The two little girls talked all the afternoon about the wonderful things they would make their slaves do for them, and they were so contented with each other's company that they never once called on their slaves for anything. But when Fina began to feel the inside feeling that means teatime, she rubbed the ring for her slave to take her back to the farm. 'I'll get my slave to take me to see you home,' said Ella. 'He can carry me quite without hurting me.' So she rubbed the lamp, and the stately butler instantly appeared. 'Please----' Ella began; but the glorious butler interrupted. 'James,' he said to the footman, 'what are you doing here?' 'I'm in service with this young lady, Mr. Lamp, sir.' 'Give me the ring, James.' And instantly the footman took the ring, very gently but quite irresistibly, from Fina's finger, and handed it to the butler. 'Oh _no_!' Fina cried, 'you've no right to take my ring. And he's no right to obey you. He's _my_ slave.' 'Excuse me, madam,' said the butler, looking more and more perfect, and more and more the sort of person who is sure to know best, 'he is not _your_ slave. He is the Slave of the Ring. But then, you see, he is a footman, and footmen have to obey butlers all the world over.' [Illustration: '"We'll see if you are going to begin a-ordering of me about."'--Page 219.] 'That's so, miss,' said the footman; 'but the lamp's stronger than the ring.' He snatched up the lamp. 'Now, then,' he said, turning fiercely to the butler, 'we'll see if you're going to begin a-orderin' of me about!' The butler so far forgot himself as to scratch his head thoughtfully. 'Yes,' he said, after a pause; 'I've got to own that you've got the better of me there, James Rings. But why dispute--which is beneath the dignity of a six-foot footman like yourself, to say nothing of the dignity of a butler, which is a thing words can't do justice to? You're my slave because I've got the ring and because I'm a butler and you're a footman. And I'm your slave because you've got the lamp. It's half a dozen of one and six and a half of the other. Can't we come to some agreement between ourselves, James?' 'Oh,' cried Ella, 'what about _us_?' 'We are excessively sorry to cause any inconvenience, madam,' said the butler, 'but we give you five minutes' notice. We are leaving service for good.' 'Oh, Lamps!' cried Ella. 'And you were always such a beautiful butler. I thought you enjoyed being it.' 'Don't you make any mistake, miss,' the footman put in. 'Nobody _enjoys_ being in service, though they has to put up with it. Me and Mr. Lamps is retiring from service. Perhaps we may take a little business and go into partnership, and always wishing you well, young ladies both.' 'But,' said Fina, 'you _can't_ go and leave me here! Why, I should never get home. I don't so much as know what county I'm in.' 'You're in Auckland, miss,' said James. 'There isn't such a country.'