w old he looked. I have seen the bundle of sticks on his
back.' For Jim had pointed that out to me. Jim was very fond of looking
at the man in the moon. Poor Jim! I wonder he hasn't been to see me. I'm
afraid he's ill too."

"I'll try to find out," said Diamond, "and let you know."

"Thank you," said Nanny. "You and Jim ought to be friends."

"But what did the man in the moon say, when you told him you had seen
him with the bundle of sticks on his back?"

"He laughed. But I thought he looked offended too. His little nose
turned up sharper, and he drew the corners of his mouth down from the
tips of his ears into his neck. But he didn't look cross, you know."

"Didn't he say anything?"

"Oh, yes! He said: `That's all nonsense. What you saw was my bundle of
dusters. I was going to clean the windows. It takes a good many, you
know. Really, what they do say of their superiors down there!' `It's
only because they don't know better,' I ventured to say. `Of course,
of course,' said the little man. `Nobody ever does know better. Well,
I forgive them, and that sets it all right, I hope.' `It's very good
of you,' I said. `No!' said he, `it's not in the least good of me. I
couldn't be comfortable otherwise.' After this he said nothing for a
while, and I laid myself on the floor of his garret, and stared up and
around at the great blue beautifulness. I had forgotten him almost,
when at last he said: `Ain't you done yet?' `Done what?' I asked. `Done
saying your prayers,' says he. 'I wasn't saying my prayers,' I answered.
`Oh, yes, you were,' said he, `though you didn't know it! And now I must
show you something else.'

"He took my hand and led me down the stair again, and through a narrow
passage, and through another, and another, and another. I don't know
how there could be room for so many passages in such a little house. The
heart of it must be ever so much farther from the sides than they are
from each other. How could it have an inside that was so independent of
its outside? There's the point. It was funny--wasn't it, Diamond?"

"No," said Diamond. He was going to say that that was very much the sort
of thing at the back of the north wind; but he checked himself and only
added, "All right. I don't see it. I don't see why the inside should
depend on the outside. It ain't so with the crabs. They creep out of
their outsides and make new ones. Mr. Raymond told me so."

"I don't see what that has got to do with it," said Nan