him hear you."

"It's not likely he would understand goose-talk if he did," replied
Ch'ang, smiling. "However, I suppose it's always best to be on the safe
side, so I'll whisper what I have to say."

Putting his bill close to her ear, he told Hu-lin of his recent
discovery, and ended by asking her to tell him what it all meant.

The child forgot her own misery at hearing his wonderful story. "Are you
quite sure there was not some friend of the miser's spending the night
with him?" she asked gravely.

"Yes, yes, perfectly sure, for he has no friends," replied the gander.
"Besides, I was in the house just before he locked up for the night, and
I saw neither hair nor hide of any other person."

"Then he must be a fairy in disguise!" announced Hu-lin wisely.

"A fairy! what's that?" questioned Ch'ang, more and more excited.

"Why, you old goose, don't you know what a fairy is?" And Hu-lin laughed
outright. By this time she had forgotten her own troubles and was
becoming more and more amused at what she had heard. "Hark!" she said in
a low tone, and speaking very slowly, "a fairy is----" Here she lowered
her voice to a whisper.

The gander nodded violently as she went on with her explanation, and
when she had finished, was speechless with amazement, for a few moments.
"Well," he said finally, "if my master is that kind of man, suppose you
slip away quietly and come with me, for, if a fairy is what you say he
is, he can save you from all your troubles and make me happy for the
rest of my days."

[Illustration: "PUTTING HIS BILL TO HER EAR, HE TOLD HU-LIN OF HIS
RECENT DISCOVERY."]

"I wonder if I dare?" she answered, looking round fearfully towards the
houseboat, from the open scuttle of which came the sound of deep
snoring.

"Yes, yes, of course!" coaxed Ch'ang. "He gave you such a beating that
he won't be afraid of your taking to your heels again very soon."

Hurriedly they went to the miser's compound. Hu-lin's heart was beating
fast as she tried to decide what to say when she should actually stand
before the fairy. The gate was still partly open and the two friends
entered boldly.

"Come this way," said Ch'ang. "He must be in the back-yard digging in
his garden."

But when they reached the vegetable patch there was no one to be seen.

"This is very strange," whispered the gander. "I don't understand it,
for I have never known him to grow tired of work so early. Surely he
cannot have gone in to rest."