ming to us, you know."

"That's too good to be true," said Nanny.

"There are very few things good enough to be true," said Diamond; "but
I hope this is. Too good to be true it can't be. Isn't true good? and
isn't good good? And how, then, can anything be too good to be true?
That's like old Sal--to say that."

"Don't abuse Grannie, Diamond. She's a horrid old thing, she and her gin
bottle; but she'll repent some day, and then you'll be glad not to have
said anything against her."

"Why?" said Diamond.

"Because you'll be sorry for her."

"I am sorry for her now."

"Very well. That's right. She'll be sorry too. And there'll be an end of
it."

"All right. You come to us," said Diamond.

"Where was I?" said Nanny.

"Telling me how the moon served the clouds."

"Yes. But it wouldn't do, all of it. Up came the clouds and the clouds,
and they came faster and faster, until the moon was covered up. You
couldn't expect her to throw off a hundred of them at once--could you?"

"Certainly not," said Diamond.

"So it grew very dark; and a dog began to yelp in the house. I
looked and saw that the door to the garden was shut. Presently it was
opened--not to let me out, but to let the dog in--yelping and bounding.
I thought if he caught sight of me, I was in for a biting first, and the
police after. So I jumped up, and ran for a little summer-house in the
corner of the garden. The dog came after me, but I shut the door in his
face. It was well it had a door--wasn't it?"

"You dreamed of the door because you wanted it," said Diamond.

"No, I didn't; it came of itself. It was there, in the true dream."

"There--I've caught you!" said Diamond. "I knew you believed in the
dream as much as I do."

"Oh, well, if you will lay traps for a body!" said Nanny. "Anyhow, I was
safe inside the summer-house. And what do you think?--There was the moon
beginning to shine again--but only through one of the panes--and that
one was just the colour of the ruby. Wasn't it funny?"

"No, not a bit funny," said Diamond.

"If you will be contrary!" said Nanny.

"No, no," said Diamond; "I only meant that was the very pane I should
have expected her to shine through."

"Oh, very well!" returned Nanny.

What Diamond meant, I do not pretend to say. He had curious notions
about things.

"And now," said Nanny, "I didn't know what to do, for the dog kept
barking at the door, and I couldn't get out. But the moon was so
beautiful that I c