第14章

allthetime。Sohegottothecompletestatementofhisaffiancedposition，andtoldherallaboutMillie。

“All？“saidI。

“Everything，“saidMr。Skelmersdale，“justwhoshewas，andwhereshelived，andeverythingabouther。IsortoffeltI’adtoallthetime，Idid。“

“’Whateveryouwantyoushallhave，’saidtheFairyLady。’That’sasgoodasdone。YouSHALLfeelyouhavethemoneyjustasyouwish。

Andnow，youknow——YOUMUSTKISSME。’“

AndMr。Skelmersdalepretendednottohearthelatterpartofherremark，andsaidshewasverykind。Thathereallydidn’tdeservesheshouldbesokind。And——

TheFairyLadysuddenlycamequiteclosetohimandwhispered，“Kissme！“

“And，“saidMr。Skelmersdale，“likeafool，Idid。“

Therearekissesandkisses，Iamtold，andthismusthavebeenquitetheothersortfromMillie’sresonantsignalsofregard。Therewassomethingmagicinthatkiss；assuredlyitmarkedaturningpoint。

Atanyrate，thisisoneofthepassagesthathethoughtsufficientlyimportanttodescribemostatlength。Ihavetriedtogetitright，Ihavetriedtodisentangleitfromthehintsandgesturesthroughwhichitcametome，butIhavenodoubtthatitwasalldifferentfrommytellingandfarfinerandsweeter，inthesoftfilteredlightandthesubtlystirringsilencesofthefairyglades。TheFairyLadyaskedhimmoreaboutMillie，andwassheverylovely，andsoon——

agreatmanytimes。AstoMillie’sloveliness，Iconceivehimansweringthatshewas“allright。“Andthen，oronsomesuchoccasion，theFairyLadytoldhimshehadfalleninlovewithhimashesleptinthemoonlight，andsohehadbeenbroughtintoFairyland，andshehadthought，notknowingofMillie，thatperhapshemightchancetoloveher。“Butnowyouknowyoucan’t，“shesaid，“soyoumuststopwithmejustalittlewhile，andthenyoumustgobacktoMillie。“Shetoldhimthat，andyouknowSkelmersdalewasalreadyinlovewithher，butthepureinertiaofhismindkepthiminthewayhewasgoing。Iimaginehimsittinginasortofstupefactionamidstalltheseglowingbeautifulthings，answeringabouthisMillieandthelittleshopheprojectedandtheneedofahorseandcart……Andthatabsurdstateofaffairsmusthavegoneonfordaysanddays。Iseethislittlelady，hoveringabouthimandtryingtoamusehim，toodaintytounderstandhiscomplexityandtootendertolethimgo。Andhe，youknow，hypnotisedasitwerebyhisearthlyposition，wenthiswaywithherhitherandthither，blindtoeverythinginFairylandbutthiswonderfulintimacythathadcometohim。Itishard，itisimpossible，togiveinprinttheeffectofherradiantsweetnessshiningthroughthejungleofpoorSkelmersdale’sroughandbrokensentences。Tome，atleast，sheshoneclearamidstthemuddleofhisstorylikeaglow-worminatangleofweeds。

Theremusthavebeenmanydaysofthingswhileallthiswashappening——

andonce，Isay，theydancedunderthemoonlightinthefairyringsthatstudthemeadowsnearSmeeth——butatlastitallcametoanend。

Sheledhimintoagreatcavernousplace，litbyarednightlightsortofthing，wheretherewerecofferspiledoncoffers，andcupsandgoldenboxes，andagreatheapofwhatcertainlyseemedtoallMr。Skelmersdale’ssenses——coinedgold。Therewerelittlegnomesamidstthiswealth，whosalutedherathercoming，andstoodaside。

Andsuddenlysheturnedonhimtherewithbrightlyshiningeyes。

“Andnow，“shesaid，“youhavebeenkindtostaywithmesolong，anditistimeIletyougo。YoumustgobacktoyourMillie。YoumustgobacktoyourMillie，andhere——justasIpromisedyou——theywillgiveyougold。“

“Shechokedlike，“saidMr。Skelmersdale。“Atthat，Ihadasortoffeeling——“(hetouchedhisbreastbone)“asthoughIwasfaintinghere。Ifeltpale，youknow，andshivering，andeventhen——I’adn’tathingtosay。“

Hepaused。“Yes，“Isaid。

Thescenewasbeyondhisdescribing。ButIknowthatshekissedhimgood-bye。

“Andyousaidnothing？“

“Nothing，“hesaid。“Istoodlikeastuffedcalf。Shejustlookedbackonce，youknow，andstoodsmilinglikeandcrying——Icouldseetheshineofhereyes——andthenshewasgone，andtherewasalltheselittlefellowsbustlingaboutme，stuffingmy’andsandmypocketsandthebackofmycollarandeverywherewithgold。“

Andthenitwas，whentheFairyLadyhadvanished，thatMr。Skelmersdalereallyunderstoodandknew。Hesuddenlybeganpluckingoutthegoldtheywerethrustinguponhim，andshoutingoutatthemtopreventtheirgivinghimmore。“’Idon’tWANTyergold，’Isaid。’I’aven’tdoneyet。I’mnotgoing。IwanttospeaktothatFairyLadyagain。’

Istartedofftogoafterherandtheyheldmeback。Yes，stucktheirlittle’andsagainstmymiddleandshovedmeback。Theykeptgivingmemoreandmoregolduntilitwasrunningalldownmytrouserlegsanddroppingoutofmy’ands。’Idon’tWANTyergold，’

Isaystothem，’IwantjusttospeaktotheFairyLadyagain。’“

“Anddidyou？“

“Itcametoatussle。“

“Beforeyousawher？“

“Ididn’tseeher。WhenIgotoutfromthemshewasn’tanywheretobeseen。“

Soheraninsearchofheroutofthisred-litcave，downalonggrotto，seekingher，andthencehecameoutinagreatanddesolateplaceathwartwhichaswarmofwill-o’-the-wispswereflyingtoandfro。

Andabouthimelvesweredancinginderision，andthelittlegnomescameoutofthecaveafterhim，carryinggoldinhandfulsandcastingitafterhim，shouting，“Fairyloveandfairygold！Fairyloveandfairygold！“

Andwhenheheardthesewords，cameagreatfearthatitwasallover，andhelifteduphisvoiceandcalledtoherbyhername，andsuddenlysethimselftorundowntheslopefromthemouthofthecavern，throughaplaceofthornsandbriers，callingafterherveryloudlyandoften。Theelvesdancedabouthimunheeded，pinchinghimandprickinghim，andthewill-o’-the-wispscircledroundhimanddashedintohisface，andthegnomespursuedhimshoutingandpeltinghimwithfairygold。Asheranwithallthisstrangeroutabouthimanddistractinghim，suddenlyhewasknee-deepinaswamp，andsuddenlyhewasamidstthicktwistedroots，andhecaughthisfootinoneandstumbledandfell……

Hefellandherolledover，andinthatinstanthefoundhimselfsprawlinguponAldingtonKnoll，alllonelyunderthestars。

Hesatupsharplyatonce，hesays，andfoundhewasverystiffandcold，andhisclothesweredampwithdew。Thefirstpallorofdawnandachillywindwerecominguptogether。Hecouldhavebelievedthewholethingastrangelyvividdreamuntilhethrusthishandintohissidepocketandfounditstuffedwithashes。

Thenheknewforcertainitwasfairygoldtheyhadgivenhim。

Hecouldfeelalltheirpinchesandpricksstill，thoughtherewasneverabruiseuponhim。Andinthatmanner，andsosuddenly，Mr。SkelmersdalecameoutofFairylandbackintothisworldofmen。

EventhenhefanciedthethingwasbutthematterofanightuntilhereturnedtotheshopatAldingtonCorneranddiscoveredamidsttheirastonishmentthathehadbeenawaythreeweeks。

“Lor’！thetroubleI’ad！“saidMr。Skelmersdale。

“How？“

“Explaining。Isupposeyou’veneverhadanythinglikethattoexplain。“

“Never，“Isaid，andheexpatiatedforatimeonthebehaviourofthispersonandthat。Onenameheavoidedforaspace。

“AndMillie？“saidIatlast。

“Ididn’tseemtocareabitforseeingMillie，“hesaid。

“Iexpectsheseemedchanged？“

“Everyonewaschanged。Changedforgood。Everyoneseemedbig，youknow，andcoarse。Andtheirvoicesseemedloud。Why，thesun，whenitroseinthemorning，fairhitmeintheeye！“

“AndMillie？“

“Ididn’twanttoseeMillie。“

“Andwhenyoudid？“

“IcameupagainstherSunday，comingoutofchurch。’Whereyoubeen？’

shesaid，andIsawtherewasarow。_I_didn’tcareiftherewas。

Iseemedtoforgetaboutherevenwhileshewastherea-talkingtome。Shewasjustnothing。Icouldn’tmakeoutwhateverI’adseenin’erever，orwhattherecould’avebeen。Sometimeswhenshewasn’tabout，Ididgetbackalittle，butneverwhenshewasthere。

Thenitwasalwaystheothercameupandblottedherout……

Anyow，itdidn’tbreakherheart。“

“Married？“Iasked。

“Married’ercousin，“saidMr。Skelmersdale，andreflectedonthepatternofthetableclothforaspace。