Mr Auberly replied somewhat coldly to this that Fred was welcome to return home if he chose, but that his place in the office had been filled up. Besides, it was impossible for him to be both a painter and a man of business, he said, and added that Loo had better not talk about such things, because she did not understand them. All he could say was that he was willing to receive Fred, if Fred was willing to return. He did not say, however, that he was willing to restore Fred to his former position in regard to his fortune, and as Loo knew nothing about her brother having been disinherited, she felt that she must be satisfied with this cold concession. "Can you not ask some other favour, such as I could grant?" said Mr Auberly, with a smile, which was not nearly so grim as it used to be before "the fire." (The family always talked of the burning of Mr Auberly's house as "the fire," to the utter repudiation of all other fires--the great one of monumental fame included.) Loo meditated some time before replying. "Oh, yes," she exclaimed suddenly, "I _have_ another favour to ask. How stupid of me to forget it. I want you very much to go and see a fairy that lives--" "A fairy, Loo!" said Mr Auberly, while a shade of anxiety crossed his face. "You--you are rather weak just now; I must make you be quiet, and try to sleep, if you talk nonsense, dear." "It's not nonsense," said Loo, again stretching out the thin hand, which her father grasped, replaced under the coverings, and held there; "it's quite true, papa," she continued energetically! "it _is_ a fairy I want you to go and see--she's a pantomime fairy, and lives somewhere near London Bridge, and she's been very ill, and is so poor that they say she's dying for want of good food." "Who told you about her, Loo?" "Willie Willders," she replied, "he has been to see her and her father the clown a good many times." Mr Auberly, frowned, for the name of Willie Willders did not sound pleasantly in his ears. "_Do_ go to see her, pray, dear papa," pleaded Loo with much earnestness, "and give her some money. You know that darling mamma said, just before she was taken away," (the poor child persistently refused to use the expression "when she died"), "she wanted you to take me sometimes to see poor people when they were sick, and I've often thought of that since--especially when I have come to the verse in my Bible which tells me to `consider the poor,' and I have often--oh, so very often--longed to go, but you were always so busy, dear papa, that you never had time, you know," (the stiff man winced a little at this) "but you seem to have more time now, papa, and although I'm too weak to go with you, I thought I would ask you to go to see this poor fairy, and tell her I will go to see her some day--if--if God makes me strong again."