I could do to get to the top, belave me, and ye'd
niver do it without the sand in the glasses, let alone carry up the
young lad in your arms besides. Now we'll be going up the stairs, and if
the old crayture didn't desayve me, you're to hold your hour-glasses in
your hands, and see what happens."

Mr. Hanlon went up first; then came the Queen, and after her Mr. Punch
and Mr. Toby, bearing between them in an upright position the stiff cold
form of the young Chevalier; and last of all came Thomas the Inferior,
in his long brown gown and sandals.

Each climbed slowly, but the steps appeared to flow downward under their
feet with great rapidity. They were not conscious of selecting any
particular tread to step on; but while a foot was rising from one step
to the next, it seemed as if a thousand steps were passing downward,
until the foot came down and found itself on a perfectly motionless
tread. Undoubtedly they were mounting, without unusual exertion, a
thousand steps at a time.

Even at that rate of progress, the journey upward seemed an endless one.
They paused sometimes to go into one of the rooms on a landing for a
moment's rest, and at those times they looked out of a window. It was
not long before they were so high that on looking out, the City's lights
were no more than a glowing blur. At the last window on their upward
progress they looked up at the cloud; it was immediately above their
heads. After that there were no more windows. They went on upward in
silence, aware in the darkness of the swift flow of steps downward under
them as they raised their feet. Each observed that as he raised his foot
the sand in his hour-glass flowed downward a thousand times more
rapidly, as if time were suddenly running faster than it was used to
running.

The walls of the tower were by this time coming closer together, and the
stair was even steeper than before. They were panting for breath, and
Mr. Punch and Mr. Toby seemed to be all but exhausted. "We are almost at
the top," said Mr. Hanlon. "Keep on. Don't give up."

It was now, because there were no more rooms nor windows, completely
dark. The face of the sick youth could not be seen, and no one knew
whether he was still living. Even the sand in their hour-glasses they
were now unable to see.

"We are almost there," said Mr. Hanlon. "Only another minute or two.
'Tis easy work to what I had in coming up alone."

Mr. Punch gave a groan. "Hi carn't go another step," said