for
me to come down here, but I trust I shall be forgiven on account of my
youth; for I was a child and knew not what I did. But now I will not
stay a day longer. They cannot keep _me_ here."

At these last words, Elizabeth turned pale, for she recollected that
she was a servant, and must serve her fifty years. "And what will it
avail me," cried she, "that I shall continue young and be but as
twenty years old when I go out, for my father and mother will be dead,
and all my companions old and gray; and you, dearest John, will be old
and gray also," cried she, throwing herself on his bosom.

John was thunderstruck at this, for it had never before occurred to
him; he, however, comforted her as well as he could, and declared he
would never leave the place without her. He spent the whole night in
forming various plans, at last he fixed on one, and in the morning he
dispatched his servant to summon to his apartment six of the principal
of the little people. When they came, John thus mildly addressed them:

"My friends, you know how I came here, not as a prisoner or servant,
but as a lord and master over one of you, and consequently, over all.
You have now for the ten years I have been with you treated me with
respect and attention, and for that I am your debtor. But you are
still more my debtors, for I might have given you every sort of
annoyance and vexation, and you must have submitted to it. I have,
however, not done so, but have behaved as your equal, and have sported
and played with you rather than ruled over you. I now have one request
to make. There is a girl among your servants whom I love, Elizabeth
Krabbin, of Rambin, where I was born. Give her to me, and let us
depart. For I will return to where the sun shines and the plough goes
through the land. I ask to take nothing with me but her, and the
ornaments and furniture of my chamber."

He spoke in a determined tone, and they hesitated and cast their eyes
to the ground; at last the eldest of them replied:

"Sir, you ask what we cannot grant. It is a fixed law, that no servant
should leave this place before the appointed time. Were we to break
through this law, our whole subterranean empire would fall. Anything
else you desire, for we love and respect you, but we cannot give up
Elizabeth."

"You can and you shall give her up," cried John in a rage; "go think
of it till to-morrow. Return here at this hour. I will show you
whether or no I can triumph over your hyp