e. And when he had quite finished he laughed, and called
"Good-night, Tiki-pu!" and went home to bed quite happy.

The next day all the apprentices were wondering what had become of
Tiki-pu; but as the master himself said nothing, and as another boy came
to act as colour-grinder and brush-washer to the establishment, they
very soon forgot all about him.

In the studio the master used to sit at work with his students all about
him, and a mind full of ease and contentment. Now and then he would
throw a glance across to the bricked-up doorway of Wio-wani's palace,
and laugh to himself, thinking how well he had served out Tiki-pu for
his treachery and presumption.

One day--it was five years after the disappearance of Tiki-pu--he was
giving his apprentices a lecture on the glories and the beauties and the
wonders of Wio-wani's painting--how nothing for colour could excel,
or for mystery could equal it. To add point to his eloquence, he stood
waving his hands before Wio-wani's last masterpiece, and all his
students and apprentices sat round him and looked.

Suddenly he stopped at mid-word, and broke off in the full flight of his
eloquence, as he saw something like a hand come and take down the top
brick from the face of paint which he had laid over the little door in
the palace-wall which Wio-wani had so beautifully painted. In another
moment there was no doubt about it; brick by brick the wall was being
pulled down, in spite of its double thickness.

The lecturer was altogether too dumfounded and terrified to utter
a word. He and all his apprentices stood round and stared while the
demolition of the wall proceeded. Before long he recognised Wio-wani
with his flowing white beard; it was his handiwork, this pulling down of
the wall! He still had a brick in his hand when he stepped through the
opening that he had made, and close after him stepped Tiki-pu!

Tiki-pu was grown tall and strong--he was even handsome; but for all
that his old master recognised him, and saw with an envious foreboding
that under his arms he carried many rolls and stretchers and portfolios,
and other belongings of his craft. Clearly Tiki-pu was coming back into
the world, and was going to be a great painter.

Down the garden-path came Wio-wani, and Tiki-pu walked after
him; Tiki-pu was so tall that his head stood well over Wio-wani's
shoulders--old man and young man together made a handsome pair.

How big Wio-wani grew as he walked down the ave