CASTLE DANGEROUS AND THE VANISHING STAIRS. 95

Her voice was most sweet, and when the words of the chorus came,
numbers of other equally sweet voices caught up the strain, and echoed
it all around.

The children placed their tired heads on the downy pillows pro-
vided for them, and Moonlight, who looked almost as shadowy as if
she were made of air, came up and laid the slender tips of her long
fingers on each pair of eyes.

After that the children slept soundly, laughing now and then in
their sleep because of their happy dreams.

Primrose too was yielding to the soothing delicious atmosphere of
this wonderful room, when a hand was laid on her shoulder; and
raising her head she encountered the deep yet sweet gaze of Silver-
wings.

‘Don’t tell anyone,” said the sister, raising her fingers to her lips.
““T should be undone—undone for ever if it were known that I had
helped you. The only thing that I can do for you is to give you this
advice—Don’t take off your hat. No one can take it off, however hard
they try, but yourself. Whatever you do, keep it on your head ; and when
you come downstairs presently to feast with the other children, don’t
eat anything that is put before you, except a slice of bread from a hard
dry loaf which will be in the middle of the table. That is all I can
say; farewell, sleep soundly. Nothing can really injure you if you do
what I say.”

Silver-wings glided away, but her words had banished Primrose’s
desire to sleep.

She lay very still on her little white bed, the rose-coloured
counterpane slightly pushed aside, her pale cheek resting against her
hand, her long: hair falling over the pillows, and the brown hat still
partly covering her head.

The three other sisters, Moonlight, Poppy, and Dragon-flower,
floated in their usual graceful fashion into the room. They thought
that all the children were asleep, and began to talk to one another in
low tones, which even Primrose would not have heard had she not
been very anxious and over-excited.

“What a good thing the children came when they did,’ said