturnedtohishomethatnighthauntedbyBritannia。HeateBritanniaforhissupper；hehadBritanniaforhisdreams；andhegreetedRoseasBritanniathenextmorningwhenshecalledhim。
EarlyuponthatdaytherewereborneintotheheartofthehousestrainsoftheFair。Itwasnousewhatevertoclosethewindows，lockthedoors，andreadDivinity。Thestrainspersisted，aheavenlymurmur，risingatmomentsintoamuffledshriekorajumblingshout，hangingaboutthewallsasaromanticecho，dyingupontheairachastenedwail。“NouseforMr。Coletosay：
“WemustbehaveasthoughtheFairwasnot。“
Forawholeweekitwouldbethere，andeveryoneknewit。
Jeremydidnotmeantobedisobedient，butafterthatglimpseofBritanniaheknewthathewouldgo。
III
Ithad，atfirst，beenthoughtadvisablethatJeremyshouldnotgotoMr。Somerset’sduringFairWeek。PerhapsMr。SomersetcouldcometotheColes’。No，hewasverysorry。Hemustbeinhisroomsatthatparticularhourincaseparishionersshouldneedhisadviceorassistance。
“Pityforhimtomissallthisweek，especiallyastherewillbeonlyfourdaysleftafterthat。IamreallyanxiousforhimtohavealittlegroundinginLatin。“
Mrs。Colesmiledconfidently。“IthinkJeremyistobetrusted。Hewouldneverdoanythingthatyouwouldn’tlike。“
Mr。Colewasnotsosure。“He’snotquitesoobedientasIshouldwish。Heshowsanindependence——“
However，aftersomehesitationitwasdecidedthatJeremymightbetrusted。
Butevenafterthathewasneverputuponhishonour。“IfIdon’tpromise，Ineedn’tmind，“hesaidtohimself，andwaitedbreathlessly；butnothingcame。OnlyAuntAmysaid：
“Ihopeyoudon’tspeaktolittleboysinthestreet，Jeremy。“Towhichherepliedscornfully：“Ofcoursenot。“
Heinvestigatedhismoney-box，removingthetopwithatin-opener。
Hefoundthathehadthere3s。31/2d。；alargesum，andenoughtogivehimaroyaltime。
Marycaughthim。
“Oh，Jeremy，whatareyoudoing？“
“Justcountingmymoney，“hesaid，withwould-becarelessness。
“You’regoingtotheFair？“shewhisperedbreathlessly。
Hefrowned。Howcouldsheknow？Shealwayskneweverything。
“Perhaps，“hewhisperedback；“butifyoutellanyoneI’ll——“
“OfcourseIwouldn’ttell，“shereplied，deeplyoffended。
Thislittleconversationstrengthenedhispurpose。Hehadnotadmittedtohimselfthathewasreallygoing。Nowheknew。
Wednesdaywouldbethenight。OnWednesdayeveningshisfatherhadaservicewhichpreventedhimfromreturninghomeuntilhalf-pasteight。HewouldgotoSomerset’sathalf-pastfour，andwouldheexpectedhomeathalf-pastsix；therewouldbenorealalarmabouthimuntilhisfather’sreturnfromchurch，andhecould，therefore，besureoftwohours’bliss。Fortheconsequenceshedidnotcareatall。Hewasgoingtodonoharmtoanyoneoranything。Theywouldbeangry，perhaps，butthatwouldnothurthim，and，inanycase，hewasgoingtoschoolnextweek。NooneatschoolwouldmindwhetherhehadbeentotheFairorno。
Hefeltaloofandapart，asthoughnoonecouldtouchhim。Hewouldnothavemindedsimplygoingintothemallandsaying：“I’mofftotheFair。“Theobviousdrawbacktothatwouldhavebeenthathewouldhavebeenshutupinhisroom，andthentheymightmakehimgivehisword……Hewouldnotbreakanypromises。
WhenWednesdaycameitwasalovelyday。OutinthefieldjustbehindtheColes’housetheywereburningahugebonfireofdeadleaves。Atfirstonlyaheavycolumnofgreysmokerose，thenflamesbrokethrough；little，thingoldenflameslikepaper；thenasuddenfierceredtongueshotoutandwentlickingupintotheairuntilitfadedliketumblingwateragainstthesunlight。Ontheouteredgeofthebonfiretherewasthingreysmokethroughwhichyoucouldseeasthroughglass。Thesmellwasheavenly，andeventhroughclosedwindowsthecracklingoftheburntleavescouldbeheard。ThesightofthebonfireexcitedJeremy。Itseemedtohimasignalofencouragement，aspurtoperseverance。Allthemorningtheflamescrackled，andmencamewithwheelbarrowsfullofleavesandemptiedtheminthickheapsuponthefire。Ateachemptyingthefirewouldbeforamomentbeaten，andonlythewhite，thick，malicioussmokewouldcomethrough；thenalittlespitofflame，another，another；
thenathrustlikeagoldenhandstretchingout；thenafine，towering，quiveringsplendour。
Underthefullnoondaysunthefirewaspaleandsounreal，weak，andsickly，thatonewasalmostashamedtolookatit。Butastheafternoonpassed，itagaingatheredstrength，andwiththefaint，duskyeveningitwasagiantoncemore。
“Youcomealong，“itsaidtoJeremy。“Comealong！Comealong！“
“I’mgoingtoMr。Somerset’s，Mother，“hesaid，puttingtwoexercisebooksandaverynewandshiningblueLatinbooktogether。
“Areyou，dear？Isupposeyou’resafe？“Mrs。Coleasked，lookingthroughthedrawing-roomwindow。
“Oh，it’sallright，“saidJeremy“Well，Ithinkitis，“saidMrs。Cole。“Thestreetseemsquiteempty。Don’tspeaktoanyodd-lookingmen，willyou？“
“Oh，that’sallright，“hesaidagain。
HewalkeddownOrangeStreet，hisbooksunderhisarm，the3s。3
1/2d。inhispocket。Thestreetwasquitedeserted，swimminginacold，palelight；thetrees，thehouses，thechurch，thegarden-