“We are in the cellar,” the voice of the Parsnip-man replied at his side.  “Don’t be frightened; it will be light again in a minute or two.”

Accordingly, in a few moments, Peter could see all around him.  They had emerged from the cellar, and were now in the street.  The wind had fallen, and there was a dead calm.  The street-lamps were burning with a somewhat dim light, however.

Peter could now plainly see the form of the little Parsnip-man riding beside him.  The mice scampered on and on.

[Illustration]

A watchman was standing in the doorway of a house.  His halberd reposed against the wall beside him.  Probably the watchman himself was reposing, for he never moved when the mice and their riders went by.  They rode to the end of the street, and there, before an old deserted house which Peter had often shuddered to look at in the daytime, the mice stopped.

“Here we are!” said the Parsnip-man, jumping down from his mouse.

Peter dismounted more leisurely, and the two mice ran off.

It was almost pitch dark by the old house.  Only one distant lamp gave a feeble glimmer.  The Parsnip-man whistled as before.  By and by Peter heard a sound like “Bst! bst!”

He looked all round, but could see nothing.  At this moment the Mannikin caught him by the arm and pointed upwards to a hole in the wall of the old house.  Peter then perceived that something was moving higher up, and very shortly he heard a rustling noise as if a ladder of ropes were being let down from above.

“Come quickly!” said a shrill, slender voice.  “The chimes have sounded once since the hour.  The Queen is waiting.”

“Climb on to my shoulders, Peter,” said the Parsnip-man, stooping as he spoke.  Peter did so, and held fast by the little man’s neck, who climbed nimbly up the rope-ladder to the opening in the wall above; and there Peter got down.

Here there stood another Parsnip-man with a little lantern in his hand, which he turned on Peter’s face, and then nodded to him in a friendly way.  After which he unhooked the rope-ladder and drew it up.

The two Parsnip-men now took Peter between them, each holding a hand.  They went through long dark passages, and then they began to go down-stairs.  Peter counted a hundred steps, but still they went down, down, and he could count no more.

All at once he heard music, which sounded as if it came from a distance.  They were now at the bottom of the steps, and walking on level ground.  The further they went the louder grew the music, and at last the Parsnip-men came to a standstill.

The one who held the lantern threw its light upon the wall till it disclosed a knob, on which he pressed.  Then he put out his lantern, and all was dark.  But the music sounded louder than before.