"The country-folk, you know, call me a wizard," he went on. "Well--well--it does me no harm! I have learnt some strange things--I have wandered some little way into regions where few mortals are allowed to tread; I have had some dealings with beings of another kind of life than ours; in some ways I have been of use to the 'good people,' as they are called, and they to me. But such knowledge as I have acquired I can truly declare I have only used for the advantage of my fellows. My learning of this sort will pass away with me--I can leave behind me none of my secrets save one, and this--this spell I am now about to reveal to you three." He stopped again. The eyes of the young men were fixed upon him in breathless eagerness. What were they about to hear? But some instinct kept them all silent. Time enough for thanks, thought Hodge and Giles, when they knew what there was to thank for. And as for Michael, his curiosity was kept back by the real sorrow he felt at the idea of the old man's approaching death. Peter went on again: "As children," he said, "I daresay you heard many of the old fairy tales handed down for generations--tales to be found in one shape or another all the world over, it seems to me. So it often struck me that for some of them, at least, there must be a foundation of truth at bottom, and I set myself to use my little knowledge of these matters to discover it. I failed in several cases--I was wanting in certain qualifications. But as to one so-called legend I succeeded. Do you remember the old tale of the grateful gnome who taught his human benefactor how to make sure of a good dinner, by using a certain spell?" Hodge pricked up his ears at the word "dinner." So did Giles, but though they had some vague memory of the well-known story, they were half afraid to say so, for fear of Peter's cross-questioning them. But Michael answered at once, for he had always loved fairy stories, that he remembered the one of the magic table quite distinctly. "Well, then," said the old man, "I am going to show you that it was true, for the spell by which the feast was made to appear still exists. Now, all of you, listen carefully to my words. I may repeat them thrice, which will enable you to learn them perfectly, but after the third time you must trust to your memory." Then sitting up erect on his chair, he recited, slowly and distinctly thrice, as he had said, these words: "Little table, fair to see, Magic bell now summons thee. Spread with viands good to taste, Fairy table, prithee haste!" and after a moment's silence, when he had ended the incantation, he drew out a tiny silver bell--a mere toy of a thing--and rang it sharply.