rain of other elves beside him, all clad in the beetle-wing
green, and wearing little pointed caps. More were coming in at the
window; outside a few were drifting about in the moon rays, which lit
their sparkling robes till they glittered like so many fireflies. The
odd thing was, that though the caps were on, Toinette could see the
elves distinctly and this surprised her so much, that again she thought
out loud and said, "How funny."

"You mean about the caps," replied her special elf, who seemed to have
the power of reading thought. "Yes, you can see us to-night, caps and
all. Spells lose their value on Christmas Eve, always. Peascod, where is
the box? Do you still wish to try the experiment of being invisible,
Toinette?"

"Oh, yes--indeed I do."

"Very well; so let it be."

As he spoke he beckoned, and two elves puffing and panting like little
men with a heavy load, dragged forward a droll little box about the size
of a pumpkin-seed. One of them lifted the cover.

"Pay the porter, please, ma'am," he said giving Toinette's ear a
mischievous tweak with his sharp fingers.

"Hands off, you bad Peascod!" cried Toinette's elf. "This is my girl.
She shan't be pinched!" He dealt Peascod a blow with his tiny hand as he
spoke and looked so brave and warlike that he seemed at least an inch
taller than he had before. Toinette admired him very much; and Peascod
slunk away with an abashed giggle muttering that Thistle needn't be so
ready with his fist.

Thistle--for thus, it seemed, Toinette's friend was named--dipped his
fingers in the box, which was full of fine brown seeds, and shook a
handful into each of Toinette's shoes, as they stood, toes together by
the bedside.

"Now you have your wish," he said, "and can go about and do what you
like, no one seeing. The charm will end at sunset. Make the most of it
while you can; but if you want to end it sooner, shake the seeds from
the shoes and then you are just as usual."

"Oh, I shan't want to," protested Toinette; "I'm sure I shan't."

"Good-bye," said Thistle, with a mocking little laugh.

"Good-bye, and thank you ever so much," replied Toinette.

"Good-bye, good-bye," replied the other elves, in shrill chorus. They
clustered together, as if in consultation; then straight out of the
window they flew like a swarm of gauzy-winged bees, and melted into the
moonlight. Toinette jumped up and ran to watch them but the little men
were gone--not a trace of them was to be s