very confusing way. In fact, by
the time the remark came to an end, Dorothy didn't really know which of
them was talking to her, and, to make matters worse, the Harlequin
vanished for a moment, and then reappeared, about one half of his
original size, coming out of the door of the castle with an unconcerned
air as if he hadn't had anything to do with the affair.

"It's dreadfully confusing," said Dorothy to herself, "not to know which
of two persons is talking to you, 'specially when there's really only
one of them here"; but she never had a chance to find out anything about
the matter, for in the mean time a part of the castle had quietly turned
upside down, and was now a little stone bridge with the stream flowing
beneath it, and the Harlequin, who was constantly getting smaller and
smaller, was standing with one foot in the boat as if he were trying to
choose between taking a little excursion on the water and going out of
sight altogether.

"Excuse me--but did you say anything?" said Dorothy, feeling quite sure
that there was no time to be lost.

"All that _I_ said was 'quilt,'" replied the Harlequin; "I suppose
there's no particular harm in that?"

"Oh, dear, no!" said Dorothy, hastily; "only it seems a rather queer way
of beginning a conversation, you know."

"It's as good as any other way if it's all you have to say," said the
Harlequin, and by this time he had both feet in the boat, and had
evidently decided on the water excursion, for, before Dorothy could
think of anything more to say to him, he sailed away under the bridge
and disappeared.

[Illustration: "HE SAILED AWAY UNDER THE BRIDGE."]

CHAPTER VII

THE SONG IN THE DELL

"I'm sorry he's gone," said Dorothy to herself, gazing with longing eyes
after the Harlequin. "He wasn't much to talk to, but he was awful
beautiful to look at"; and, having relieved her mind by this remark, she
was just starting to take another walk through the shop when she
suddenly caught sight of a small door in one corner. It wasn't much
larger than a rat-hole, but it was big enough for her to go through, and
that, of course, was the important thing; and as she never could bear to
go by strange doorways until she knew where they led to, she immediately
ran through this one, and, quite to her surprise, found herself outside
the toy-shop.

There was a steep bank here sloping down from the wall of the shop, and
Dorothy was much interested at discovering that it was