momentary ebullition, which is already past."

Peregrine felt the colour rushing up into his cheeks and forehead, and
giving him the lie. He crept under the bed-clothes. Master Flea
continued:

"It is not to be wondered at if you were unable to resist the
surprising charms of the princess, especially as she employed many
dangerous arts to captivate you. Nor is the storm yet over. The
malicious little thing will put in practice many a trick to catch you
in her love-toils, as, indeed, every woman can, without exactly being a
Princess Gamaheh. She will try to get you so completely in her power,
that you shall only live for her and her wishes, and then--woe to me!
It will come to this question:--is your nobleness strong enough to
conquer your passion, or will you prefer yielding to Gamaheh's wishes,
and thus replunging into misery not only your little protege, but the
whole people whom you have released from a wretched slavery?--or,
again, will you resist the allurements of a treacherous creature, and
thus confirm my happiness and that of my subjects? Oh that you would
promise me the last!--that you _could_!----"

"Master," replied Peregrine, drawing the bed-clothes away from his
face,--"dear Master, you are right: nothing is more dangerous than the
temptations of women; they are all false, all malicious; they play with
us as cats with mice, and for our tenderest exertions we reap nothing
but contempt and mockery. Hence it is that formerly a cold deathlike
perspiration used to stand upon my brow as soon as any woman-creature
approached me, and I myself believe that there must be something
peculiar about the fair Alina, or Princess Gamaheh, as you will have
it, although, with my plain human reason, I do not comprehend all that
you are saying, but rather feel as if I were in some wild dream, or
reading the Thousand and One Nights. Be all this, however, as it may,
you have put yourself under my protection, dear Master, and nothing
shall persuade me to deliver you up to your enemies; as to the
seductive maiden, I will not see her again. This I promise solemnly,
and would give my hand upon it, had you one to receive it and return
the honourable pledge."

With this Peregrine stretched out his arm far upon the bed-clothes.

"Now," exclaimed the little Invisible,--"now I am quite consoled, quite
at ease. If I have no hand to offer you, at least permit me to prick
you in the right thumb, partly to testify my extreme satisfactio