rwards, swiftly or slowly, just
as he chose--and as easily as he could move his arms. Hugh was extremely
pleased with them, but he looked at his little night-gown with sudden
dismay.

"You said you'd make me look pretty too, Jeanne," he observed. "I don't
care for myself--boys never care about being grandly dressed--but I
shall look rather funny beside you, shan't I?"

"Wait a minute," said Jeanne, "you're not ready yet. I'm going to powder
you. Shut your eyes."

He did so, and therefore could not see what Jeanne did, but he felt a
sort of soft puff fly all over him, and opening his eyes again at
Jeanne's bidding, saw, to his amazement, that he too was now dressed in
the same pretty shiny stuff as his little cousin. They looked just like
two Christmas angels on the top of a frosted Twelfth Night cake.

"There now," said Jeanne, "aren't you pleased? You don't know how nice
you look. Now, Dudu we're quite ready. Are we to fly up to the castle?"

Dudu nodded his wise head. Jeanne took Hugh's hand, and without Hugh's
quite knowing how it was managed, they all flew up the wall together,
and found themselves standing on the castle terrace. There was no light
streaming out from the windows this time, and the peacocks were quite
motionless at their post.

"Are they asleep?" said Hugh.

"Perhaps," said Dudu, speaking for the first time. "They lead a
monotonous life, you see. But there is no occasion to disturb them."

They were standing just in front of the door, by which, the last time,
Hugh had entered the long lighted-up passage. As they stood waiting, the
door slowly opened, but to Hugh's great surprise the inside was
perfectly different. A very large white-painted hall was revealed to
them. The ceiling was arched, and looking up, it seemed so very high,
that it gave one more the feeling of being the sky than the roof of a
house. This great hall was perfectly empty, but yet it did not feel
chilly, and a faint pleasant perfume stole through it, as if not far off
sweet-scented flowers and plants were growing.

Hugh and Jeanne stood hand-in-hand and looked around them. The door by
which they had entered had closed noiselessly, and when they turned to
see the way by which they had come in, no sign of a door was there. In
the panels of white wood which formed the walls, it was somehow
concealed.

"How shall we ever get out again?" said Hugh.

But Jeanne only laughed.

"We needn't trouble about that," she said. "We