earth behind the shutter, so that it should
again fall with it, he returned to the cellar.

And now he had to convey the loaf to the princess. If he could venture
to take it himself, well; if not, he would send Lina. He crept to the
door of the servants' hall, and found the sleepers beginning to stir.
One said it was time to go to bed; another, that he would go to the
cellar instead, and have a mug of wine to waken him up; while a third
challenged a fourth to give him his revenge at some game or other.

'Oh, hang your losses!' answered his companion; 'you'll soon pick up
twice as much about the house, if you but keep your eyes open.'

Perceiving there would be risk in attempting to pass through, and
reflecting that the porters in the great hall would probably be awake
also, Curdie went back to the cellar, took Irene's handkerchief with
the loaf in it, tied it round Lina's neck, and told her to take it to
the princess.

Using every shadow and every shelter, Lina slid through the servants
like a shapeless terror through a guilty mind, and so, by corridor and
great hall, up the stair to the king's chamber.

Irene trembled a little when she saw her glide soundless in across the
silent dusk of the morning, that filtered through the heavy drapery of
the windows, but she recovered herself at once when she saw the bundle
about her neck, for it both assured her of Curdie's safety, and gave
her hope of her father's. She untied it with joy, and Lina stole away,
silent as she had come. Her joy was the greater that the king had
waked up a little before, and expressed a desire for food--not that he
felt exactly hungry, he said, and yet he wanted something. If only he
might have a piece of nice fresh bread! Irene had no knife, but with
eager hands she broke a great piece from the loaf, and poured out a
full glass of wine. The king ate and drank, enjoyed the bread and the
wine much, and instantly fell asleep again.

It was hours before the lazy people brought their breakfast. When it
came, Irene crumbled a little about, threw some into the fireplace, and
managed to make the tray look just as usual.

In the meantime, down below in the cellar, Curdie was lying in the
hollow between the upper sides of two of the great casks, the warmest
place he could find. Lina was watching. She lay at his feet, across
the two casks, and did her best so to arrange her huge tail that it
should be a warm coverlid for her master.

By and