, not one coin, not one gem remained.

Glancing up in dismay she found herself in a perfect storm of white
butterflies--no, they were red--no, green!

"Is there anything in this world you desire?" he asked her.

"A--a glass of water----"

She was already holding it in her hands, and she cried out in amazement,
spilling the brimming glass; but no water fell, only a rain of little
crimson flames.

"I can't--can't drink this--can I?" she faltered.

"With perfect safety," he smiled, and she tasted it.

"Taste it again," he said.

She tried it; it was lemonade.

"Again."

It was ginger ale.

"Once more."

She stared at the glass, frothing with ice-cream soda; there was a long
silver spoon in it, too.

Enchanted, she lay back, savoring her ice, shyly watching him.

He went on gayly doing uncanny or charming things; her eyes were tired,
dazzled, but not too weary to watch him, though she scarcely followed the
marvelous objects that appeared and vanished and glittered and flamed
under his ceaselessly busy hands.

She did notice with a shudder the appearance of an owl that sat for a
while on his shoulder and then turned into a big fur muff which was all
right as long as he held it, but walked away on four legs when he tossed
it to the floor.

A shower of brilliant things followed like shooting stars; two or three
rose trees grew, budded, and bloomed before her eyes; and he laid the
fresh, sweet blossoms in her hands. They turned to violets later, but
that did not matter; nothing mattered any longer as long as she could lie
there and gaze at him--the most splendid man her maiden eyes had ever
unclosed upon.

About two thousand yards of brilliant ribbons suddenly fell from the
ceiling; she looked at him with something perilously close to a sigh. Out
of an old hat he produced a cage full of parrots; every parrot repeated
her first name decorously, monotonously, until packed back into the hat
and stuffed into a box which was then set on fire.

Her heart was pretty full now; for she was only eighteen and she had been
considering his poverty. So when in due time the box burned out and from
the black and charred _debris_ the parrots stepped triumphantly forth,
gravely repeating her name in unison; and when she saw that the
entertainment was at an end, she rose, setting her ice-cream soda upon a
table, and, although the glass instantly changed into a teapot, she
walked straight up to him and held out her hand.