one of general expression than of definable conformation. But what

increased the gruesomeness tenfold was that, from constant
domestic, or indeed rather family association with the goblins,

their countenances had grown in grotesqueresemblance to the human.
No one understands animals who does not see that every one of them,

even amongst the fishes, it may be with a dimness and vagueness
infinitely remote, yet shadows the human: in the case of these the

human resemblance had greatly increased: while their owners had
sunk towards them, they had risen towards their owners. But the

conditions of subterranean life being equallyunnatural for both,
while the goblins were worse, the creatures had not improved by the

approximation, and its result would have appeared far more
ludicrous than consoling to the warmest lover of animal nature. I

shall now explain how it was that just then these animals began to
show themselves about the king's country house.

The goblins, as Curdie had discovered, were mining on - at work
both day and night, in divisions, urging the scheme after which he

lay in wait. In the course of their tunnelling they had broken
into the channel of a small stream, but the break being in the top

of it, no water had escaped to interfere with their work. Some of
the creatures, hovering as they often did about their masters, had

found the hole, and had, with the curiosity which had grown to a
passion from the restraints of their unnatural circumstances,

proceeded to explore the channel. The stream was the same which
ran out by the seat on which Irene and her king-papa had sat as I

have told, and the goblin creatures found it jolly fun to get out
for a romp on a smooth lawn such as they had never seen in all

their poor miserable lives. But although they had partaken enough
of the nature of their owners to delight in annoying and alarming

any of the people whom they met on the mountain, they were, of
course, incapable of designs of their own, or of intentionally

furthering those of their masters.
For several nights after the men-at-arms were at length of one mind

as to the fact of the visits of some horrible creatures, whether
bodily or spectral they could not yet say, they watched with

special attention that part of the garden where they had last seen
them. Perhaps indeed they gave in consequence too little attention

to the house. But the creatures were too cunning to be easily
caught; nor were the watchers quick-eyed enough to descry the head,

or the keen eyes in it, which, from the openingwhence the stream
issued, would watch them in turn, ready, the moment they should

leave the lawn, to report the place clear.
CHAPTER 14

That Night Week
During the whole of the week Irene had been thinking every other

moment of her promise to the old lady, although even now she could
not feel quite sure that she had not been dreaming. Could it

really be that an old lady lived up in the top of the house, with
pigeons and a spinning-wheel, and a lamp that never went out? She

was, however, none the less determined, on the coming Friday, to
ascend the three stairs, walk through the passages with the many

doors, and try to find the tower in which she had either seen or
dreamed her grandmother.

Her nurse could not help wondering what had come to the child - she
would sit so thoughtfully silent, and even in the midst of a game

with her would so suddenly fall into a dreamy mood. But Irene took
care to betray nothing, whatever efforts Lootie might make to get

at her thoughts. And Lootie had to say to herself: 'What an odd
child she is!' and give it up.

At length the longed-for Friday arrived, and lest Lootie should be
moved to watch her, Irene endeavoured to keep herself as quiet as

possible. In the afternoon she asked for her doll's house, and
went on arranging and rearranging the various rooms and their

inhabitants for a whole hour. Then she gave a sigh and threw
herself back in her chair. One of the dolls would not sit, and

another would not stand, and they were all very tiresome. Indeed,
there was one would not even lie down, which was too bad. But it

was now getting dark, and the darker it got the more excited Irene
became, and the more she felt it necessary to be composed.

'I see you want your tea, princess,' said the nurse: 'I will go and
get it. The room feels close: I will open the window a little.

The evening is mild: it won't hurt you.'
'There's no fear of that, Lootie,' said Irene, wishing she had put

off going for the tea till it was darker, when she might have made
her attempt with every advantage.

I fancy Lootie was longer in returning than she had intended; for
when Irene, who had been lost in thought, looked up, she saw it was

nearly dark, and at the same moment caught sight of a pair of eyes,
bright with a green light, glowering at her through the open

window. The next instant something leaped into the room. It was
like a cat, with legs as long as a horse's, Irene said, but its

body no bigger and its legs no thicker than those of a cat. She
was too frightened to cry out, but not too frightened to jump from

her chair and run from the room.
It is plain enough to every one of my readers what she ought to

have done - and indeed,Irene thought of it herself; but when she
came to the foot of the old stair, just outside the nursery door,

she imagined the creature running up those long ascents after her,
and pursuing her through the dark passages - which, after all,

might lead to no tower! That thought was too much. Her heart
failed her, and, turning from the stair, she rushed along to the

hall, whence, finding the front door open, she darted into the
court pursued - at least she thought so - by the creature. No one

happening to see her, on she ran, unable to think for fear, and
ready to run anywhere to elude the awful creature with the

stilt-legs. Not daring to look behind her, she rushed straight out
of the gate and up the mountain. It was foolish indeed - thus to

run farther and farther from all who could help her, as if she had
been seeking a fit spot for the goblin creature to eat her in his

leisure; but that is the way fear serves us: it always sides with
the thing we are afraid of.

The princess was soon out of breath with running uphill; but she
ran on, for she fancied the horrible creature just behind her,

forgetting that, had it been after her such long legs as those must
have overtaken her long ago. At last she could run no longer, and

fell, unable even to scream, by the roadside, where she lay for
some time half dead with terror. But finding nothing lay hold of

her, and her breathbeginning to come back, she ventured at length
to get half up and peer anxiously about her. It was now so dark

she could see nothing. Not a single star was out. She could not
even tell in what direction the house lay, and between her and home

she fancied the dreadful creature lying ready to pounce upon her.
She saw now that she ought to have run up the stairs at once. It

was well she did not scream; for, although very few of the goblins
had come out for weeks, a stray idler or two might have heard her.

She sat down upon a stone, and nobody but one who had done
something wrong could have been more miserable. She had quite

forgotten her promise to visit her grandmother. A raindrop fell on
her face. She looked up, and for a moment her terror was lost in

astonishment. At first she thought the rising moon had left her
place, and drawn nigh to see what could be the matter with the

little girl, sitting alone, without hat or cloak, on the dark bare
mountain; but she soon saw she was mistaken, for there was no light