go Darkne/s and Light.

whenever afked or even wifhed for. In return,
fhe only begged to be allowed to vifit, and ram-
ble at will about the old place which fhe had known
for fo many many long years, and had once had
the unlimited run of; and fhe protefted with tears
that the family fhould never in any way be dif-
turbed by her. Lady Madeline could not well
refufe the requeft, but I cannot fay fhe gave her
fairy acquaintance any encouragement; and fo
poor Eudora never fhowed herfelf to them again.
And Madeline never thought much about her,
except now and then accidentally, when, if they
were walking on the fands, fome extraordinarily
rare and beautiful fhells would be thrown afhore
by a wave at the children’s feet, as if tofled up
efpecially for their amufement. And it was only
in fome fuch kind little way as this they were ever
reminded of the Fairy’s exiftence.

Lady Madeline’s eldeft fon, Roderick, always
feemed moft favoured by the F airy in the pretty
things fhe fent afhore, and certainly he was a very
nice boy, and a very good one on the whole—
cheerful and honeft as the daylight, and very in-
telligent; but I cannot tell you, dear readers, that
he had xo faults, for that was not at all likely, and
you would not believe it if I faid fo, even although
he is to be the Hero of my tale.

Now I do not want to make you laugh at him,
but the ftory requires that I fhould reveal to you
one of his weak points. Well then, although he
was fix years old, he was afraid of being alone in