It was still and sunny in the open, and the hum of insects sounded louder than the hum of traffic. In the lilac bush a blackbird was practising his grace-notes, so as to be in good voice for the many concerts of the on-coming season, and a warm west wind passed through the garden in long, happy sighs, as though the young summer were drawing its first deep breaths of lazy contentment. Philomène began watering and weeding her garden, and from time to time she looked up at the key-hole in the wall.
“If one is just ordinary oneself,” she said half aloud, “and lives in an ordinary house, I expect fairy things simply can’t happen. Some day, though, I must write a book about them, as if they really had happened; I suppose that is the next best thing.”
At that moment she caught sight of a dandelion about to seed, growing between her box borders; she stooped to pick the beautiful thing, and at once began to blow upon the “nursery clock,” so that the seeds took wing in all directions.
CHAPTER IV
WHICH INTRODUCES SWEET WILLIAM
“If you could let me have the right time, I should be obliged to you,” said a voice at her elbow. Philomène started, so that the now dishevelled globe of seeds fell from her hand on to the gravel, and she turned to see who it was that had spoken to her. By her side stood a little man in a vivid green suit; in her first surprise she thought it must be one of the six dwarfs come back to her again, but in another moment she noticed that his shoes had rounded toes, and that his hat, although pointed, had a red and white cockade in it.
“That is not the proper way in which to treat a watch, child,” said the mannikin crossly, and stooping to pick up the dandelion, he blew upon it gently.
“Five o’clock,” said he, “just about tea-time.” And then Philomène’s heart gave a sudden throb, for out of his waistcoat pocket he took a key, which he fitted into the key-hole. A little stone door swung outwards in the wall, and the mannikin hesitated upon the threshold.
“‘IF YOU COULD LET ME HAVE THE RIGHT TIME I SHOULD BE OBLIGED TO YOU.’”
Page [22]
The Fairy Latchkey.
“All things considered,” he remarked slowly, “and especially the green ribbons, I think I may do myself the pleasure of asking you to step in.”