rich dress, opened the door; but just at the moment when Maggie asked,
"Will you tell me which road leads to the palace of the Great King?"
that same terrible cold wind came round and blew directly into the
lady's mouth, so that she replied, "I know nothing about it, and very
much doubt if there be any Great King at all;" and then she shut the
door in great haste, leaving poor Maggie in much distress and doubt.

She was astonished at the woman's words, and wondered why she shut the
door so soon; for, if she had not, she would have told her about the
King; how she was sure he was alive, and had a great palace. And, too,
she could have told her, his servant had come once and taken her mother
with him, and she could never forget him; he had been dressed in black,
but on his head he wore a crown of the most glorious stars, and their
brightness had filled the little house with holy light, so that, even
after he had departed, it still lingered around.

She thought some of knocking again and telling the poor lady, for she
thought it was sad enough not to know about the Great King; but, though
she knocked a long time, no one came to the door, and, finally, she was
obliged to leave the steps of the house and gather some directions
else-where.

One of the roads seemed cold, and looked narrow, and Maggie, who had
suffered so much from the cold, turned from it with a shudder towards
the other, which looked much gayer, and many more people walked in it;
but the Dove looked anxiously towards the narrow one, which grieved
Maggie, and made her cry out, "O, Dovey, Dovey! how can you love the
cold so well, or ask me to go where it is? Let us rather walk this way a
little, and do you not see there are plenty of cross-roads?--so, if we
wish, we can go on to that narrow road at any time."

So, notwithstanding the Dove's remonstrances, Maggie entered this road,
and found the air so pleasant and warm, that she liked nothing better
than to walk in it.

She saw a great many people here; but they took no notice of the little
girl, who walked along so quietly, with her Dove in her bosom, and the
bits of china in her pocket. But, if they did not notice her, she
noticed them well, and thought them strange enough.

To her surprise she found the air, which had at first seemed so warm,
began to grow cold, and more like the air about the old house; and,
shivering with cold, and seeing the people about her wearing large
cloaks, it was quite natur