Mr. Skelmersdale's senses--coined gold. There were little gnomes

amidst this wealth, who saluted her at her coming, and stood aside.

And suddenly she turned on him there with brightly shining eyes.



"And now," she said, "you have been kind to stay with me so long,

and it is time I let you go. You must go back to your Millie. You must

go back to your Millie, and here--just as I promised you--they will

give you gold."



"She choked like," said Mr. Skelmersdale. "At that, I had a sort

of feeling--" (he touched his breastbone) "as though I was fainting

here. I felt pale, you know, and shivering, and even then--I 'adn't

a thing to say."



He paused. "Yes," I said.



The scene was beyond his describing. But I know that she kissed

him good-bye.



"And you said nothing?"



"Nothing," he said. "I stood like a stuffed calf. She just looked

back once, you know, and stood smiling like and crying--I could

see the shine of her eyes--and then she was gone, and there was

all these little fellows bustling about me, stuffing my 'ands and

my pockets and the back of my collar and everywhere with gold."



And then it was, when the Fairy Lady had vanished, that Mr. Skelmersdale

really understood and knew. He suddenly began plucking out the gold

they were thrusting upon him, and shouting out at them to prevent

their giving him more. "'I don't WANT yer gold,' I said. 'I 'aven't

done yet. I'm not going. I want to speak to that Fairy Lady again.'

I started off to go after her and they held me back. Yes, stuck

their little 'ands against my middle and shoved me back. They kept

giving me more and more gold until it was running all down my

trouser legs and dropping out of my 'ands. 'I don't WANT yer gold,'

I says to them, 'I want just to speak to the Fairy Lady again.'"



"And did you?"



"It came to a tussle."



"Before you saw her?"



"I didn't see her. When I got out from them she wasn't anywhere

to be seen."



So he ran in search of her out of this red-lit cave, down a long

grotto, seeking her, and thence he came out in a great and desolate

place athwart which a swarm of will-o'-the-wisps were flying to and fro.



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