t her down again.

"A feather bed, you mean," she said, "and they are a pretty fair weight.
I shall never get used to German feather beds," she continued. "I can't
even get them to look right when I make them and shake them!"

"You need to be born and brought up to them to appreciate them," he
replied, "but never mind, what does it matter, what is a feather bed in
comparison with our love?" They laughed for pure joy and good humour as
they walked along; ah how quickly time passes when one is so happy! The
sunlight gilded the rocks before them, till they looked as if they
contained streaks of gold ore. They crossed the little moor, and
clambered over the rocks till they reached the stunted fir-grove.

Looking back they saw that the sky had become a glowing red as it often
does just before the light dies out; seen through the dark, twisted
trees the wood appeared to be on fire. The lovers sat down and gazed for
a few moments in silence till the glory faded from the sky.

"Now for it, Norah," said Karl getting up and offering her a hand, "the
way down into dwarfland must be quite near here!"

"Of course I know, I can find it at once," she answered.

They searched carefully around for the great crack in the rocks, but
could find nothing in the least resembling it.

"How absurd; how _can_ we miss it when it is certainly not more than a
yard or two away," said Norah.

"The steps were not so easily recognisable, if I remember rightly," said
Karl, "but we are sure to find them in a minute."

It grew darker and darker; the mountain was covered with boulders of
stone, juniper bushes and stunted trees; but no trace of the great rent
in the mountain-side could they discover.

"Did we dream it all?" said Karl.

"Impossible, why I have been down there many times," said Norah
beginning to feel bitterly disappointed.

"Supposing I were to fetch some of my men here and blow up the rocks
with dynamite; we must be able to get in then, for the mountain is as
full of dwarfs as bees in a hive," said Karl, who was getting in a
temper.

"And do you think they would reward you handsomely for your services,"
said Norah sarcastically, "and O the poor little men, they always
treated me with the utmost kindness and politeness, and gave me far more
money than ever I bargained for!"

"They nearly pinched me black and blue, till I frightened them with my
revolver," said Karl.

"The wretches!" said Norah, "but why?"

"Because I was