e by the people at home in their own houses. The morning
of the day of which I am telling you had been spent by the children and
their friends in visiting a very large china manufactory, and their
heads were full of the pretty and wonderful things they had seen.

And now they were waiting in the best parlour of the village inn while
their uncle arranged about a carriage to take them all on to the small
town where they were to stay a few days. Their aunt was tired, and was
resting a little on the sofa, and they had planted themselves on the
broad window-sill, and were looking out with amusement at all that
passed.

"What have you two been chattering about all this time?" said their
aunt, suddenly looking up. "I think I must have been asleep a little,
but I have heard your voices going on like two birds twittering."

"Have we disturbed you, Auntie?" asked Olive, with concern.

"Oh no, not a bit; but come here and tell me what you have been talking
about."

Instantly Rex's mind went back to the dwarfs.

"Auntie," he said seriously, "perhaps you can tell me better than Olive
can. Are there really countries of dwarfs, and are they a kind of
fairies, Auntie?"

Auntie looked rather puzzled.

"Dwarfs, Rex?" she said; "countries of dwarfs? How do you mean?"

Olive hastened to explain. Auntie was very much amused.

"Certainly," she said, "we have already seen so many strange things in
our travels that it is better not to be too sure what we may not see.
But any way, Rex, you may be quite easy in your mind, that if ever you
come across any of the dwarfs, you will find them very good-natured and
amiable, only you must be very respectful--always say 'Sir,' or 'My
lord,' or something like that to them, and bow a great deal. And you
must never seem to think anything they do the least odd, not even if
they propose to you to walk on your head, or to eat roast fir-cones for
dinner, for instance."

Auntie was quite young--not so very much older than Olive--and very
merry. Olive's rather "grown-up" tones and manners used sometimes to
tempt her to make fun of the little girl, which, to tell the truth,
Olive did not always take quite in good part. And it must for Olive be
allowed, that Auntie did sometimes allow her spirits and love of fun to
run away with her a little too far, just like pretty unruly ponies,
excited by the fresh air and sunshine, who toss their heads and gallop
off. It is great fun at first and very nice to see