in his
earlier boyhood. To the inquiry what he thought of his brother
Peregrine, he made a tentative sort of reply, that he was a strange
fellow, who never could keep out of disgrace.

"That is not the question," said his father. "I am almost ashamed
to speak it! Do you--nay, have you ever supposed him to be a--" he
really could not bring out the word.

"A changeling, sir?" returned Oliver. "I do not believe so now,
knowing that it is impossible, but as a child I always did."

"Who durst possess you with so foolish and profane a falsehood?"

"Every one, sir. I cannot recollect the time when I did not as
entirely deem Peregrine a changeling elf as that Robin was my own
brother. He believes so himself."

"You have never striven to disabuse him."

"Indeed, sir, he would scarce have listened to me had I done go;
besides, to tell the truth, it has only been of late, since I have
been older, and have studied more, that I have come to perceive the
folly of it."

Major Oakshott groaned, and bade him call Robert without saying
wherefore. The little fellow came in, somewhat frightened, and when
asked the question that had been put to his elder, his face lighted
up, and he exclaimed, "Oh, have they brought him back again?"

"Whom?"

"Our real brother, sir, who was carried off to fairyland!"

"Who told you so, Robert?"

He looked puzzled, and said, "Sir, they all know it. Molly Owens,
that was his foster-mother, saw the fairies bear him off on a
broomstick up the chimney."

"Robert, no lying!"

The boy was only restrained from tears by fear of his father, and
just managed to say, "'Tis what they all say, and Perry knows."

"Knows!" muttered Major Oakshott in despair, but the uncle, drawing
Robin towards him, extracted that Perry had been seen flying out of
the loft window, when he had been locked up--Robin had never seen it
himself, but the maids had often done so. Moreover, there was proof
positive, in the mark on Oliver's head, where he had nearly killed
himself by tumbling downstairs, being lured by the fairies while
they stole away the babe.

The Major could not listen with patience. "A boy of that age to
repeat such blasphemous nonsense!" he exclaimed; and Robert,
restraining with difficulty his sobs of terror, was dismissed to
fetch the butler.

The old Ironside who now appeared would not avouch his own disbelief
in the identity of Master Peregrine, being, as he said, a man who
had studied his