“Cheri,” Jeanne went on, her eyes dancing with excitement, “I do believe this is another way into Fairyland, or into some other queer place like what we’ve seen.  Come on, quick.”

The children seized hold of each other’s hands, and hurried up the stair.  The steps were easier to mount than those of the corkscrew staircase up to the white lady’s turret, and very soon the children found themselves at the top of the first flight.  There, looking upwards, they could see the roof.  It was a sort of cupola; the chains from which the lamps hung were fastened to the centre, but the rest of the roof was of glass, and through it the children saw the sky, already quite dark, and with innumerable stars dotting its surface.

“Come on, Cheri,” said Jeanne; “I believe this stair leads out on to the roof of the house.”

So it did.  A door at the top opened as they ran up the last steps, and a familiar figure stepped out.

“Dudu!” exclaimed Jeanne, in a tone of some disappointment.

“Did you not expect to see me?” said the raven.  “Why, I thought it would amuse you to come up here and see the stars.”

“So it will,” said Hugh, anxious to make up for Jeanne’s abruptness.  “But, you see, we thought—­at least we hoped—­we should find some new adventures up here, especially when the ball hopped down the stairs, all gold.”

“What did you expect?” said Dudu, cocking his head.  “Fairies, I suppose, or enchanted princesses, or something of that kind.  What creatures children are for wonders, to be sure.”

“Now, Dudu,” said Jeanne, “you needn’t talk that way.  Whether we’re fond of wonders or not, anyhow it’s you that’s given us them to be fond of.  It was you that sent us to the frogs’ country, and all that, and it was you that took us to hear the white lady’s story.  So you’re not to laugh at us, and you must find us some more adventures, now you’ve brought us up here.”

“Adventures don’t grow on every tree, Mademoiselle Jeanne,” remarked Dudu.

“Well, Dudus don’t either,” replied Jeanne; “but as we’ve got you, you see, it all depends on you to get us the adventures.  I know you can, if you like.”

Dudu shook his head.

“No,” he said, “there are many things I can’t do.  But come out on to the roof, we can talk there just as well.”

He just turned towards the door by which he had entered, and it opened of itself.  He hopped through, and the children followed him.  They found themselves, as Dudu had said, on the roof of the house, of a part of the house, that is to say.  It seemed more like the roof of a little tower or turret.

Hugh and Jeanne stood for a moment or two in silence, looking up at the brilliant show of stars overhead.  It was not cold, the air seemed peculiarly fresh and sweet, as if it were purer and finer than that lower down.

“It’s rather nice up here, eh?” said Dudu.