The children did so. The door yielded, and then immediately--they were
such well-behaved doors in the tapestry palace--closed behind them. And
what the children now saw was a small winding stair, the lowest steps of
which were close to their feet.

"Here," said Dudu, "I will leave you. You can't go wrong."

He flew down from Jeanne's head as he spoke. Jeanne gave her head a
little shake; she seemed not altogether sorry to be freed from her
head-dress, for a head-dress with _feelings_ is a somewhat uncomfortable
affair.

"I don't mind you getting off my head, Dudu," she said. "But you might
take a turn on Cheri's for a change. I think it's rather shabby of you
to leave us already."

Hugh looked at Jeanne in surprise. He could not understand how it was
that Jeanne ventured to speak so coolly to the raven--she who in their
daylight life was so frightened of him that she would hardly go near him
for fear he should turn her into a mouse, or in some other way bewitch
her!

"I think it's very good-natured of Monsieur Dudu to have come with us so
far," he said. "We could never have got into the tapestry castle at all
but for him."

"No," said Dudu, "that you certainly wouldn't." But he didn't seem
offended. "Good-bye," he said, "and if you're in any trouble remember
the former arrangement. Whistle three times."

"Good-bye," said Hugh and Jeanne. But as they said it, their looks met
each other in astonishment--there was no Dudu there--he had already
disappeared.

"What a queer way he has of going off all of a sudden," said Jeanne.

"And what are we to do now?" said Hugh.

"Go up the stairs, of course, till we find where they lead to," said
Jeanne.

"It will be rather awkward with our wings," said Hugh. "The stair is so
very narrow and twisting."

Jeanne made an exclamation.

"Wings!" she said. "Why, Cheri, your wings are gone!"

"And so are yours!" said Hugh.

Both the children stared at each other and turned round to look at their
shoulders, as if they could hardly believe it.

"It's too bad," said Jeanne. "It's all Dudu."

"Never mind," said Hugh. "He wouldn't have taken them away if we had
been going to need them again; and really, Jeanne, the more I think of
it the more sure I am we could never have got up that stair with our
wings on."

"Perhaps not," said Jeanne. "Any way _I_ couldn't have got up it with
Dudu on my head. But let's go on, Cheri. Are you frightened? I'm not a
bit."

"I'm not, e