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ofcourse,inimmediatecontactwiththechain.Whiletheywerethus
situated,thedwarf,whohadfollowednoiselesslyattheirheels,
incitingthemtokeepupthecommotion,tookholdoftheirownchain
attheintersectionofthetwoportionswhichcrossedthecircle
diametricallyandatrightangles.Here,withtherapidityofthought,
heinsertedthehookfromwhichthechandelierhadbeenwont
todepend;and,inaninstant,bysomeunseenagency,thechandelier-
chainwasdrawnsofarupwardastotakethehookoutofreach,and,
asaninevitableconsequence,todragtheourang-outangstogether
incloseconnection,andfacetoface.
Themasqueraders,bythistime,hadrecovered,insomemeasure,
fromtheiralarm;and,beginningtoregardthewholematterasawell-
contrivedpleasantry,setupaloudshoutoflaughteratthepredicament
oftheapes.
“Leavethemtome!”nowscreamedHop-Frog,hisshrillvoice
makingitselfeasilyheardthroughallthedin.“Leavethemtome.
IfancyIknowthem.IfIcanonlygetagoodlookatthem,Icansoon
tellwhotheyare.”
Here,scramblingovertheheadsofthecrowd,hemanagedtoget
tothewall;when,seizingaflambeaufromoneoftheCaryatides,
hereturned,ashewent,tothecentreoftheroom—leaped,withthe
agilityofamonkey,uponthekingshead,andthenceclamberedafew
feetupthechain;holdingdownthetorchtoexaminethegroup
ofourang-outangs,andstillscreaming:“Ishallsoonfindoutwhothey
are!”
Andnow,whilethewholeassembly(theapesincluded)were
convulsedwithlaughter,thejestersuddenlyutteredashrillwhistle;
whenthechainflewviolentlyupforaboutthirtyfeet—draggingwith
itthedismayedandstrugglingourang-outangs,andleavingthem
suspendedinmid-airbetweenthesky-lightandthefloor.Hop-Frog,
clingingtothechainasitrose,stillmaintainedhisrelativeposition
inrespecttotheeightmaskers,andstill(asifnothingwerethematter)
continuedtothrusthistorchdowntowardthem,asthoughendeavoring
todiscoverwhotheywere.
Sothoroughlyastonishedwasthewholecompanyatthisascent,that
adeadsilence,ofaboutaminute’sduration,ensued.Itwasbroken
byjustsuchalow,harsh,gratingsound,ashadbeforeattractedthe
attentionofthekingandhiscouncillorswhentheformerthrewthe
