cious creature has long observed you, and that
all she is doing is only deceit, to seduce you. Believe me, I mean it
well with you." So whispered Master Flea in the fold of his collar;
but, whatever doubts might arise in Mr. Peregrine's mind, he could not
tear himself away from the fascinating sight of the little one, who
knew well how to use the advantage of being supposed to fancy herself
alone; flinging herself into all manner of voluptuous attitudes, she
put the poor Peregrine quite beside himself.

He would most likely have been still fixed at the door, had it not been
for a loud ringing, and Alina's crying out that Swammer had returned.
Upon this he hurried up the stairs into his chamber, where he gave
himself up to his love-thoughts, but with these thoughts returned the
doubts which had been raised in his breast by the admonitions of Master
Flea. There was, indeed, a flea in his ear, and he fell into all manner
of disquieting meditations. He thought to himself, "Must I not believe
that this lovely creature is the Princess Gamaheh, the daughter of a
mighty king? But if this be the case, it is folly, madness, to aspire
to the possession of so exalted a personage. Then too she has begged
the surrender of a prisoner, on whom her life depends; and as this
exactly agrees with what Master Flea has said, I can hardly doubt that
all, which I would interpret into affection for me, is only a mean to
subject me to her will. And yet to leave her!--to lose her!--that is
hell! that is death!"

In these painful meditations he was disturbed by a modest knocking at
his door, and the person who entered was no other than his lodger. The
ancient Mr. Swammer, at other times a shrivelled, misanthropic,
grumbling man, seemed suddenly to have become twenty years younger. His
forehead was smooth, his eye animated, his mouth friendly: instead of
the odious black periwig he wore his natural silver hair; and in the
place of the dark gray upper-coat, he had on a sable, such as Aline had
before described him. With a cheerful and even friendly mien, by no
means usual with him, he came up to Peregrine, protesting, that he did
not wish to disturb his dear host in any occupation, but his duty as a
lodger required that he should the first thing in the morning inform
his landlord he had been under the necessity of giving refuge to a
helpless damsel, who sought to escape from the tyranny of a cruel
uncle, and would, therefore, pass some time in the