serting that she would find him a
substitute which would deceive all the other boys. Michael agreed to
release his captive and the long-imprisoned fly walked painfully out of
his cell. Then Madame Flauve chipped off a little piece of coal and tied
it round with one of her own hairs and showed Michael how by cunningly
twisting this hair, the coal would gain the appearance of mobility.
Michael was doubtful at first, but Madame's exaggerated encouragement
led him to suppose that it was safe to practise the deception on his
companions. So on the next day he proceeded to exhibit his 'fly.' But
everybody knew it was coal and jeered at Michael and made him very
unhappy and anxious never again to attempt to differentiate himself or
his actions from the rest of mankind.

Michael's mother came home towards the end of July, and Madame Flauve
vanished to her husband and house and furniture. Michael did not regret
her. Mrs. Fane asked him many questions and particularly she wanted to
know if he was perfectly happy. Michael said 'yes,' and his mother
seemed satisfied. She was now very much taken up with Stella, who was a
lovely little girl with grey eyes and light brown glinting hair. Michael
did not exactly feel jealous of his sister, but he had an emotion of
disappointment that no longer could he be alone with his mother in a
fragrant intimacy from which the perpetually sleeping Stella was
excluded. Now Stella no longer slept all the time, but, on the contrary,
was very much awake and very eager to be entertained. Michael also felt
a twinge of regret that Stella should be able out of her own self to
entertain grown-up people. He wished that he could compose these
wonderful, endless songs of hers. He could not but admit that they were
wonderful, and exactly like real poetry. To be sure their subjects were
ordinary enough. There was no magic in them. Stella would simply sing of
getting up in the morning and of the morning bath and the towel and the
bread and milk for breakfast. She would sing, too, of the ride in the
perambulator and of the ladies who paid her compliments as she passed.
It was a little galling to Michael that he, so long his mother's only
companion, should have to share her love with such an insidious rival.
Curious men with long hair came to the house, apparently just to see
Stella; for they took no notice at all of Michael. These long-haired
visitors would sit round in the drawing-room, while Stella played at the
p