Hedidnotseeitallashesatonhishorse——hewas，asyet，tooyoung；buthedidfeelthecontrastbetweenthedinandglarearoundhimandthesilenceanddarkbeyond，and，afterwards，lookingback，heknewthathehadfoundinthatsamecontrasttheveryheartofromance。Asitwas，hesimplyclutchedhishorse’sbeautifulheadandwaitedfortheridetobegin……
Theywereoff！Hefelthishorsequiverunderhim，hesawthemansionsoftheTwo-HeadedGiantandtheFatLadysliptotheright，thelightseemedtoswingliketheskirtofsomeone’sdress，upwardsacrossthefloor，andfromtheheartofthegoldenwomanandthekingandtheminstrelascreamburstforthasthoughtheywereannouncingtheendoftheworld。Afterthathehadnoclearideaastowhatoccurred。Hewasswungintospace，andallthelifethathadbeensostationary，thebooths，thelights，themenandwomen，theverystarswentswingingwithhimasthoughtocheerhimon；thehorseunderhimgallopedbefore，andthefasterhegallopedthewilderwasthemusicandthedizziertheworld。Hewasexultant，omnipotent，supreme。Hehadlongknownthatthisglorywassomewhereifitcouldonlyhefound，allhisdaysheseemedtohavebeensearchingforit；hebeathishorse’sneck，hedrovehislegsagainsthissides。“Goon！Goon！Goon！“hecried。“Faster！Faster！
Faster！“
Thestrangestthingsseemedtorisetohisnoticeandthenfallagain——apeakedpoliceman’shat，flowers，asuddenflameofgas，thestaringeyesanddeadwhitearmsofthegoldenwoman，theflyingformsofthehorsesinfrontofhim。Alltheworldwasonhorseback，alltheworldwasracinghigherandhigher，fasterandfaster。Hesawsomeonenearhimriseontohishorse’sbackandstandonit，wavinghisarms。Hewouldliketohavedonethat，buthefoundthathewaspartofhishorse，asthoughhehadbeengluedtoit。Heshouted，hecriedaloud，hewassohappythathethoughtofnooneandnothing……Theflamedancedabouthiminacircle，heseemedtorisesohighthattherewasasuddenstillness，hewasintheveryheartofthestars；thencamethesuprememomentwhen，ashehadalwaysknown，thatonedayhewouldbe，hewasmasteroftheworld……Then，likeLucifer，hefell。Slowlythestarsreceded，themusicslackened，peoplerockedontotheirfeetagain……TheTwo-HeadedGiantslippedhackoncemoreintohisplace，hesawthesinisterladystilldevouringhersupper，womenlookingupathimgaped。Hishorsegavealastlittleleapanddied。
Thismarvellousexperienceherepeatedfourtimes，andeverytimewithanecstasymorecompletethanthelast。Herushedtoaheight，hefell，herushedagain，hefell，andateveryreturntoasoberlifehisoneintentionwasinstantlytobeoffonhissteedoncemore。Hewasabouttostartonhisfifthjourney，hehadpaidhishalfpenny，hewassittingforwardwithhishandsontheblackmane，hiseyes，staring，werefilledalreadywiththeglorythatheknewwascomingtohim，hischeekswerecrimson，hishatonthebackofhishead，hishairflying。Heheardavoice，quietandcool，alittlebelowhim，butverynear：
“Jeremy……Jeremy。Comeoffthat。You’vegottogohome。“
HelookeddownandsawhisUncleSamuel。
IV
Itwasallover；heknewatoncethatitwasallover。
Asheslippeddownfromhisdearhorsehegavetheglossydarkmaneonelastpat；then，withalittlesigh，hefoundhisfeet，stumbledoverthewoodenstepsandwasathisuncle’sside。
UncleSamuellookedqueerenoughwithasquashyblackhat，ablackcloakflungoverhisshoulders，andalargecherry-woodpipeinhismouth。Jeremylookedupathimdefiantly。
“Well，“saidUncleSamuelsarcastically。“It’snothingtoyou，I
suppose，thatthetown-crierisatthismomentringinghisbellforyouupanddowntheMarketPlace？“
“Doesfatherknow？“Jeremyaskedquickly。
“Hedoes，“answeredUncleSamuel。
Jeremycastonelastlookaroundtheplace；themerry-go-roundwasengagedoncemoreuponitswildcourse，thehorsesrisingandfalling，thegoldenwomanclashingthecymbals，theminstrelstriking，withhisdeadeyesfixeduponspace，hisharp。Allaboutmenwereshouting；thenoiseofthecoconutstores，ofthecircus，oftheband，ofthehuckstersandthecharlatans，thecryingofchildren，thelaughterofwomen——allthenoiseoftheFairbathedJeremyuptohisforehead。
Heswaminitforthelasttime。Hetriedtocatchonelastglimpseofhiscoal-blackcharger，then，withasigh，hesaid，turningtohisuncle：“Isupposewe’dbetterbegoing。“
“Yes，Isupposewehad，“saidUncleSamuel。
TheythreadedtheirwaythroughtheFair，passedthewoodenstile，andwereonceagaininthestreets，darkandancientunderthemoon，withallthenoiseandglarebehindthem。Jeremywasthinkingtohimself：“Itdoesn’tmatterwhatFatherdoes，orhowangryheis，thatwasworthit。“Itwasstrangehowlittleafraidhewas。Onlyayearagotobepunishedbyhisfatherhadbeenaterriblething。
Now，sincehismother’sillnessinthesummer，hisfatherhadseemedtohavenoinfluenceoverhim。
“Didtheybendyou，ordidyoujustcomeyourself，Uncle？“askedJeremy。
“Ihappenedtobetakingtheairinthatdirection，“saidUncleSamuel。
“Ihopeyoudidn’tcomeawaybeforeyouwantedto，“saidJeremypolitely。
“Ididnot，“saidhisuncle。
“IsFatherveryangry？“askedJeremy。
“It’smorethanlikelyhemaybe。TheTownCrier’sexpensive。“
“Ididn’tthinkthey’dknow，“explainedJeremy。“Imeanttogetbackintime。“
“Yourfatherdidn’tgotochurch，“saidUncleSamuel。“Soyoursinswerequicklydiscovered。“
Jeremysaidnothing。
JustastheywereclimbingOrangeStreethesaid：
“UncleSamuel，IthinkI’llbeahorse-trainer。“
“Oh，willyou？……Well，beforeyoutrainhorsesyou’vegottotrainyourself。Thinkofothersbesideyourself。Afinestateyou’veputyourmotherintoto-night。“
Jeremylookeddistressed。“She’dknowifIwasdead，someonewouldcomeandtellher，“hesaid。“ButI’lltellMotherI’msorry……
ButIwon’ttellFather，“headded。
“Whynot？“askedUncleSamuel。
“Becausehe’llmakesuchafuss。AndI’mnotsorry。Henevertoldmenotto。“
“No，butyouknewyouhadn’tto。“
“I’mverygoodatobeying，“explainedJeremy，“ifsomeonesayssomething；butifsomeonedoesn’t，thereisn’tanyonetoobey，“
UncleSamuelshookhishead。“You’llbeabitofaprig，myson，ifyouaren’tcareful，“hesaid。
“Ithinkitwillbesplendidtobeahorse-trainer，“saidJeremy。
“Itwasalovelyhorseto-night……AndIonlyspentashilling。I
hadthreeandthreepencehalfpenny。“
AtthedooroftheirhouseUncleSamuelstoppedandsaid：
“Lookhere，youngman，theysayit’stimeyouwenttoschool，andI
don’tthinkthey’refarwrong。Therearethingswiserheadsthanyourscanunderstand，andyou’dbettertaketheirwordforit。Inthefuture，ifyouwanttogorunningoffsomewhere，you’dbettercontentyourselfwithmystudioandmakeamessthere。“
“Oh，mayI？“criedJeremydelighted。
Thatstudiohadbeenalwaysaforbiddenplacetothem，andhad，therefore，itsairofenchantingmystery。
“Won’tyoureallymindmycoming？“heasked。
“Ishallprobablyhateit，“answeredhisuncle；“butthere’snothingIwouldn’tdoforthefamily。“
Theboywalkedtohisfather’sstudyandknockedonthedoor。Hedidhavethen，atthesoundofthatknock，amomentofpanic。Thehousewassosilent，andheknewsowellwhatwouldfollowtheopeningofthedoor。Andtheworstofitwasthathewasnotsorryintheleast。Heseemedtobeindifferentandsuperior，asthoughnopunishmentcouldtouchhim。
“Comein！“saidhisfather。
Hepushedopenthedoorandentered。Thescenethatfollowedwasgraveandsad，andyet，intheend，strangelyunimpressive。Hisfathertalkedtoomuch。AshetalkedJeremy’sthoughtswouldflybacktothecoal-blackhorseandtothatmomentwhenhehadseemedtoflyintotheveryheartofthestars。
“Ah，Jeremy，howcouldyou？“saidhisfather。“Isobediencenothingtoyou？DoyouknowhowGodpunishesdisobedience？Thinkwhataterriblethingisadisobedientman！“Thenonalowerscale：“I
reallydon’tknowwhattodowithyou。Youknewthatyouwerenottogonearthatwickedplace。“
“Youneversaid——“interruptedJeremy。
“Nonsense！Youknewwellenough。Youwillbreakyourmother’sheart。“
“I’lltellherI’msorry，“heinterruptedquickly。
“Ifyouarereallysorry——“saidhisfather。
“I’mnotsorryIwent，“saidJeremy，“butI’msorryIhurtMother。“
TheendofitwasthatJeremyreceivedsixstrokesonthehandwitharuler。Mr。Colewasnotgoodatthiskindofthing，andtwicehemissedJeremy’shandaltogether，andlookedveryfoolish。Itwasnotanedifyingscene。Jeremylefttheroom，hisheadhigh，hisspiritobstinate；andhisfatherremained，puzzled，distressed，ataloss，anxioustodowhatwasright，butunabletotouchhissonatall。
Jeremywentuptohisroom。Heopenedhiswindowandlookedout。Hecouldsmelltheburntleavesofthebonfire。Therewasnoflamenow，buthefanciedthathecouldseeawhiteshadowwhereithadbeen。
Then，onthewind，camethemusicoftheFair。
“Tum——te——Tum……Tum——te——Tum……Whirr——Whirr——Whirr——Bang——
Bang。“
Somewhereanowlcried，andthenanotherowlanswered。
Herubbedhissorehandagainsthistrousers；then，thinkingofhisblackhorse，hesmiled。
Hewasafreeman。Inaweekhewouldgotoschool；thenhewouldgotoCollege；thenhewouldbeahorsetrainer。