allthetime。Sohegottothecompletestatementofhisaffiancedposition，andtoldherallaboutMillie。
“All？“saidI。
“Everything，“saidMr。Skelmersdale，“justwhoshewas，andwhereshelived，andeverythingabouther。IsortoffeltI’adtoallthetime，Idid。“
“’Whateveryouwantyoushallhave，’saidtheFairyLady。’That’sasgoodasdone。YouSHALLfeelyouhavethemoneyjustasyouwish。
Andnow，youknow——YOUMUSTKISSME。’“
AndMr。Skelmersdalepretendednottohearthelatterpartofherremark，andsaidshewasverykind。Thathereallydidn’tdeservesheshouldbesokind。And——
TheFairyLadysuddenlycamequiteclosetohimandwhispered，“Kissme！“
“And，“saidMr。Skelmersdale，“likeafool，Idid。“
Therearekissesandkisses，Iamtold，andthismusthavebeenquitetheothersortfromMillie’sresonantsignalsofregard。Therewassomethingmagicinthatkiss；assuredlyitmarkedaturningpoint。
Atanyrate，thisisoneofthepassagesthathethoughtsufficientlyimportanttodescribemostatlength。Ihavetriedtogetitright，Ihavetriedtodisentangleitfromthehintsandgesturesthroughwhichitcametome，butIhavenodoubtthatitwasalldifferentfrommytellingandfarfinerandsweeter，inthesoftfilteredlightandthesubtlystirringsilencesofthefairyglades。TheFairyLadyaskedhimmoreaboutMillie，andwassheverylovely，andsoon——
agreatmanytimes。AstoMillie’sloveliness，Iconceivehimansweringthatshewas“allright。“Andthen，oronsomesuchoccasion，theFairyLadytoldhimshehadfalleninlovewithhimashesleptinthemoonlight，andsohehadbeenbroughtintoFairyland，andshehadthought，notknowingofMillie，thatperhapshemightchancetoloveher。“Butnowyouknowyoucan’t，“shesaid，“soyoumuststopwithmejustalittlewhile，andthenyoumustgobacktoMillie。“Shetoldhimthat，andyouknowSkelmersdalewasalreadyinlovewithher，butthepureinertiaofhismindkepthiminthewayhewasgoing。Iimaginehimsittinginasortofstupefactionamidstalltheseglowingbeautifulthings，answeringabouthisMillieandthelittleshopheprojectedandtheneedofahorseandcart……Andthatabsurdstateofaffairsmusthavegoneonfordaysanddays。Iseethislittlelady，hoveringabouthimandtryingtoamusehim，toodaintytounderstandhiscomplexityandtootendertolethimgo。Andhe，youknow，hypnotisedasitwerebyhisearthlyposition，wenthiswaywithherhitherandthither，blindtoeverythinginFairylandbutthiswonderfulintimacythathadcometohim。Itishard，itisimpossible，togiveinprinttheeffectofherradiantsweetnessshiningthroughthejungleofpoorSkelmersdale’sroughandbrokensentences。Tome，atleast，sheshoneclearamidstthemuddleofhisstorylikeaglow-worminatangleofweeds。
Theremusthavebeenmanydaysofthingswhileallthiswashappening——
andonce，Isay，theydancedunderthemoonlightinthefairyringsthatstudthemeadowsnearSmeeth——butatlastitallcametoanend。
Sheledhimintoagreatcavernousplace，litbyarednightlightsortofthing，wheretherewerecofferspiledoncoffers，andcupsandgoldenboxes，andagreatheapofwhatcertainlyseemedtoallMr。Skelmersdale’ssenses——coinedgold。Therewerelittlegnomesamidstthiswealth，whosalutedherathercoming，andstoodaside。
Andsuddenlysheturnedonhimtherewithbrightlyshiningeyes。
“Andnow，“shesaid，“youhavebeenkindtostaywithmesolong，anditistimeIletyougo。YoumustgobacktoyourMillie。YoumustgobacktoyourMillie，andhere——justasIpromisedyou——theywillgiveyougold。“
“Shechokedlike，“saidMr。Skelmersdale。“Atthat，Ihadasortoffeeling——“hetouchedhisbreastbone“asthoughIwasfaintinghere。Ifeltpale，youknow，andshivering，andeventhen——I’adn’tathingtosay。“
Hepaused。“Yes，“Isaid。
Thescenewasbeyondhisdescribing。ButIknowthatshekissedhimgood-bye。
“Andyousaidnothing？“
“Nothing，“hesaid。“Istoodlikeastuffedcalf。Shejustlookedbackonce，youknow，andstoodsmilinglikeandcrying——Icouldseetheshineofhereyes——andthenshewasgone，andtherewasalltheselittlefellowsbustlingaboutme，stuffingmy’andsandmypocketsandthebackofmycollarandeverywherewithgold。“
Andthenitwas，whentheFairyLadyhadvanished，thatMr。Skelmersdalereallyunderstoodandknew。Hesuddenlybeganpluckingoutthegoldtheywerethrustinguponhim，andshoutingoutatthemtopreventtheirgivinghimmore。“’Idon’tWANTyergold，’Isaid。’I’aven’tdoneyet。I’mnotgoing。IwanttospeaktothatFairyLadyagain。’
Istartedofftogoafterherandtheyheldmeback。Yes，stucktheirlittle’andsagainstmymiddleandshovedmeback。Theykeptgivingmemoreandmoregolduntilitwasrunningalldownmytrouserlegsanddroppingoutofmy’ands。’Idon’tWANTyergold，’
Isaystothem，’IwantjusttospeaktotheFairyLadyagain。’“
“Anddidyou？“
“Itcametoatussle。“
“Beforeyousawher？“
“Ididn’tseeher。WhenIgotoutfromthemshewasn’tanywheretobeseen。“
Soheraninsearchofheroutofthisred-litcave，downalonggrotto，seekingher，andthencehecameoutinagreatanddesolateplaceathwartwhichaswarmofwill-o’-the-wispswereflyingtoandfro。
Andabouthimelvesweredancinginderision，andthelittlegnomescameoutofthecaveafterhim，carryinggoldinhandfulsandcastingitafterhim，shouting，“Fairyloveandfairygold！Fairyloveandfairygold！“
Andwhenheheardthesewords，cameagreatfearthatitwasallover，andhelifteduphisvoiceandcalledtoherbyhername，andsuddenlysethimselftorundowntheslopefromthemouthofthecavern，throughaplaceofthornsandbriers，callingafterherveryloudlyandoften。Theelvesdancedabouthimunheeded，pinchinghimandprickinghim，andthewill-o’-the-wispscircledroundhimanddashedintohisface，andthegnomespursuedhimshoutingandpeltinghimwithfairygold。Asheranwithallthisstrangeroutabouthimanddistractinghim，suddenlyhewasknee-deepinaswamp，andsuddenlyhewasamidstthicktwistedroots，andhecaughthisfootinoneandstumbledandfell……
Hefellandherolledover，andinthatinstanthefoundhimselfsprawlinguponAldingtonKnoll，alllonelyunderthestars。
Hesatupsharplyatonce，hesays，andfoundhewasverystiffandcold，andhisclothesweredampwithdew。Thefirstpallorofdawnandachillywindwerecominguptogether。Hecouldhavebelievedthewholethingastrangelyvividdreamuntilhethrusthishandintohissidepocketandfounditstuffedwithashes。
Thenheknewforcertainitwasfairygoldtheyhadgivenhim。
Hecouldfeelalltheirpinchesandpricksstill，thoughtherewasneverabruiseuponhim。Andinthatmanner，andsosuddenly，Mr。SkelmersdalecameoutofFairylandbackintothisworldofmen。
EventhenhefanciedthethingwasbutthematterofanightuntilhereturnedtotheshopatAldingtonCorneranddiscoveredamidsttheirastonishmentthathehadbeenawaythreeweeks。
“Lor’！thetroubleI’ad！“saidMr。Skelmersdale。
“How？“
“Explaining。Isupposeyou’veneverhadanythinglikethattoexplain。“
“Never，“Isaid，andheexpatiatedforatimeonthebehaviourofthispersonandthat。Onenameheavoidedforaspace。
“AndMillie？“saidIatlast。
“Ididn’tseemtocareabitforseeingMillie，“hesaid。
“Iexpectsheseemedchanged？“
“Everyonewaschanged。Changedforgood。Everyoneseemedbig，youknow，andcoarse。Andtheirvoicesseemedloud。Why，thesun，whenitroseinthemorning，fairhitmeintheeye！“
“AndMillie？“
“Ididn’twanttoseeMillie。“
“Andwhenyoudid？“
“IcameupagainstherSunday，comingoutofchurch。’Whereyoubeen？’
shesaid，andIsawtherewasarow。_I_didn’tcareiftherewas。
Iseemedtoforgetaboutherevenwhileshewastherea-talkingtome。Shewasjustnothing。Icouldn’tmakeoutwhateverI’adseenin’erever，orwhattherecould’avebeen。Sometimeswhenshewasn’tabout，Ididgetbackalittle，butneverwhenshewasthere。
Thenitwasalwaystheothercameupandblottedherout……
Anyow，itdidn’tbreakherheart。“
“Married？“Iasked。
“Married’ercousin，“saidMr。Skelmersdale，andreflectedonthepatternofthetableclothforaspace。