CHAPTER XXIII.
MR. BOMBS TELLS ALL HE KNOWS ABOUT LAURENS CORNWALLIS’ MYSTERIOUS DEATH.
Bombs began to explain and Adelaide listened with silent attention until he came to the point where he sent the four boys to the river bank to make Laurens divide the fireworks with them.
“How could you think of doing such a thing?” she asked.
“I didn’t stop to think, Miss Adelaide. I knew they were little rascals; but I had a feeling that Laurens was too goody-goody, and that somehow or other the two extremes would be equalized by setting them onto each other.”
“How dreadful! Mr. Bombs! And so you set your four little devils on to one little angel, to overpower him? You must have known they would destroy him!”
“No! No! Miss Adelaide. I did not know that. I had the unwisdom and rashness of youth. I was only fifteen years old. I had a perfect passion for pyro-spectacles. I had been brought up on them you know; and I had faith in my inventions. They were intended to amuse, scare and mystify. I had been taught early and late that danger gives zest to enjoyment. Besides I had never known of anybody of consequence within my circle of acquaintance, being killed by fireworks; and I was of the opinion that they never would injure anybody except idiots, who deserved to be injured.”
“But you knew that Laurens Cornwallis was not an idiot, and that the boys were reckless and the fireworks dangerous.”