Page:Burnett - Two Little Pilgrims' Progress A Story of the City Beautiful.djvu/138

122 "Yes," said Meg. "Richness and poorness, and goodness and badness, and happiness and gladness. The Genie who made this palace was a very proud one, and he said he would put all the world in it, even if his workers could only make pictures and statues."

"Was he the strongest of all?" asked Robin, taking up the story again with interest.

"I don't know," Meg answered. "Sometimes I think he was. He was strong—he was very strong."

They had been too deeply plunged into their mood to notice a man who stood near them looking at a large picture. In fact the man himself had not at first noticed them; but when Meg began to speak, her voice attracted him. He turned his head and looked at her odd little reflecting face, and after having looked at it he stood listening to her. An expression of recognition came into his strong face.

"You two again!" he said, when she had finished. "And you have got here?" It was their man again.

"Yes," answered Meg, her black eyes revealing, as she lifted them to his face, that she came back to earth with some difficulty.