tants."

"But," said the king, "you frighten the children."

"Very seldom, your majesty; and then only for their good. We seldom
seek to frighten anybody. We mostly want to make people silent and
thoughtful; to awe them a little, your majesty."

"You are much more likely to make them laugh," said the king.

"Are we?" said the Shadow.

And approaching the king one step, he stood quite still for a moment.
The diamond of the king's sceptre shot out a vivid flame of violet
light, and the king stared at the Shadow in silence, and his lip
quivered. He never told what he saw then; but he would say:

"Just fancy what it might be if _some_ flitting thoughts were to
persist in staying to be looked at."

"It is only," resumed the Shadow, "when our thoughts are not fixed upon
any particular object, that our bodies are subject to all the vagaries
of elemental influences. Generally, amongst worldly men and frivolous
women, we only attach ourselves to some article of furniture or of
dress; and they never doubt that we are mere foolish and vague results
of the dashing of the waves of the light against the solid forms of
which their houses are full. We do not care to tell them the truth, for
they would never see it. But let the worldly man--or the frivolous
woman--and then--"

At each of the pauses indicated, the mass of Shadows throbbed and
heaved with emotion; but they soon settled again into comparative
stillness. Once more the Shadow addressed himself to speak. But
suddenly they all looked up, and the king, following their gaze, saw
that the aurora had begun to pale.

"The moon is rising," said the Shadow. "As soon as she looks over the
mountains into the valley, we must be gone, for we have plenty to do by
the moon; we are powerful in her light. But if your majesty will come
here to-morrow night, your majesty may learn a great deal more about
us, and judge for himself whether it be fit to accord our petition; for
then will be our grand annual assembly, in which we report to our
chiefs the things we have attempted, and the good or bad success we
have had."

"If you send for me," returned the king, "I will come."

Ere the Shadow could reply, the tip of the moon's crescent horn peeped
up from behind an icy pinnacle, and one slender ray fell on the lake.
It shone upon no Shadows. Ere the eye of the king could again seek the
earth after beholding the first brightness of the moon's resurrection,
they had vanished; and the s