ut] THE SILVER FAIRIES. 133

 

respectful manner, and ever and anon rubbing her leg
again as if to get rid of the effects of the mysterious
but no less painful pinch.

Then Simon, feeling sure that he was right as to
the reason why his first summons had met with no
response, called Dolly, and the maiden, nothing loth,
came into the den and joined her grandfather. The
latter now once more approached the piece of furni-
ture, again tapped deliberately three times upon the
desk, and said in as clear and distinct a tone of voice
as he could manage, ‘ Chuck-a-chuck!’ The effect was
instantaneous. At the mouth of the centre pigeon-
hole the Silver Fairy Queen appeared, so suddenly
and quickly that both Simon and his granddaughter
started back half afraid. The Fairy smiled a pleasant
smile upon them, which greatly reassured their doubt-
ing hearts, and at once spoke in a sweet and kindly
voice. ‘What want you, good Simon, and you, my
tender maiden, that you thus summon the Silver
Fairy ?’

Now, although the two mortals knew perfectly
well what they wanted and why they had summoned
the Fairy, neither of them exactly liked to answer.
Dolly, for her part, felt that it was her grandfather's
and not her place to speak, seeing that he, as is not
unusual with grandfathers, was much older and more
experienced than his granddaughter. Simon himself,
however, felt some strange kind of compunction at
naming such things as money and gold to a being so
evidently superior as she who stood before him, and
felt quite ashamed and dumb-foundered at having to
speak. So, for several moments both of the pair