in the vast Lands of Dream and thought of Saranoora. And when I saw
the cottages again I felt less lonely even at the thought of the cat
though he generally laughed at the things I said. And the first thing
that I saw when I saw the witch was that I had lost the world and was
going back for the rest of my days to the palace of Singanee. And the
first thing that she said was: "Why! You've been through the wrong
door," quite kindly for she saw how unhappy I looked. And I said,
"Yes, but it's all the same street. The whole street's altered and
London's gone and the people I used to know and the houses I used to
rest in, and everything; and I'm tired."

"What did you want to go through the wrong door for?" she said.

"O, that made no difference," I said.

"O, didn't it?" she said in a contradictory way.

"Well I wanted to get to the near end of the street so as to find my
boat quickly by the Embankment. And now my boat, and the Embankment
and--and----."

"Some people are always in such a hurry," said the old black cat. And
I felt too unhappy to be angry and I said nothing more.

And the old witch said, "Now which way do you want to go?" and she was
talking rather like a nurse to a small child. And I said, "I have
nowhere to go."

And she said, "Would you rather go home or go to the ivory palace of
Singanee." And I said, "I've got a headache, and I don't want to go