From the hall, a stair of brass led down to a subterranean chamber.  Here lay much gold and silver, and precious stones of every hue shone out between them.  Strange vessels stood along the walls, and all seemed filled with costly things.  The gold was worked into many forms, and glittered with the friendliest red.  Many little dwarfs were busied in sorting the pieces from the heap, and putting them in the vessels; others, hunch-backed and bandy-legged, with long red noses, were tottering slowly along, half-bent to the ground, under full sacks, which they bore as millers do their grain, and, with much panting, shaking out the gold-dust on the ground.  Then they darted awkwardly to the right and left, and caught the rolling balls that were likely to run away; and it happened now and then that one in his eagerness upset another, so that both fell heavily and clumsily to the ground.  They made angry faces, and looked askance, as Mary laughed at their gestures and their ugliness.  Behind them sat an old crumpled little man, whom Zerina reverently greeted; he thanked her with a grave inclination of his head.  He held a sceptre in his hand, and wore a crown upon his brow, and all the other dwarfs appeared to regard him as their master and obey his nod.

“What more wanted?” asked he, with a surly voice, as the children came a little nearer.  Mary was afraid, and did not speak; but her companion answered, they were only come to look about them in the chamber.  “Still your old child-tricks!” replied the dwarf; “will there never be an end to idleness?” With this, he turned again to his employment, kept his people weighing and sorting the ingots; some he sent away on errands, some he chid with angry tones.

“Who is the gentleman?” asked Mary.

“Our Metal-Prince,” replied Zerina, as they walked along.

They seemed once more to reach the open air, for they were standing by a lake, yet no sun appeared, and they saw no sky above their heads.  A little boat received them, and Zerina steered it diligently forward.  It shot rapidly along.  On gaining the middle of the lake, little Mary saw that multitudes of pipes, channels, and brooks were spreading from the little sea in every direction.  “These waters to the right,” said Zerina, “flow beneath your garden, and this is why it blooms so freshly; by the other side we get down into the great stream.”  On a sudden, out of all the channels, and from every quarter of the lake, came a crowd of little children swimming up; some wore garlands of sedge and water-lily; some had red stems of coral, others were blowing on crooked shells; a tumultuous noise echoed merrily from the dark shores; among the children might be seen the fairest women sporting in the waters, and often several of the children sprang about some one of them, and with kisses hung upon her neck and shoulders.  All saluted the stranger; and these steered onward through the revelry out of the lake, into a little