at is that?"

"This sort of thing," said Robin; and he jumped up and began to dance
around and to kick up his heels gaily in the palm of Fairyfoot's
hand. "Wine, you know, and cake, and all sorts of fun. It begins at
twelve to-night, in a place the fairies know of, and it lasts until
just two minutes and three seconds and a half before daylight. Would
you like to come?"

"Oh," cried Fairyfoot, "I should be so happy if I might!"

"Well, you may," said Robin; "I'll take you. They'll be delighted to see
any friend of mine, I'm a great favourite; of course, you can easily
imagine that. It was a great blow to them when I was changed; such a
loss, you know. In fact, there were several lady fairies, who--but no
matter." And he gave a slight cough, and began to arrange his necktie
with a disgracefully consequential air, though he was trying very hard
not to look conceited; and while he was endeavouring to appear easy and
gracefully careless, he began accidentally to hum, "See the Conquering
Hero Comes," which was not the right tune under the circumstances.

"But for you," he said next, "I couldn't have given them the relief and
pleasure of seeing me this evening. And what ecstasy it will be to them,
to be sure! I shouldn't be surprised if it broke up the whole thing.
They'll faint so--for joy, you know--just at first--that is, the ladies
will. The men won't like it at all; and I don't blame 'em. I suppose I
shouldn't like it--to see another fellow sweep all before him. That's
what I do; I sweep all before me." And he waved his hand in such a fine
large gesture that he overbalanced himself, and turned a somersault. But
he jumped up after it quite undisturbed.

"You'll see me do it to-night," he said, knocking the dents out of his
hat--"sweep all before me." Then he put his hat on, and his hands on his
hips, with a swaggering, man-of-society air. "I say," he said, "I'm glad
you're going. I should like you to see it."

"And I should like to see it," replied Fairyfoot.

"Well," said Mr. Goodfellow, "you deserve it, though that's saying a
great deal. You've restored me to them. But for you, even if I'd escaped
that hawk, I should have had to spend the night in that beastly robin's
nest, crowded into a corner by those squawking things, and domineered
over by her! I wasn't made for that! I'm superior to it. Domestic life
doesn't suit me. I was made for society. I adorn it. She never
appreciated me. She couldn't soar to it. When