it was truly sharp of you, godmother,' resumed Miss Wren with
great approbation, 'to understand me. But, you see, you ARE so like the
fairy godmother in the bright little books! You look so unlike the rest
of people, and so much as if you had changed yourself into that shape,
just this moment, with some benevolent object. Boh!' cried Miss Jenny,
putting her face close to the old man's. 'I can see your features,
godmother, behind the beard.'

'Does the fancy go to my changing other objects too, Jenny?'

'Ah! That it does! If you'd only borrow my stick and tap this piece of
pavement--this dirty stone that my foot taps--it would start up a coach
and six. I say! Let's believe so!'

'With all my heart,' replied the good old man.

'And I'll tell you what I must ask you to do, godmother. I must ask you
to be so kind as give my child a tap, and change him altogether. O my
child has been such a bad, bad child of late! It worries me nearly
out of my wits. Not done a stroke of work these ten days. Has had the
horrors, too, and fancied that four copper-coloured men in red wanted to
throw him into a fiery furnace.'

'But that's dangerous, Jenny.'

'Dangerous, godmother? My child is always dangerous, more or less. He
might'--here the little creature glanced back over her shoulder at the
sky--'be setting the house on fire at this present moment. I don't know
who would have a child, for my part! It's no use shaking him. I have
shaken him till I have made myself giddy. "Why don't you mind your
Commandments and honour your parent, you naughty old boy?" I said to him
all the time. But he only whimpered and stared at me.'

'What shall be changed, after him?' asked Riah in a compassionately
playful voice.

'Upon my word, godmother, I am afraid I must be selfish next, and get
you to set me right in the back and the legs. It's a little thing to you
with your power, godmother, but it's a great deal to poor weak aching
me.'

There was no querulous complaining in the words, but they were not the
less touching for that.

'And then?'

'Yes, and then--YOU know, godmother. We'll both jump up into the coach
and six and go to Lizzie. This reminds me, godmother, to ask you a
serious question. You are as wise as wise can be (having been brought
up by the fairies), and you can tell me this: Is it better to have had a
good thing and lost it, or never to have had it?'

'Explain, god-daughter.'

'I feel so much more solitary and helpless wi