He touched off in quick succession a set of fierce rockets, angry catherine wheels, loudly exploding squibs--and the matter might have turned out very serious.

An awful panic spread through the whole building.

Wild-eyed, choking clerks stampeded through the passages full of smoke, silk hats and elderly business men could be seen rolling independently down the stairs.

Stevie did not seem to derive any personal gratification from what he had done.

His motives for this stroke of originality were difficult to discover.