"Mother's busy," said Jeanneton wistfully.

Toinette took no notice and the little one crept away disconsolately.

Bedtime at last. Toinette set the casement open, and lay a long time
waiting and watching; then she fell asleep. She waked with a sneeze and
jump and sat up in bed. Behold, on the coverlet stood her elfin friend,
with a long train of other elves beside him, all clad in the
beetle-wing green, and wearing little pointed caps. More were coming in
at the window; outside a few were drifting about in the moon rays,
which lit their sparkling robes till they glittered like so many
fireflies. The odd thing was, that though the caps were on, Toinette
could see the elves distinctly and this surprised her so much, that
again she thought out loud and said, "How funny."

"You mean about the caps," replied her special elf, who seemed to have
the power of reading thought.

"Yes, you can see us to-night, caps and all. Spells lose their value on
Christmas Eve, always. Peascod, where is the box? Do you still wish to
try the experiment of being invisible, Toinette?"

"Oh, yes--indeed I do."

"Very well; so let it be."

As he spoke he beckoned, and two elves puffing and panting like little
men with a heavy load, dragged forward a droll little box about the
size of a pumpkin-seed.