Prince Lazybones and Other Stories | Page 4

to understand it."
"Poor boy! It's a pity some old ghost of a monk could not interest himself in your education; but, as I said before, ghosts are absurdly useless, except to scare people whose consciences are bad, and nothing more is needed to make me doubt their existence than the fact of your living here in what should be their stronghold, and they never raise hand or foot to help you. It's quite in keeping with their ridiculous pretensions. Believe in ghosts? No, I never did, and I never will."
The voice, small and weak though it was, grew quite angry in tone, and it seemed to Leo as if it were accompanied by the stamp of a foot; but he saw nothing, not so much as a spider crawling over the stone corridor.
It was very peculiar. He pinched himself to see if he was awake. Yes, wide-awake, no doubt of that; besides, he seldom dreamed--indeed, never, unless his foot had slipped in climbing a crag to peep into a nest, when the fall was sometimes repeated in his sleep. Who was this speaking to him? As if in answer to his thoughts, the voice went on:
"So far from being a good-for-nothing old ghost, I am one of the founders of the S.P.C.C., a very old society--much older than people of the present day imagine."
Leo was quite ashamed to be so ignorant, but he ventured to ask,
"What is the S.P.C.C.?"
"Is it possible you have never heard of it?"
"Never," replied Leo, still feeling as if he were talking to the walls.
There was a queer little gurgling "Ha! ha!" which was at once suppressed.
"Well, how could you know away off in this remote region?"
"I am sure I don't understand you at all," said Leo.
"No, I see you don't; and it's by no means remarkable. You live so entirely alone, and are so wretchedly neglected, that it is a wonder you know anything."
Leo began to be angry, but it was too much of an effort; besides, what was there to be angry at--a voice? So he remained sulkily silent until the voice resumed, in a changed tone:
"I beg your highness's pardon; I quite forgot myself. I am very apt to do that when I am much interested; it is a great fault, for I appreciate fine manners. But to explain. In the faraway cities where people live like ants in an ant-hill, all crowded together, there is often much cruelty and oppression, as well as vice and poverty. Now for this state of things they have laws and punishments, means of redress; but they relate principally to grown people's affairs; so the kind-hearted ones, noticing that little children are often in need of pity and care and protection, have an association called the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. It is as old as the hills, but they think it a modern invention. I am one of the original founders of that society, little as they know me; but human beings are so vain."
"Indeed!" said Leo, lazily; he was already tired of the whole matter.
"Yes, vain and pretentious. Look at your father and his poems; he thinks his doggerel verses a mark of genius."
"What has my father done to you that you attack him so rudely?" asked Leo, angrily.
"Ah! you are aroused at last. I am glad. What has your father not done, you had better ask. But I acknowledge that I am rude, and I won't say more than just this: Your father has failed to prepare you for your duties. Trouble is coming, and how are you to meet it?"
"Don't know, and don't care," came out with characteristic Lazybones indifference.
"Ah! my dear Prince, do not speak so; it is quite time you knew and cared. Do you study geography?"
"Sometimes."
"All surface work, I suppose?"
"Probably."
"Now my plan of study comprehends an interior view of the earth's formation."
Leo gave a tremendous yawn, and said,
"Oh, please don't bother any more; I am awfully tired."
"So I should think. Well, do you want to be amused?"
"No; I don't want anything."
"Come with me, then."
"Where?"
"No matter where; just do as I bid you."
"How can I, when I don't even see you?"
"True. It will be necessary to anoint your eyes; shall I do it?"
"Just as you please."
Leo felt a little pressure forcing down his eyelids, and the pouring of a drop of cool liquid on each.
When he opened his eyes again there stood before him the quaintest, queerest being he had ever beheld.

CHAPTER III
Leo had heard of kobolds and gnomes and elves, but in all his wanderings over the Lazybones estate in the brightness of noon, the dewy dawn, or dusky eve, or later when the moon bathed every shrub in silver, he had never so much as caught a glimpse of fairy folk.
Here, however, was a real elf--a