The two Brownies withdrew, leaving the house by the way they had entered. They looked sad, although they tried to hide their feelings from the friends who awaited their coming. "What is the news?" cried the Brownies. "Nothing as yet," answered Bruce. "But we hope for good news soon." "What will come of all this, Captain?" asked MacWhirlie privately. "Very little, I fear," was the answer. "I can't think what has come over the Governor of late. The Pixies seem to have spun their webs over his heart." "Over his eyes rather!" said MacWhirlie, "or his hands and feet. His heart is still true to the Brownies, I am sure. But he can't or don't understand our troubles and his own perils." "Well, well, we shall soon know." With that poor consolation they sat down on the edge of the lawn by the gravel walk and waited. Presently Governor Wille and his wife Dido came out of the house, and walked slowly up the path. Wille was relating his interview with the Brownies. "What do you think, wife? I fancy their stories about the Pixies are a good deal exaggerated--by fear of course I mean, for Brownies are clear truth always. Bruce said that the lawn was full of their tents and nets. Do you see them? I cannot see one, and I've been looking all along the walk."[R] "I quite agree with you, my dear," said the affectionate Dido. "As for the Pixie snares, I can see no more of them than you. Perhaps we had better wait a few days before we interfere." "A few days!" sighed Bruce, who heard all the conversation. "It will be too late by that time, I fear!" FOOTNOTES: [Footnote R: On a dewy summer morning one sees the fields and shrubbery covered with innumerable spider webs of various sorts. By midday these webs are invisible. What has become of them? In truth, the sun has simply dried the dew which clung to the delicate filaments of the webs and thus made them visible; and from careless eyes the webs are hidden, as was the case with Governor Wille.--THE EDITOR.] CHAPTER V. MADAM BREEZE COMES TO THE RESCUE. "Come!" cried the Captain at last. "Moping is no part of duty. If Governor Wille won't help us, we must seek allies in other quarters; and for the rest trust to our good swords." He raised his bugle to his lips, and sounded a note or two, whereat his Adjutant appeared.