Billy looked about him, but could see no one but an old man seated at the window behind a great reflector and two boiler-like things, such as they have at the theatre to throw a bright light on the stage. The machine was buzzing and sizzing away, and the old man was turning the light this way and that out over the streets and houses. And whichever way it turned a thousand flames of golden light shone in the heavens and made the houses sparkle and sparkle again with brilliant colors. Billy knew then where the Northern Lights came from. "Where's the King?" whispered Billy. "That's he," answered Jack, pointing to the old man. "The Lord High Master of the Lime Lights is sick in bed with a warm in his head, and the King is attending to things himself;" then aloud, "Hello, King!" "Good midnight," answered the King, without turning around. "I want you to meet my friend," said Jack Frost. "Where do you want me to meet him?" asked the King; "don't make it very far away, because I can't trust the machine to anyone else." [Illustration: _"Me feyther," cried she, in a tragic voice, "the light, the light."_--Page 187.] "He is here," said Jack. "Oh! well then, I'll meet him half way," and jumping quickly up, the King ran to Billy, shook his hand, murmured, "How de do," and trotted back to his machine. "Glad to know you, King," said Billy. "You don't know me," replied the King. "I don't even know myself; so how could a fat boy, who has just shaken my hand, expect to know me?" "I don't know," said Billy. "That's better. Where is my daughter, Jack?" "I don't know, Your Calciumness," answered Jack Frost. But even as he spoke a tall, handsome young woman with raven-black hair and large blue eyes came slowly into the room. "Me feyther," cried she, in a tragic voice, "the light, the light." And immediately the King turned a small calcium light directly on her. Bowing and kissing her hand, she turned to Billy. "Whither goest thou, fair sir, and whence comest thou? Answer, I prithee." "Ma'am?" was all Billy could say in his amazement. "She means where are you going and where did you come from," whispered Jack in Billy's ear. "Why couldn't she say so, then?" grumbled Billy. "Goest thou henceford or thenceford, fair sir? Fain would I know--or wilt thou tarry awhile and let me pour into thine ear--" Billy put his hands over his ears and stepped back in a hurry. "Please don't pour anything into my ears." "She means she wants to talk to you," whispered Jack again; "that's stage talk." "Ay, such is indeed the truth," said Sterry Optican, moving forward, followed closely by the light. This time Billy stood his ground and she took his hand in hers, saying sadly-- "Would thou wert not so fat, fair sir, else could I learn, ay! gladly learn to love you--but hold, villain--unhand me!" and she flung Billy's hand away from her and burst into sobs. "Jack Frost," said Billy wildly, "for goodness sake pinch me--I don't know whether I'm asleep or crazy."