It grew darker and darker; the mountain was covered with boulders of stone, juniper bushes and stunted trees; but no trace of the great rent in the mountain-side could they discover. "Did we dream it all?" said Karl. "Impossible, why I have been down there many times," said Norah beginning to feel bitterly disappointed. "Supposing I were to fetch some of my men here and blow up the rocks with dynamite; we must be able to get in then, for the mountain is as full of dwarfs as bees in a hive," said Karl, who was getting in a temper. "And do you think they would reward you handsomely for your services," said Norah sarcastically, "and O the poor little men, they always treated me with the utmost kindness and politeness, and gave me far more money than ever I bargained for!" "They nearly pinched me black and blue, till I frightened them with my revolver," said Karl. "The wretches!" said Norah, "but why?" "Because I was silly enough to tell them about the airship, and they thought I was humbugging them." "How absurd!" Norah exclaimed. "But what are we to do now, Karl?" she continued in a doleful voice. "I _must_ have some money; we are still in debt for the greater part of our furniture; and the house is heavily mortgaged." "If I could only get a good post!" said Karl sighing deeply. "I had reckoned on those dwarf chaps!" "We shall never be able to marry," said Norah, now in the depths of despair; "our house will have to be given up, and our things sold by auction, and I, O I shall have to marry a horrid, rich old peasant who will treat me as a servant, and father will be obliged to work in the fields." With this she burst into tears. It was quite dark now save for the new moon whose pale crescent shone in the sky. Norah observed it in spite of her tears. "The new moon!" she exclaimed. "O do let us turn all the money that we have in our pockets. How much have you got Karl?" "About 10 shillings," he replied. "O you are richer than I am; I have only 8d. in my purse; nevertheless let us turn what we have, and it will be sure to bring us a fortune." Karl laughed. "You little fairy," he said, and looked at her with admiration; then involuntarily his eyes strayed in the direction of the fir-grove. He thought he could see something moving there. Norah looked too. "Karl," she said excitedly, "I do believe it is the dwarf men after all; who else could it be?" At the same moment they caught sight of a queer form with a turned-up nose and peaked cap clearly outlined against the sky, and recognised Mr Query. "Hullo!" said Karl. "[text missing in original] to you," he said in a droll manner. "Now, Mr Dwarf," said Karl, anxious to proceed to business, "what about our little agreement as to electric light, etc.?"