his
hand with a gesture of welcome. "Well, my girl," he said, "come and tell
me all about it!"

With a great sigh of relief, Margaret dropped on the rug at her uncle's
feet, and laid her tired head on his knee. "Uncle John!" she said. "Oh,
Uncle John!" That seemed to be all she wanted to say; she shut her eyes,
and gave herself up to the comfort which only comes with rest after
fatigue.

Mr. Montfort stroked her hair gently, with a touch as light as a
woman's. Then he took up his book again, and began to read aloud. It was
a curious old book, bound in black leather, with great silver clasps.

"In that isle is a dead sea or lake, that has
no bottom; and if any thing falls into it, it
will never come up again. In that lake grow
reeds, which they call Thaby, that are thirty
fathoms long; and of these reeds they make fair
houses. And there are other reeds, not so long,
that grow near the land, and have roots full a
quarter of a furlong long or more, at the knots
of which roots precious stones are found that
have great virtues; for he who carries any of
them upon him may not be hurt by iron or steel;
and therefore they who have those stones on
them fight very boldly both by sea and land;
and therefore, when their enemies are aware of
this, they shoot at them darts without iron or
steel, and so hurt and slay them. And also of
those reeds they make houses and ships and
other things, as we here make houses and ships
of oak, or of any other tree. And let no man
think I am joking, for I have seen these reeds
with my own eyes."

The words flowed on and on; Margaret felt her troubles smoothing
themselves out, melting away. "Who is this pleasant person?" she asked,
without raising her head.

"Sir John Mandeville," said her uncle. "Rest a bit still, and we'll go
and see the Chan of Cathay with him. Here we are!" He turned a page or
two, and read again:

"The emperor has his table alone by himself,
which is of gold and precious stones; or of
crystal, bordered with gold and full of
precious stones; or of amethysts, or of lignum
aloes, that comes out of Paradise; or of ivory
bound or bordered with gold. And under the
emperor's table sit four clerks, who write all
that the emperor says, be it go