stone, and had
also five windows; the inner wall was of the purest alabaster, and was
a kind of window in itself.

In the centre of the innermost room a lamp was always burning, and the
light which it gave out was so soft and penetrating that it glowed
through the alabaster walls and illuminated the room outside with a
pale white lustre, and some rays penetrated through the windows of
this room into the outermost room of all, and there met the darkness
that streamed in through the outer windows--for the house stood in
that part of the world where it is night all the year round. The name
of the innermost room was Abra, that of the middle room was Cada, and
that of the outermost room was Bra. The whole house, therefore, was
called Abracadabra.

It was a curious thing about this house, that if you were in Abra, you
could see into both Cada and Bra, but, if you were in Cada, you could
not see into Abra, and if you were in Bra, you could not see into
either Abra or Cada. As a general thing, it is easier to see from
darkness towards light than from light towards darkness. But there was
probably something peculiar about this light--and, for the matter of
that, about this darkness too.

As for Calladon himself, he was one of the best-behaved boys ever
known, and he was not less good-looking than he was good. He was a
fine, straight-backed, rosy-cheeked little fellow, with bright eyes, a
cheerful voice, and an obedient spirit. He was seven years old, and
knew as much as it is well for a boy of his age to know. This was due
to the Master who had charge of him, and who had put across his breast
the gold sash, which always pressed against his heart when he wished
to do wrong, and reminded him to stop. The Master had lived with
Calladon ever since Calladon could remember, and probably for a good
while before that. The Master had tended him in his illness, played
with him in his plays, helped him in his studies, and sympathised with
him in his troubles. Calladon loved the Master as much as if he had
been his father and mother in one. Who his father and mother might be,
he, however, did not know; but the Master used to tell him that when
his education was finished he should see them.

Meantime he was obliged to live in Abracadabra, and make the best of
it. The only one of the three rooms which he had ever dwelt in, was
the central one, Abra; but there was plenty of entertainment to be had
there. In the first place, there was the