amazement--quickly followed by conviction. To the surprise of the
children every one in the office took the Phoenix at its word, and
after the first shock of surprise it seemed to be perfectly natural
to every one that the Phoenix should be alive, and that, passing
through London, it should call at its temple.

'We ought to have some sort of ceremony,' said the nicest
gentleman, anxiously. 'There isn't time to summon the directors
and shareholders--we might do that tomorrow, perhaps. Yes, the
board-room would be best. I shouldn't like it to feel we hadn't
done everything in our power to show our appreciation of its
condescension in looking in on us in this friendly way.'

The children could hardly believe their ears, for they had never
thought that any one but themselves would believe in the Phoenix.
And yet every one did; all the men in the office were brought in by
twos and threes, and the moment the Phoenix opened its beak it
convinced the cleverest of them, as well as those who were not so
clever. Cyril wondered how the story would look in the papers next
day. He seemed to see the posters in the streets:

PHOENIX FIRE OFFICE
THE PHOENIX AT ITS TEMPLE
MEETING TO WELCOME IT
DELIGHT OF THE MANAGER AND EVERYBODY.

'Excuse our leaving you a moment,' said the nice gentleman, and he
went away with the others; and through the half-closed door the
children could hear the sound of many boots on stairs, the hum of
excited voices explaining, suggesting, arguing, the thumpy drag of