II] THE SILVER FAIRIES. 119

 

mingled astonishment and dread, but as he heard no
more and saw nothing, he gradually, though very un-
willingly, came to the conclusion that he must have
been mistaken, and that the voice had existed only in
his imagination. However, he felt somewhat less at
his ease for the next few minutes, and during the rest
of the afternoon was almost nervous—a thing which
he had never been before in all his life. He caught
himself looking sharply round over his shoulder now
and then, he knew not why, and felt a coldness about
the region of the heart which was not usual. Still,
nothing happened to alarm him ; he took his tea with
Martha Pattison and Dolly in the kitchen, as was com-
monly his practice, and afterwards retreated again to
his Den, seated himself in his arm-chair by the fire,
lighted his pipe, and began to enjoy himself as an
Englishman anda milkman might fairly do. He had
not half finished his enjoyment or his pipe, but was
proceeding to his entire satisfaction with both, when a
strange and novel occurrence turned the whole current
of his thoughts and filled him with the most profound
astonishment. He had been pondering over cows and
calves, cream and milk, curds and whey, and every-
thing connected with the honourable trade of which
he had so long been the ornament in that locality.
But all such ideas were entirely driven out of his head
by the events which suddenly took place.

There was a strange creaking within his new pur-
chase, as if it was greatly troubled in its internal
arrangements, and could by no means compose itself
into that state of tranquillity which befits an ordinary
article of household furniture. When this creaking