ette's eyes had moved. They were turned
downward upon the dog, with cool curiosity and indifference. A kind of
shudder went through me. And then, lo and behold, the statuette's tiny
brown breasts rose and fell slowly, and a long breath came out of its
nostrils.

I backed violently into Graves, dragging Don with me and half-choking
him. "My God Almighty!" I said. "It's alive!"

"Isn't she!" said he. "I caught her back there in the grass--the little
minx. And when I heard your signal I put her up there to keep her out of
mischief. It's too high for her to jump--and she's very sore about it."

"You found her in the grass," I said. "For God's sake!--are there more
of them?"

"Thick as quail," said he, "but it's hard to get a sight of 'em. But
_you_ were overcome by curiosity, weren't you, old girl? You came out to
have a look at the big white giant and he caught you with his thumb and
forefinger by the scruff of the neck--so you couldn't bite him--and here
you are."

The womankin's lips parted and I saw a flash of white teeth. She looked
up into Graves's face and the steely eyes softened. It was evident that
she was very fond of him.

"Rum sort of a pet," said Graves. "What?"

"Rum?" I said. "It's horrible--it isn't decent--it--it ought to be
taboo. Don's got it sized up right. He--he wants to kill it."

"Please don't keep calling her It," said Graves. "She wouldn't like
it--if she understood." Then he whispered words that were Greek to me,
and the womankin laughed aloud. Her laugh was sweet and tinkly, like the
upper notes of a spinet.

"You can speak her language?"

"A few words--Tog ma Lao?"

"Na!"

"Aba Ton sug ato."

"Nan Tane dom ud lon anea!"

It sounded like that--only all whispered and very soft. It sounded a
little like the wind in the grass.

"She says she isn't afraid of the dog," said Graves, "and that he'd
better let her alone."

"I almost hope he won't," said I. "Come outside. I don't like her. I
think I've got a touch of the horrors."

Graves remained behind a moment to lift the womankin down from the
shelf, and when he rejoined me I had made up my mind to talk to him like
a father.

"Graves," I said, "although that creature in there is only a foot high,
it isn't a pig or a monkey, it's a woman, and you're guilty of what's
considered a pretty ugly crime at home--abduction. You've stolen this
woman away from kith and kin, and the least you can do is to carry her
back where you found