grim, uncompromising boots.

Besides, it was not often that Malvina ventured beyond the orchard. At
least not during the day time--perhaps one ought to say not during that
part of the day time when the village was astir. For Malvina appears
to have been an early riser. Somewhere about the middle of the night,
as any Christian body would have timed it, Mrs. Muldoon--waking and
sleeping during this period in a state of high nervous tension--would
hear the sound of a softly opened door; peeping from a raised corner of
the blind, would catch a glimpse of fluttering garments that seemed to
melt into the dawn; would hear coming fainter and fainter from the
uplands an unknown song, mingling with the answering voices of the
birds.

It was on the uplands between dawn and sunrise that Malvina made the
acquaintance of the Arlington twins.

They ought, of course, to have been in bed--all three of them, for the
matter of that. The excuse for the twins was their Uncle George. He
had been telling them all about the Uffington spectre and Wayland
Smith's cave, and had given them "Puck" as a birthday present. They
were always given their birthday presents between them, because
otherwise they did not care for them. They had retired to their
respective bedrooms at ten o'clock and taken it in turns to lie awake.
At the first streak of dawn Victoria, who had been watching by her
window, woke Victor, as arranged. Victor was for giving it up and
going to sleep again, but Victoria reminding him of the "oath," they
dressed themselves quite simply, and let themselves down by the ivy.

They came across Malvina close to the tail of the White Horse. They
knew she was a fairy the moment they saw her. But they were not
frightened--at least not very much. It was Victor who spoke first.
Taking off his hat and going down on one knee, he wished Malvina good
morning and hoped she was quite well. Malvina, who seemed pleased to
see them, made answer, and here it was that Victoria took charge of the
affair. The Arlington twins until they were nine had shared a French
nurse between them; and then Victor, going to school, had gradually
forgotten; while Victoria, remaining at home, had continued her
conversations with "madame."

"Oh!" said Victoria. "Then you must be a French fairy."

Now the Professor had impressed upon Malvina that for reasons needless
to be explained--anyhow, he never had explained them--she was not to
mention that she