In which Lord Arthur, undeterred by earlier failures, enlists the aid of a revolutionary acquaintance to procure an explosive clock intended for a rather delicate domestic purpose, only to find his carefully laid plans thwarted in the most unexpected manner. The tale meanders through the peculiarities of society and the whims of fate, culminating in a curious letter and a mood of bittersweet relief that softly underscores the capriciousness of human endeavour.