The Naiads and Dryads immediately disappeared in a pale green mist, the Sprites changed into blue smoke, and the next instant Peggy found herself, with hundreds of silent, hardworking Pixies, digging with pickaxes in the sides of a cold dark rock, by the light of a solitary glow-worm!
The Giant, with his blue sleeves rolled up, was working diligently by her side.
“Oh, what are we doing? Where’s the party gone?” cried Peggy in great distress.
“Over,” said the Giant without stopping; and at every blow of his axe great pieces of gold fell out of the rock. “Now we’ve got to work!”
“Oh, but this is dull,” said Peggy. “And I know Nannie wouldn’t like me to get hot with my bad cold,” she went on primly, quite forgetting that she had not thought of that at all, during the games just now. Then seeing the Giant was busily knocking some emeralds out of the rock without taking any notice of what she said, “Oh, I hate the horrid place; I wish I was back in bed!” she went on crossly, just to see whether he’d answer that or not, and throwing her pickaxe down with a crash....
“But you are, Miss Peggy,” said Nurse’s voice soothingly, and Peggy found herself once more in the nursery, with the blankets and sheets all tumbling off in a most uncomfortable way. “There, that’s better! Now you must try and go to sleep again. The hot-water bottle’s just tumbled out. I expect that’s what woke you.”
“Why, Nannie, I didn’t really mean to come back so soon!” said Peggy. “I never thanked them for my nice time, or anything!”
“You’ve been dreaming you were at the party next door,” said Nurse. “That’s because you heard the music, I expect. Now you mustn’t talk any longer. To-morrow night Mother will be home!”
“Why, so she will! Good-night, Giant dear,” said Peggy, and turning over fell sound asleep at once.
“She must be feverish, I’m afraid, yet she looks quite well,” said Nurse rather uneasily, stealing softly from the room.