I don't know what you are doing just now, Lady Pippinworth, but my compliments to you, and T.Sandys is swelling.
There followed on this exultation another feeling as sincere--devout thankfulness that he had gone no further.

He drew deep breaths of relief over his escape, but knew that he had not himself to thank.

His friends, the little sprites, had done it, in return for the amusement he seemed to give them.

They had stayed him in the nick of time, but not earlier; it was quite as if they wanted Tommy to have his fun first.

So often they had saved him from being spitted, how could he guess that the great catastrophe was fixed for to-night, and that henceforth they were to sit round him counting his wriggles, as if this new treatment of him tickled them even more than the other?
But he was too clever not to know that they might be fattening him for some very special feast, and his thanks took the form of a vow to need their help no more.