ne arm and 'eld me like a
parcel. And then well! I know yer don't believe it, but yer don't know
he very think. He jist went up the side of that there cliff like a
klip-springer, catching on to little points of rock, and a-springing
from place to place, as if I didn't weigh more'n a feather; with me
under his arm a-hollering blue murder, and a-lookin' down sick and
dizzy, and a-praying for him not to let me fall! Right up that there
cliff as you can see from here we went, and almost afore I knew what
had happened, I was on top. There was thick grass, and bush, and
flowers, and tall trees and fruit I'd never seen afore, and butterflies
everywhere, and he sat me down jist close to the brink, and there I sat
a-gasping. And then he laughed and what a laugh it was jist like a
trumpet ringing out, and he says again: 'Come and bathe, man, and be
immortal, like me!'

"And then he hustles me off into the wood, flustered and frightened,
and a wondering when I should get down to terra-cotta agin. That there
mountain ain't flat on top, its cup-shaped, and it's only the rim you
can see from here; and there's trees and water everywhere, and birds a-
singing, and flowers a-blooming and butterflies a-flitting, and if
there'd o'ny bin a nice little pub up there, like wot I knows of there
at 'ome in Lime'ouse, it would 'a' bin Parrydise and I'd 'a' stayed. We
sees no animals and no snakes, and we goes along the banks of the
stream, and at last we conies to a deep pool that bubbled and fizzed up
like soda water, all over.

"'The Source!' he says; 'the Source!' an' you could ha' 'eard 'is voice
a mile off; 'the Water of Life! I bathed here this morning look at me!
Come, bathe, old fool, and be young, and a companion fer me, and we'll
stay here fer ever!'

"'Course, I knew he must be barmy though 'ow he got me up that cliff
certainly is a mystery! Any'ow, I thought I'd better 'umour 'im a bit.
So I starts to undress; and then I pauses.

"'Any beer here?' I asks.

"'Beer, what do you want vile beer for, when there's necktie fit fer
the gords to drink?' says 'e.

"'Baccy?' I asks agin knowin' he 'ated it.

"'Phaw,' he says, 'your filthy smoke what need is there of it?'

"'Wimmen!' I says, thinkin' that would be a clincher fer him.

"'Yes,' he shouts; 'beautiful nymphs, spirits as immortal as myself!'

"'I don't see 'em!' says I.

"'They are in the water,' says he; 'beautiful water nymphs and wood
nymphs lurks there among the tre