grandmother is in no danger," said Irene, smiling.
"Here, Curdie, take the princess while I get on my horse," said the king.
Curdie took the princess again, and both turned their eyes to the globe of light. The same moment there shot from it a white bird, which, descending with outstretched wings, made one circle round the king and Curdie and the princess, and then glided up again. The light and the pigeon vanished together.
"Now, Curdie," said the princess, as he lifted her to her father's arms, "you see my grandmother knows all about it, and isn't frightened. I believe she could walk through that water and it wouldn't wet her a bit."
"But, my child," said the king, "you will be cold if you haven't something more on. Run, Curdie, my boy, and fetch anything you can lay your hands on, to keep the princess warm. We have a long ride before us."
Curdie was gone in a moment, and soon returned with a great rich fur, and the news that dead goblins were tossing about in the current through the house. They had been caught in their own snare; instead of the mine they had flooded their own country, whence they were now swept up drowned. Irene shuddered, but the king held her close to his bosom. Then he turned to Sir Walter, and said—
"Bring Curdie's father and mother here."
"I wish," said the king, when they stood before him, "to take your son with me. He shall enter my bodyguard at once, and wait further promotion."
Peter and his wife, overcome, only murmured almost inaudible thanks. But Curdie spoke aloud.
"Please your Majesty," he said, "I cannot leave my father and mother."
"That's right, Curdie!" cried the princess. "I wouldn't if I was you."
The king looked at the princess and then at Curdie with a glow of satisfaction on his countenance.
"I too think you are right, Curdie," he said, "and I will not ask you again. But I shall have a chance of doing something for you some time."
"Your Majesty has already allowed me to serve you," said Curdie.
"But, Curdie," said his mother, "why shouldn't you go with the king? We can get on very well without you."
"But I can't get on very well without you," said Curdie. "The king is very kind, but I could not be half the use to him that I am to you. Please your Majesty, if you wouldn't mind giving my mother a red petticoat! I should have got her one long ago, but for the goblins."
"As soon as we get home," said the king, "Irene and I will search out the warmest one to be found, and send it by one of the gentlemen."
"Yes, that we will, Curdie!" said the princess.
"And next summer we'll come back and see you wear it, Curdie's mother," she added. "Sha'n't we, king-papa?"
"Yes, my love; I hope so," said the king.
Then turning to the miners, he said——
"Will you do the best you can for my servants to-night? I hope they will be able to return to the house to-morrow."
The miners with one voice promised their hospitality.
Then the king commanded his servants to mind whatever Curdie should say to them, and after shaking hands with him and his father and mother, the king and the princess and all their company rode away down the side of the new stream which had already devoured half the road, into the starry night.
CHAPTER XXXII
THE LAST CHAPTER
ALL the rest went up the mountain, and separated in groups to the homes of the miners. Curdie and his father and mother took Lootie with them. And the whole way, a light, of which all but Lootie understood the origin, shone upon their path. But when they looked round they could see nothing of the silvery globe.
For days and days the water continued to rush from the doors and windows of the king's house, and a few goblin bodies were swept out into the road.
Curdie saw that something must be done. He spoke to his father and the rest of the miners, and they at once proceeded to make another outlet for the waters. By setting all hands to the work, tunneling here and building there, they soon succeeded; and having also made a little tunnel to drain the water away from under the king's house, they were soon able to get into the wine cellar, where they found a multitude of dead goblins—among the rest the queen, with the skin-shoe gone, and the stone one fast to her ankle—for the water had swept away the barricade which prevented the men-at-arms from following the goblins, and had greatly widened the passage. They built it securely up, and then went back to their labors in the mine.
A good many of the goblins with their creatures escaped from the inundation out upon the mountain. But most of them soon left that part of the country, and most of those who remained grew milder in character, and indeed became very much like the Scotch Brownies. Their skulls became softer as well as their hearts, and their feet grew harder, and by degrees they became friendly with the inhabitants of the mountain and even with the miners. But the latter were merciless to any of the cobs' creatures that came their way, until at length they all but disappeared. Still—
"But, Mr. Author, we would rather hear more about the Princess and Curdie. We don't care about the goblins and their nasty creatures. They frighten us—rather."
"But you know if you once get rid of the goblins there is no fear of the princess or of Curdie."
"But we want to know more about them."
"Some day, perhaps, I may tell you the further history of both of them; how Curdie came to visit Irene's grandmother, and what she did for him; and how the princess and he met again after they were older—and how—But there! I don't mean to go any farther at present."
"Then you're leaving the story unfinished, Mr. Author!"
"Not more unfinished than a story ought to be, I hope. If you ever knew a story finished, all I can say is, I never did. Somehow, stories won't finish. I think I know why, but I won't say that either, now."
THE END
THE PRINCESS AND CURDIE
"Come in, Curdie," said the voice.
