"But yes, but when it is his own story, Mark. But aren't you stupid? and besides, them all was horrid, and this was a nice dwarf. Was he like you, Mark?"
"A little—perhaps."
"Then he was very nice, and I love him. Like this." The child threw her arms around the dwarf, and gave him a strangling hug; then she drew back and looked at him.
"It seems," she said, "as if most likely p'r'aps I loved you better than Princes. Do you s'pose could I?"
The dwarf's eyes were very kind as he looked at her, but he shook his head, and loosed the little arms gently. "No, Snow-white," he said, "I don't believe you could. But as to this other dwarf, there isn't very much to tell. He gave her back her freedom, as they call it in the books, and then he shut up the fine house and went away."
"Where did he go?"
"Oh, he went everywhere, or pretty near it. He travelled, and saw strange places and people. But nothing mattered much to him, and at last he found that there was only one country he really cared to see, and that was the country that has never been discovered."
"Then how did he know it was there, Mark? but where was it? was it like 'East o' the Sun and West o' the Moon,' and old womans told him about it?"
"Yes, perhaps; at least, his mother used to tell him about it. But he never thought then—he didn't think much about it. But now he was tired, and nothing mattered, and so he thought he would go and see that country—if it were really there—and possibly he might find his mother, if the things she said were true. So—did I say his mother was dead? So I did! Oh, well, never mind that now. So he bought a key that would open the door of that country—yes, something like that thing I called a key—and then he came to a place—well, it was something like this place, Snow-white. He wanted to be quiet, you see, for some time, before he went away. He wanted to be alone, and think—think—gather up the threads and thoughts of his life and try to straighten them into something like an even skein. Then, if he were allowed, if there should be any possibility that he might take them with him, he could say to his mother—he could excuse himself—he could tell her—"
"Mark," said the child, "do you know what I think?"