hing with her hearty laughter.

[Illustration: FIG. 141.--"A Round, Horizontal Snare of Uloborus, Spread
Within the Hollow of the Trunk."]

"Didn't we batter them, though?" she ran on. "Down went tents! Down went
barricades! Down went fort--Hoogh!" Here Madam gave one of her little
coughs. "Well, no, not exactly that, neither. That was too much for us.
But no matter! The vile old den got its deserts anyhow. Ho, ho! Phaugh!
And how's Spite the Spy? Has his breath improved any? Wheeze--Dear me! I
doubt if he ever scrubs his teeth. Think of a pure, sweet Breeze-body
like myself having to wrestle with such as he! Don't ask me to! No, no!
It's too funny, ho, ho!--Wheeze--hoogh! You see my asthma's no
better--Wheeze!"

All this time the Elf had been seated on a broad leaf swinging like a
pendulum, and gazing into the clouds. She suddenly stopped and looked
into the Ensign's face.

"Dear me!" she cried, "I--I--and so it's not Bruce this time? The
rogue--the scamp--the--ah!--Wheeze! How could he dare to deceive me
so?--Hoogh!"

For one minute Madam Breeze sat still, actually for a whole minute! The
fact is, she was just a trifle afraid of Ensign Lawe, the only one of
all the Brownies, by the way, who ever dashed her high spirits a
particle. During that moment the good Elf looked as sober as she could
then threw her heels up and her head down, and swung away furiously for
a few seconds.

"Oho! It's you, is it? Well, things must be serious when Lawe comes
a-gossiping to Madam Breeze. Well, well! Cheer up, cheer up, Mr.
Sobersides!

"Shall we, inclined to sadness,
Strike melancholy's string?
Oh, no! we'll tune to gladness
And merrily, merrily sing
Tra, la!"

The Elf trilled these words to a sprightly strain, and wound up with a
laugh, a wheeze and a cough. By this time her touch of seriousness had
vanished, and she was swinging as lustily as ever.

"There now, Mr. Lawe. You see I'm composed and ready for business. Go on
with your story. Bad news?--of course! Yes, yes--hoogh! I know something
about it--bad! There,--stand still a minute, can't you?--and go on!"

Lawe had stood silent and motionless, all this while, waiting for Madam
Breeze to settle herself. But as he saw that this was not likely to
happen, he began the story of Brownie disasters, and after many
interruptions reached the matter he had in hand.

"Yes, yes! I see it all," said the Elf. "Not another word--i