t wretched old man. Either this mountain is a cat or it is not.
If it is a mountain, this won't hurt it; if it is a cat, I hope it
will." With that, he pulled out his pocket-knife, and feeling for a
soft place, drove it at one blow up to the handle in the side of the
mountain.

A terrific shriek was the first result; and the second, that Alice and
he sat looking at each other across the old man's hump, from which the
cat-a-mountain had vanished. Their host sat staring at the blank
fireplace, without ever turning round, pretending to know nothing of
what had taken place.

"Come along, Alice," said Richard, rising. "This won't do. We won't
stop here."

Alice rose at once, and put her hand in his. They walked towards the
door. The old man took no notice of them. The moon was shining brightly
through the window; but instead of stepping out into the moonlight when
they opened the door, they stepped into a great beautiful hall, through
the high gothic windows of which the same moon was shining. Out of this
hall they could find no way, except by a staircase of stone which led
upwards. They ascended it together. At the top Alice let go Richard's
hand to peep into a little room, which looked all the colours of the
rainbow, just like the inside of a diamond. Richard went a step or two
along a corridor, but finding she had left him, turned and looked into
the chamber. He could see her nowhere. The room was full of doors; and
she must have mistaken the door. He heard her voice calling him, and
hurried in the direction of the sound. But he could see nothing of her.
"More tricks," he said to himself. "It is of no use to stab this one. I
must wait till I see what can be done." Still he heard Alice calling
him, and still he followed, as well as he could. At length he came to a
doorway, open to the air, through which the moonlight fell. But when he
reached it, he found that it was high up in the side of a tower, the
wall of which went straight down from his feet, without stair or
descent of any kind. Again he heard Alice call him, and lifting his
eyes, saw her, across a wide castle-court, standing at another door
just like the one he was at, with the moon shining full upon her.

"All right, Alice!" he cried. "Can you hear me?"

"Yes," answered she.

"Then listen. This is all a trick. It is all a lie of that old wretch
in the kitchen. Just reach out your hand, Alice dear."

Alice did as Richard asked her; and, although they saw e