y muscle in his body ached, his legs trembled under him, and the
sweat stood on his forehead. The water, too, rose high above his
waist, and seemed to flow with unusual swiftness. If he had been
carrying a sack of gold on his shoulders, instead of a dwarf, it could
not have felt heavier.

'You're not tired?' asked the dwarf, as Raymond laid hold of a rock
that rose partly out of the water and panted as if his lungs would
burst.

'What on earth are you made of?' gasped the young man.

'Of all things conducive to worldly prosperity,' said the other, with
his odd metallic chuckle. 'But now, as we are at the middle of the
river, let us settle the terms of our bargain. I will give you my
cap--you have wanted it ever since that day in the washing-room--in
exchange for yours.' Having made this exchange (which Raymond was, of
course, powerless to prevent his doing, even had he been so inclined),
the dwarf continued: 'You now possess the most precious talisman in
the world. By making a proper use of that cap you may reach any height
of fortune. Does it fit you comfortably?'

'Not at all!' cried Raymond: 'it makes my head ache. Take it off
again.'

'Pooh! my good Raymond, is not unbounded wealth worth a headache?
Besides, you will get used to it after a while. Meantime listen to
this couplet, which contains much wisdom in small space:--

Cap on--cap and knee!
Cap off--who is he?

Can you remember that?'

'What if I can?' groaned Raymond, clinging to the rock. 'We shall both
be drowned in another minute!'

'Not at all,' answered the dwarf with composure. 'My left foot is a
trifle wet; but what of that? By-the-by, I shall be passing through
Honeymead again this evening; shall I drop in at the Brindled Cow and
tell Rosamund that you are all right?'

'I am not all right. I wish I were at the Brindled Cow myself.'

'Tut! tut! Ambition should not be so easily damped. Well, I'll make a
point of calling on the young lady. But, stay; I must carry some token
to prove that I am an authorised messenger. What shall it be? Ah! this
will do--this half of a spade guinea that you wear at your neck.
Permit me to remove it,' And he began to fumble with the silken
string.

'Stop! that is my betrothal pledge--you can't have that!' cried
Raymond, putting up his hand to withhold the dwarf's claw.

'And who was it gave it to you, in the first place, I should like to
know?' exclaimed the dwarf tartly. 'Fie! have you so little confid