een times we scudded
away to see how the dressing went on. One girl about eighteen was
delightful. She dressed herself as if she did not care much about it,
but could not help doing it prettily. When she took her last look at
the phantom in the glass, she half smiled to it.--But _we_ do not like
those creatures that come into the mirrors at all, your majesty. We
don't understand them. They are dreadful to us.--She looked rather sad
and pale, but very sweet and hopeful. So we wanted to know all about
her, and soon found out that she was a distant relation and a great
favourite of the gentleman of the house, an old man, in whose face
benevolence was mingled with obstinacy and a deep shade of the
tyrannical. We could not admire him much; but we would not make up our
minds all at once: Shadows never do.

"The dinner-bell rang, and down we hurried. The children all looked
happy, and we were merry. But there was one cross fellow among the
servants, and didn't we plague him! and didn't we get fun out of him!
When he was bringing up dishes, we lay in wait for him at every corner,
and sprang upon him from the floor, and from over the banisters, and
down from the cornices. He started and stumbled and blundered so in
consequence, that his fellow-servants thought he was tipsy. Once he
dropped a plate, and had to pick up the pieces, and hurry away with
them; and didn't we pursue him as he went! It was lucky for him his
master did not see how he went on; but we took care not to let him get
into any real scrape, though he was quite dazed with the dodging of the
unaccountable shadows. Sometimes he thought the walls were coming down
upon him; sometimes that the floor was gaping to swallow him; sometimes
that he would be knocked to pieces by the hurrying to and fro, or be
smothered in the black crowd.

"When the blazing plum-pudding was carried in we made a perfect
shadow-carnival about it, dancing and mumming in the blue flames,
like mad demons. And how the children screamed with delight!

"The old gentleman, who was very fond of children, was laughing his
heartiest laugh, when a loud knock came to the hall-door. The fair
maiden started, turned paler, and then red as the Christmas fire. I saw
it, and flung my hands across her face. She was very glad, and I know
she said in her heart, 'You kind Shadow!' which paid me well. Then I
followed the rest into the hall, and found there a jolly, handsome,
brown-faced sailor, evidently a son of