darkness in a silence, which was only skin deep.

CHAPTER XV

BY reason of the many years which he had spent in the gloomy pine wood,
the Philosopher could see a little in the darkness, and when he found
there was no longer any hold on his coat he continued his journey
quietly, marching along with his head sunken on his breast in a deep
abstraction. He was meditating on the word "Me," and endeavouring to
pursue it through all its changes and adventures. The fact of "me-ness"
was one which startled him. He was amazed at his own being. He knew that
the hand which he held up and pinched with another hand was not him
and the endeavour to find out what was him was one which had frequently
exercised his leisure. He had not gone far when there came a tug at
his sleeve and looking down he found one of the Leprecauns of the Gort
trotting by his side.

"Noble Sir," said the Leprecaun, "you are terrible hard to get into
conversation with. I have been talking to you for the last long time and
you won't listen."

"I am listening now," replied the Philosopher.

"You are, indeed," said the Leprecaun heartily. "My brothers are on the
other side of the road over there beyond the hedge, and they want to
talk to you: will you come with me, Noble Sir?"

"Why wouldn't I go with you?" said the Philosopher, and he turned aside
with the Leprecaun.

They pushed softly through a gap in the hedge and into a field beyond.

"Come this way, sir," said his guide, and the Philosopher followed him
across the field. In a few minutes they came to a thick bush among the
leaves of which the other Leprecauns were hiding. They thronged out to
meet the Philosopher's approach and welcomed him with every appearance
of joy. With them was the Thin Woman of Inis Magrath, who embraced her
husband tenderly and gave thanks for his escape.

"The night is young yet," remarked one of the Leprecauns. "Let us sit
down here and talk about what should be done."

"I am tired enough," said the Philosopher, "for I have been travelling
all yesterday, and all this day and the whole of this night I have been
going also, so I would be glad to sit down anywhere."

They sat down under the bush and the Philosopher lit his pipe. In the
open space where they were there was just light enough to see the smoke
coming from his pipe, but scarcely more. One recognized a figure as a
deeper shadow than the surrounding darkness; but as the ground was dry
and the air just touch