“Oh, the light—­the light, my child! there is such a light!” answered Madeline.

“Mother, you are not afraid of Light!” exclaimed the bewildered Roderick.

“Oh, but this light! it is like no other;—­it is awful!”

“Mother,—­it is not the light of Fire, is it,” cried poor Roderick, now at last turning pale.  “But even if it is, remember that I can help you now; I can go everywhere,—­all over, and fear nothing.  I can go and fetch my brothers and sisters, one by one!  Oh, send me; send me, Mamma!  I shall be less afraid than any of you, for I cannot see the horrid light that frightens you!”

As he finished, a gentle, prolonged “Hush!” resounded through the room; like the soothing, quieting sound of lullaby to an infant.  And in the midst of the beaming light, the form of the long-forgotten Fairy Eudora appeared before the eyes of the astonished Madeline.

“The Sea Castle is not on Fire, you dear, brave child,” cried the Fairy; “and your Mother has no cause for fear.  I am a friend.”

“Cousin!” cried the bewildered Madeline, “why are you here?” and a terrible suspicion flashed through her mind:  and she pointed to her boy, and added, trembling with agony—­

“Is that your doing?”

“What if I say it is, Cousin Madeline.  There is a long story about that, but we shall have time for it hereafter.—­Dear little Cousin Roderick,” pursued the Fairy, seating herself, and drawing Roderick to her.  “You have been a good boy, and got light out of darkness.  Mind you hold it fast.  You did not use the light well, though, when you had it, Cousin Roderick.”

“I know I didn’t,” was his answer.

“If you could live the light time over again, you would be wiser, Roderick.”

“I hope I should indeed,” he murmured fervently; “but it is not likely I shall ever see the light again.”

“Little boys shouldn’t say things are not likely, when they don’t know any thing about them,” cried the Fairy gaily, to cheer them up.

“I dare say, if I were to ask you, you would tell me it was a bit of sand that got into your eyes last year, that made you blind; but it was no such thing, clever Master Roderick.  Your naughty Cousin Eudora had something to do with that; but, luckily, she can put her own work straight again.  Cousin Madeline, what do you think of my pretty light?”

“Eudora, it is dreadful.”

“Then shut your eyes, poor thing, we don’t want to blind you.  But Roderick and I have not done talking yet.  Come, little boy, lift up your face towards me, and open those pretty eyes wide, that I may see if I can’t do them some good.  Why, they are as blue as the water round our island!  There, now, they are looking at my face.  Mind you tell me if you think me pretty.”

“Eudora!” exclaimed Madeline.

“Sit down, sit down, and shut your eyes, good woman.  Now, Roderick, wont even my Fairy light break through your darkness?”