mere feeling went, it was something
better than mere happiness. Nothing went wrong at the back of the north
wind. Neither was anything quite right, he thought. Only everything was
going to be right some day. His account disagreed with that of Durante,
and agreed with that of Kilmeny, in this, that he protested there was no
wind there at all. I fancy he missed it. At all events we could not do
without wind. It all depends on how big our lungs are whether the wind
is too strong for us or not.

When the person he told about it asked him whether he saw anybody he
knew there, he answered, "Only a little girl belonging to the gardener,
who thought he had lost her, but was quite mistaken, for there she was
safe enough, and was to come back some day, as I came back, if they
would only wait."

"Did you talk to her, Diamond?"

"No. Nobody talks there. They only look at each other, and understand
everything."

"Is it cold there?"

"No."

"Is it hot?"

"No."

"What is it then?"

"You never think about such things there."

"What a queer place it must be!"

"It's a very good place."

"Do you want to go back again?"

"No; I don't think I have left it; I feel it here, somewhere."

"Did the people there look pleased?"

"Yes--quite pleased, only a little sad."

"Then they didn't look glad?"

"They looked as if they were waiting to be gladder some day."

This was how Diamond used to answer questions about that country. And
now I will take up the story again, and tell you how he got back to this
country.

CHAPTER XI. HOW DIAMOND GOT HOME AGAIN

WHEN one at the back of the north wind wanted to know how things were
going with any one he loved, he had to go to a certain tree, climb the
stem, and sit down in the branches. In a few minutes, if he kept very
still, he would see something at least of what was going on with the
people he loved.

One day when Diamond was sitting in this tree, he began to long very
much to get home again, and no wonder, for he saw his mother crying.
Durante says that the people there may always follow their wishes,
because they never wish but what is good. Diamond's wish was to get
home, and he would fain follow his wish.

But how was he to set about it? If he could only see North Wind! But the
moment he had got to her back, she was gone altogether from his sight.
He had never seen her back. She might be sitting on her doorstep still,
looking southwards, and waiting, white and