ouse had queer faces cut out of the
beams over the windows, and under the eaves was a dragon's head for a
rain-water spout. The front steps were as broad as those to a palace,
and as high, it seemed, as to a church tower.

"How long is that old place to stand and spoil our street?" said the
families who lived in the new houses.

But at the window opposite the old house there sat a little boy with
rosy cheeks and bright eyes. He certainly liked the old house best, in
sunshine or when the moon shone on it. He knew who lived there, an old
man who wore a coat with large brass buttons and a wig which one could
see was really a wig. Every morning there came an ancient servant to
put his rooms in order and to do his errands. Now and then the old man
came to the window and looked out, and the little boy nodded to him,
and the old man nodded back as if he were pleased. The little boy
heard his father and mother say,

"The old man opposite is rich, but he is so very, very lonely."

The Sunday following the little boy took something, and wrapped it up
in a piece of paper. He went downstairs and stood in the doorway, and
when the errand man came past, he said to him,

"I say, sir, will you give this to the old man over the way for me? I
have two toy soldiers. This is one of them and he shall have it, for I
hear that he is lonely."

The errand man looked pleased, nodded, and took the toy soldier over
to the old house. Afterwards there came a message; it was to ask if
the little boy himself would not come over and pay a visit. So he got
permission of his mother, and went over to the old house.

It seemed as if the brass balls on the iron fence shone brighter than
ever because he had come. There were steps in the garden that went
down and then up again, and the porch, even, was overgrown with green
stuff as if it were part of the garden. The walls of the hall were
hung with musty leather, printed with gold flowers, and there were
chairs with high backs that creaked as if they had the gout.

And at last the little boy came into the room where the old man sat.

"I thank you for the toy soldier, my little friend," said the old man,
"and I thank you because you came over to see me."

The pendulum of the great clock went to and fro, and the hands turned,
and everything in the room became still older, but the little boy went
up to the old man and took his hand.

"They said at home," said the little boy, "that you were very lonel