Sylvie and Bruno

d trying to form a general idea of Elveston and its inhabitants. When five o'clock arrived, Arthur proposed without any embarrassment this time-to take me with him up

itself on his daughter's face, as she met me with the words "this is indeed an unlooked-for pleasure!", was very soothing for whatever

and the conversation between them, in which the Earl and I were only occasional sharers, had an ease and a spontaneity rarely met with except between very old friends: and, as I kne

aving her the trouble of carrying a cup of tea across the room to the Earl, "if cups of tea had no

gs would necessarily have no weight, relatively to each other,

the Earl. "Tell us how it cou

illion miles above a planet, and with nothing else near

rse though it might take

to be going on all the

ill the house would be falling, falling, falling! But now as to the relative weight of things. Nothing

grant

the floor. But, if we were all falling together, it couldn't be trying to fall any quicker, you know: for, if I let go, what more could it do than fall? And, as my

"But it makes one dizzy to think of su

ulled down by some one on the planet. Then of course the house goes faster than its natural rate of falling: bu

ng," said the Earl. "The inevitable resul

e fixed to the floor, and ourselves tied down to the fu

gaily interrupted. "We should take the c

. "That, no doubt, would rise to the ceilin

e while!" said the Earl. "What news does this ge

for our departure, and in the cool of the evening we strolled down to the beach, enjoying the silence, broken only

hatever is the right word-life, that I became entranced in the study of it, and, when Arthur pr

for the beach; and I would have gone down to see them land their cargo of

me: there was a vacancy in its stare, and an aimless violence in its behaviour, that irresistibly recalled the Garden

by the sweet voice of Sylvie. "Would

gar again?" the Gardener

ht he saw

ked a co

gain, and f

etabl

swallow thi

d be ver

thought he s

Sylvie explained. "He's not hungry. But

ase. Never displeases nobody. There you are!" And he flun

the Magic Locket from its hiding-place, turned it over with a thoughtful air, and at last appealed to

pe in cases of doubt and difficulty. S

way," was Bruno'

e most reasonably enquired. The

o right had no visi

lvie!" Bruno cried in sudden ala

lemn procession: while a mild little brook, that had been rippling at our feet a momen

y!" cried Bruno. "Try

ation in various directions, returned to its normal condition of sobriety with the exception of a small yel

s-like jog-trot, with which we could easily keep pace. The only phenomenon, that gave me any uneasiness, was the rapid

aiting for us to come up with it. No thought of fear seemed to occur to

.The mou

up!', seemed quite sufficient by way of verbal direction: the lion at once broke into an easy canter, and we soon found ourselves in the depths of the forest. I say 'we,' for I am certain that I accompanied them though how I managed to keep up with a cantering li

een him themselves. "From bad to worse! That is their destiny. I see it, but I cannot alter it. The selfishness of a mean and crafty man-the selfishness of an ambitious and silly woman--the selfishness of

he slowly and solemnly pronounced some words that sounded l

t, ambiti

d in Reaso

ness turn

is dark

is wrong

he air, as if it were alive, forming curious

ered, as he clung, half-frightened, to Sylvie.

replied. "Wait a minute-if

!', a discordant voic

swallow thi

d be ver