Leo looked quite shocked.
"Oh, well," said Paz, profoundly, "There's a limit to all things, and I'm not a Knops."
"But have you been to all parts of the world?" asked Leo.
"Oh, yes," answered Paz, carelessly. "I have wandered far and wide in my time. Until I caught the diamond fever I was used as an envoy."
"Indeed!" said Leo, having but a faint idea of what an envoy was. "What did you do?"
"I went on errands of importance."
"Who for, and where did you go?"
"I was sent generally to carry messages from our King to the Queen of the Wind Fairies or the Herb Elves, or the Sylphs, sometimes to warn them of trouble or danger, sometimes to tell them that imps were rampaging or giants were about to make war, but oftener to inform them of some plan for assisting man, or some good to be done for a child: in these things we delight."
"How kind!" said Leo.
"Kindness has so much power, if people only knew it. But you are waiting; I must not detain you." So, without further preface, thus began