154 BEYOND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

Buttercup suddenly perceived that he was standing close to a dark
wood, and that a fir-tree was almost touching him.

He stooped down, and discovered, to his delight, that a very little
silver sand was powdered about on the ground under the tree.

He took out his pocket-handkerchief, and filling it with the
precious sand, returned to the house. Mrs. Discipline was standing
by the open door.

“Twas just going to lock up,” she said. “Have you got the
sand ?”

“T have,” said Buttercup; “and, do you know, I think your place
is haunted.”

“Haunted!” said Mrs. Discipline; “ what next, I wonder?”

‘“T heard a voice in the air,” said Buttercup, “and the voice told
me where to find the silver sand. Was yours the voice? Can you
throw your voice several yards away, and make it sound quite different
—like somebody else’s ?”

“Who did it remind you of ?”’ asked Mrs. Discipline suddenly.

“Tt was a kind voice, very sweet, too, like a silver bell; it had a
tone in it like mother’s.”

“Then it was your mother’s, most likely, little boy,” said Mrs.
Discipline; “and if the King has sent your mother to help you I
have hopes of you—I have many hopes. Now clean out the pot, and
then go to bed.”

Buttercup felt cheered, he could scarcely tell why. Of course,
Mrs. Discipline’s idea was a silly one, and yet it comforted him.

““T wonder if I shall hear the silver voice again?” he said to
himself; ‘‘it was certainly ike mother’s.”

The next day was bitterly cold, but for some reason or other Mrs.
Discipline was less severe than she had been the night before, and
Buttercup ran about and did what she told him cheerfully enough.

She gave him a very plain breakfast, and afterwards set him to
hard work, but as she praised his efforts, he did not have nearly such
a bad time as on the previous night.

“T see I can manage you, little boy,” she said to himonce. “ It
is all the better for yourself, for the sooner you submit to me and learn