uld put the whole of
England twice over in California, and from what I've heard I don't go
much on London. I reckon it isn't much bigger than San Francisco."

"Still you wouldn't mind being joint owner of it," Hamar laughed."

"No, perhaps not," Curtis said rather dubiously. "I guess we could buy
the crown and wear it in turn. Sam Westlake up at Meidler's always
used to say the Britishers would sell their souls if any one bid high
enough. They think of nothing but money over there. When shall we go?"

"At the end of our week," Hamar said, "that is to say on Wednesday--in
three days' time."

"First class all the way, of course," Curtis said, "I'll see to the
arrangements for the catering and berths."

"All right!" Hamar laughed, as he filled three glasses with champagne.
"Here, drink, you fellows, 'Long life, health and prosperity--to
Hamar, Curtis and Kelson, the Modern Sorcery Company Ltd.'"

CHAPTER VIII

TWO DREAMS

"Do you believe in dreams?" Gladys Martin inquired, as, fresh from a
stroll in the garden, she joined her aunt, Miss Templeton, in the
breakfast room at Pine Cottage.

"I believe in fairies," Miss Templeton rejoined, smiling indulgently
as she looked at the fair face beside her. "What was the dream,
dearie?"

Gladys laughed a little mischievously. "I don't quite know whether I
ought to tell you," she said. "It might shock you."

"Perhaps I'm not so easily shocked as you imagine," Miss Templeton
replied. "What was it?"

"Well!" Gladys began, flinging both arms round her aunt's neck and
playing with the pleats in her blouse, "I dreamed that I was walking
in the little wood at the end of the garden, and that the trees and
flowers walked and talked with me. And we danced together--and, first
of all, I had for my partner, a red rose--and then, an ash. They both
made love to me, and squeezed my waist with their hot, fibrous hands.
A poppy piped, a bramble played the concertina, and a lilac grew
desperately jealous of me and tried to claw my hair. Then the dancing
ceased, and I found myself in the midst of bluebells that shook their
bells at me with loud trills of laughter. And out from among them,
came a buttercup, pointing its yellow head at me. 'See! see,' it
cried, 'what Gladys is carrying behind her. Naughty Gladys!' And trees
and flowers--everything around me--shook with laughter. Then I grew
hot and cold all over, and did not know which way to look for my
confusion, till a willow,