"In the region of the seven dimensions," he answered, with a curious
noise in his throat, and a flutter of his tail. "You had better follow
me carefully now for a moment, lest you should hurt some one!"

"There is nobody to hurt but yourself, Mr. Raven! I confess I should
rather like to hurt you!"

"That you see nobody is where the danger lies. But you see that large
tree to your left, about thirty yards away?"

"Of course I do: why should I not?" I answered testily.

"Ten minutes ago you did not see it, and now you do not know where it
stands!"

"I do."

"Where do you think it stands?"

"Why THERE, where you know it is!"

"Where is THERE?"

"You bother me with your silly questions!" I cried. "I am growing tired
of you!"

"That tree stands on the hearth of your kitchen, and grows nearly
straight up its chimney," he said.

"Now I KNOW you are making game of me!" I answered, with a laugh of
scorn.

"Was I making game of you when you discovered me looking out of your
star-sapphire yesterday?"

"That was this morning--not an hour ago!"

"I have been widening your horizon longer than that, Mr. Vane; but never
mind!"

"You mean you have been making a fool of me!" I said, turning from him.

"Excuse me: no one can do that but yourself!"

"And I decline to do it."

"You mistake."

"How?"

"In declining to acknowledge yourself one already. You make yourself
such by refusing what is true, and for that you will sorely punish
yourself."

"How, again?"

"By believing what is not true."

"Then, if I walk to the other side of that tree, I shall walk through
the kitchen fire?"

"Certainly. You would first, however, walk through the lady at the piano
in the breakfast-room. That rosebush is close by her. You would give her
a terrible start!"

"There is no lady in the house!"

"Indeed! Is not your housekeeper a lady? She is counted such in a
certain country where all are servants, and the liveries one and
multitudinous!"

"She cannot use the piano, anyhow!"

"Her niece can: she is there--a well-educated girl and a capital
musician."

"Excuse me; I cannot help it: you seem to me to be talking sheer
nonsense!"

"If you could but hear the music! Those great long heads of wild
hyacinth are inside the piano, among the strings of it, and give that
peculiar sweetness to her playing!--Pardon me: I forgot your deafness!"

"Two objects," I said, "cannot exist in the same place at the same
time!"

"Can