[Illustration: ‘ARE NOT THOSE ORCHISES?’]
Meanwhile Bruno had run on beyond Lady Muriel, and, with much jumping about and shouting (shouts audible to no one but Sylvie and myself), much as if he were driving sheep, he managed to turn her round and make her walk, with eyes demurely cast upon the ground, in our direction.
The victory was ours! And, since it was evident that the lovers, thus urged together, _must_ meet in another minute, I turned and walked on, hoping that Sylvie and Bruno would follow my example, as I felt sure that the fewer the spectators the better it would be for Arthur and his good angel.
“And what sort of meeting was it?” I wondered, as I paced dreamily on.
“They shooked hands,” said Bruno, who was trotting at my side, in answer to the unspoken question.
“And they looked _ever_ so pleased!” Sylvie added from the other side.
“Well, we must get on, now, as quick as we can,” I said. “If only I knew the best way to Hunter’s farm!”
“They’ll be sure to know in this cottage,” said Sylvie.
“Yes, I suppose they will. Bruno, would you run in and ask?”
Sylvie stopped him, laughingly, as he ran off. “Wait a minute,” she said. “I must make you _visible_ first, you know.”
“And _audible_ too, I suppose?” I said, as she took the jewel, that hung round her neck, and waved it over his head, and touched his eyes and lips with it.
“Yes,” said Sylvie: “and _once_, do you know, I made him _audible_, and forgot to make him _visible_! And he went to buy some sweeties in a shop. And the man _was_ so frightened! A voice seemed to come out of the air, ‘Please, I want two ounces of barley-sugar drops!’ And a shilling came _bang_ down upon the counter! And the man said ‘I ca’n’t _see_ you!’ And Bruno said ‘It doosn’t sinnify seeing _me_, so long as oo can see the _shilling_!’ But the man said he never sold barley-sugar drops to people he couldn’t _see_. So we had to—_Now_, Bruno, you’re ready!” And away he trotted.
Sylvie spent the time, while we were waiting for him, in making _herself_ visible also. “It’s rather awkward, you know,” she explained to me, “when we meet people, and they can see _one_ of us, and ca’n’t see the _other_!”
In a minute or two Bruno returned, looking rather disconsolate. “He’d got friends with him, and he were _cross_!” he said. “He asked me who I were. And I said ‘I’m Bruno: who is _these_ peoples?’ And he said ‘One’s my half-brother, and t’other’s my half-sister: and I don’t want no more company! Go along with yer!’ And I said ‘I ca’n’t go along _wizout_ mine self!’ And I said ‘Oo shouldn’t have _bits_ of peoples lying about like that! It’s welly untidy!’ And he said ‘Oh, don’t talk to _me_!’ And he pushted me outside! And he shutted the door!”