e treasure!" The dwarf men formed themselves into a ring, in the
centre of which Norah and Karl could see masses of what looked like
solid gold. "You may take as much of this as you like," they said, "and
we warrant you on our solemn word of honour _Christmas Tree_ that it is
pure, unalloyed gold."

"We'll sign anything you like, dear little men," said Norah, joyfully,
"and I invite you all to my wedding!"

"Three weeks from to-day," said Karl.

But Norah was too excited to notice what he was saying.

"I shall always believe in the new moon," she repeated again and again.
"How shall we carry it?" she exclaimed suddenly. "I have not even got a
basket with me."

"My men shall trundle it along for you in wheelbarrows," said Mr Query.
"No please, do not say 'thank you.' I have a great objection to being
thanked."

Karl and Norah now signed the document with joyful hearts. Norah
professed herself very sorry not to see her dwarf friends again. She had
a real affection for the droll little men.

"You may come across us sometime again, who knows," said Mr Query. "We
make excursions into your world from time to time. It is improbable but
not impossible that we may meet again. Good-bye!" A brilliant flash as
of lightning shot from under the ground; the earth trembled and shook.
Norah clung to Karl in terror; for she thought that the earth would
swallow them up too. Then Mr Query and the dwarfs disappeared
underground calling out as they did so: "You see we have our lift and
our electric light too, Mr Engineer--ha! ha!--we are not quite so behind
the times as you thought us--ha! ha!"

Norah and Karl stood still in speechless astonishment; then they looked
anxiously for their gold, fearing that the dwarfs might have played them
a trick after all. But no, there were two jolly strong-looking little
fellows with wheelbarrows. "We've got the gold all right," they said.
"Don't you be afraid. We've put some dirty old potatoes at the top,"
they continued with a cunning expression on their faces, "just in case
we meet anyone on the way you know--we should have to hop skip and
jump--one, two, three and off, and it might look awkward for you."

"I am sure it's very kind of you," said Norah, "and we can never thank
you enough," and off they all set down the mountain. It was a
troublesome job to get the heavy wheelbarrow over the stream. Norah
declared afterwards that some of the gold was lost there; but they found
no trace of it ag