“Quick! quick!” cried the Bird-maiden, “let us escape before he can use his spells.” She caught Teddy by the hand, and together they ran to the door that led to the stairway. “Your key! Oh, make haste!” cried the Bird-maiden, breathlessly. In a moment Teddy had unlocked the door they had passed through, and it had swung to behind them. Up the stairs they ran, and there they were standing in the sunlight near the rain-butt. “I am free! I am free!” cried the Bird-maiden, joyously. “Oh! thank you, little boy. And now for home.” She caught the edges of her cloak and spread it wide, and as she did so it changed to wings, her head grew round and covered with feathers, and with a glad cry she sprang from the earth and flew up and away and out of sight through the sunlight. “Why, it’s Harriett’s canary!” cried Teddy. “And now I must go,” said the Counterpane Fairy. Teddy was back in the India-room. The sun was low, and a broad band of pale sunlight lay across the foot of the bed. The fairy was just starting down the counterpane hill. “Was it really Harriett’s canary?” asked Teddy. “I haven’t time to talk of that now,” cried the Counterpane Fairy, “for I hear your mother coming. Good-bye! good-bye!” And sure enough she had scarcely disappeared behind the counterpane hill when his mamma came in. “Oh, Mamma!” cried Teddy, “do you think Harriett’s canary came back? “I don’t know, dear,” said his mother. Then she put a little package into his hand. “Do you think Harriett will like that?” she asked. When Teddy opened the bundle he saw a cunning little bisque doll that sat in a little tin bath-tub. You could take the doll out and dress it, or you could really bathe it in the tub. “Oh! isn’t that cute!” cried Teddy, with delight. “Won’t little Cousin Harriett be pleased!” “I hope she will,” said mamma. [Illustration] CHAPTER TENTH. THE COUNTERPANE FAIRY SAYS GOOD-BYE Teddy was to go out-doors the next day if it was mild and pleasant. The doctor had come in that morning for the last time to see him. “Well, my little man,” he had said, giving Teddy’s cheek a pinch, “can’t be pretending you’re a sick boy any longer with cheeks and eyes like these. Now we’ll have you back at school in no time, and then I suppose you’ll be up to all your old tricks again.” Later on the little boy had gone downstairs for dinner, for the first time since he had been ill. Everything there had looked very strange to him, and as if he had not seen it for years. He had felt just as well as ever until he tried to chase the cat, Muggins, down the hall, and then his legs had given way in a funny, weak fashion that made him laugh. After dinner Muggins followed him upstairs, and curling down under a chair went fast asleep. Teddy took his blocks and built them about the chair, so that when the cat woke he found himself built up inside a little house.