l
guide.

"Good for the country, sir," observed Willie.

Mr Auberly, being utterly ignorant of rural matters, thought it best to
say nothing to this.

We may add that Willie knew just as little (or as much), and had only
ventured the remark because he had often heard it made in every possible
variety of weather, and thought that it would be a safe observation,
replete, for all he knew to the contrary, with hidden wisdom.

There was silence after this for some time.

"D'you know Mr Tippet well, sir?" inquired Willie suddenly.

"Ye--yes; oh yes, I know him _pretty_ well."

"Ah, he's a first-rater," observed Willie, with a look of enthusiasm;
"you've no notion what a trump he is. Did you hear ever of his noo
machine for makin' artificial butter?"

"No," said Mr Auberly, somewhat impatiently.

"Ah, it's a wonderful invention, that is, sir."

"Boy," said Mr Auberly, "will you be so good as to walk behind me?"

"Oh, _cer'nly_, sir," said Willie, with a profound bow, as he fell to
the rear.

They walked on in silence until they came to the vicinity of the
Monument, when Mr Auberly turned round and asked Willie which way they
were to go now.

"Right back again," said Willie.

"How, boy; what do you mean?"

"We've overshot the mark about half a mile, sir. But, please, I thought
you must be wishin' to go somewhere else first, as you led the way."

"Lead the way, _now_, boy," said Mr Auberly, with a stern look.

Willie obeyed, and in a few minutes they were groping in the dark
regions underground which Mr Cattley and his family inhabited. With
some difficulty they found the door, and stood in the presence of "the
fairy."

Thin though the fairy had been when Willie saw her last, she might have
been called fat compared with the condition in which they now found her.
She appeared like a mere shadow, with a delicate skin thrown over it.
A bad transparency would have been more substantial in appearance. She
lay alone on her lonely pallet with a farthing candle beside her, which
cast a light sufficient only to make darkness visible. Being near the
poor invalid, it caused her large dark eyes to glitter in an awful
manner.

Willie at once forgot his companion, and running up to the fairy, seized
her hand, and asked her how she did.

"Pretty well, Willie. It's kind of you to come and see me so often."

"Not a bit, Ziza; you know I like it; besides, I've only come to-day to
show a gentleman the way."

He