"You came just in time. I was about going. What delayed me--but strange things have happened to-night! As I drove up to this house, suddenly the life seemed to go out of me. It was never so before. And as I stepped out of the Sleigh, I felt weary and old. And the moment I left the reins on the dashboard, my reindeer, which were trembling with fright of a new kind, fled with the Sleigh. And now I am left without knowing when and how I shall get away. But on a night like this wonderful things happen; and I may get some signal from them. A frightened horse will run away from its dismounted master and then come back to him. And they may come for me. I may get a signal. I shall wait. But as I said, I feel strangely lifeless: and I think I shall sit down. Will you sit down, please? Where you are, since you cannot _see_ any chairs," he said with the sweetest gayety. In the darkness there were the sounds of laughing delighted children--grouping themselves on the floor. "Now," said the voice, "I think I'll come around to your side of the Tree so that there'll be nothing between us!" He was coming--coming as the white-haired Winter-god, Forest-spirit, of the earth's children! They heard him advance around from behind the Tree, moving to the right; and one of them who possessed the most sensitive hearing felt sure that another personage advanced more softly around from behind the Tree, on the left side. However this may be, all heard _him_ sit down, heard the boughs rustle about him as he worked his thick jolly figure back under them until they must have hung about his neck and down over his eyes: then he laughed out as though he had taken his seat on his true Forest Throne. "When I am at home in my own country," he said, "I am accustomed to sleep with my back against an evergreen. I believe in your lands you prefer pine furniture: I like the whole tree." A tender voice put forth an unexpected question:-- "Are you sure that there is not some one with you?" "Is not that a strange question?" "Ah yes, but in the old story when St. Nicholas arrived, an angel came with him: are you right sure there's not an angel in the room with you now?" "I certainly _see_ no angel, though I think I hear the voice of one! Do you see any angel?" "With my mind's eye." "That must be the very best eye with which to see an angel!" "But if there were a light in the room--!" "Pardon me! If there were a light, I might not be here myself. If you changed the world at all, you would change it altogether." A bolder voice broke in:-- "You're a very mysterious person, are you not?" "Not more mysterious than you, I should say. Is there anything more mysterious than one of you children?" "Oh, but that's a different kind of mysterious: we don't pretend to be mysterious: you do!"