‘I?’ said Stuart.  ‘Or what?’

‘Either.  Both.’

The janissary laughed somewhat uneasily.  Just then a knight, extremely well got up in the habiliments of the 13th century, stepped near and accosted the witch in a confidential tone.

’Everybody here, I suppose, is known to you.  Pray who is that very handsome, very decolletee, lady from the court of Charles the Second?  Upon my word! she does it well.’

‘That is Miss Fisher.’

’Well, if women knew!’—­said the knight slowly.  It was evident he thought himself speaking to safe ears, probably not handsome enough to be displayed.  ‘If they knew!’ he repeated.  ‘Does she not do it well?’

‘Does she?’ said the witch.  ‘I was not in England just then.’

’Don’t you wish you had been!  It’s a very fair show,’—­ continued the knight as he looked.  ’We ought to be much obliged to the lady.  Really, she leaves—­nothing—­to be desired!  If you please, merely as a subject of curiosity, from what part of the world and time does yonder figure come? the broad-brimmed hat?’

The figure was a very fine one, by the way.  His dress was a quaintly-cut suit of dark blue cloth, the edges bound with crimson, and fastened with silver buttons.  White fine thread stockings were tied at the knee with crimson riband, and silver buckles were in his shoes.

‘You must know,’ said the witch, ’that there are several parts of the world from which I have been banished.’

’In an aesthetic point of view, I should say the edict was justified,’ returned the knight, surveying the bale of brown serge before him.  He passed on, and the man in the blue cloth presently took his place.

‘They tell me you are a witch,’ said he, speaking in rather a low tone; ’and as you see, I am a countryman.  Will you have the goodness to explain to me—­I suppose you understand it—­what all the these people are?’

’They are people who for the present find their happiness in being other people,’ said the witch, with a grave voice, in which however a laugh was somewhat imperfectly muffled.  ’Like yourself, sir.’

’Like me?  Quite the contrary.  I was never more myself, I assure you.  For that very reason I find myself not at home.  Excuse my curiosity.  Why, if you please, do they seek their happiness out of themselves, as it were, in this way?’

‘Well,’ said the witch confidentially, ’to tell you the truth, I don’t know.  You see I am in your predicament, and was never more myself.’

’But I thought you had a familiar spirit?  I have read so much as that.’

’At your service’—­said the witch.

’Then be so good as to enlighten me.  I see a moving kaleidoscope view of figures—­it’s very pretty—­but why are they all here?’

‘Some because they were invited,’ said the witch critically.  ’And doubtless some because others were.  And a good many for fun—­and a few for mischief.’