but, for the benefit of those who are unfortunately too aged to remember
that old and pleasant intercourse, one must make use of the English
language. Ernest Henry displayed his bump, and explained its origin; and
then, even as he did so, was aware that the reality of the bump made the
other world just a little less real. He was proud that he had walked and
stood up, and had been the master of his circumstance; but just because
he had done so he was aware that his friend was a little, a very little
farther away to-night than he had ever been before.

"Well, I'm very glad that you're going to stand on your own, because
you'll have to. I'm going to leave you now--leave you for longer, far
longer than I've ever left you before."

"Leave me?"

"Yes. I shan't always be with you; indeed, later on you won't want me.
Then you'll forget me, and at last you won't even believe that I ever
existed--until, at the end of it all, I come to take you away. _Then_ it
will all come back to you."

"Oh, but that's absurd!" Ernest Henry said confidently. Nevertheless, in
his heart he knew that, during the day-time, other things did more and
more compel his attention. There were long stretches during the day-time
now when he forgot his friend.

"After your second birthday I always leave you more to yourselves. I
shall go now for quite a time, and you'll see that when the old feeling
comes, and you know that I'm coming back, you'll be quite startled and
surprised that you'd got on so well without me. Of course, some of you
want me more than others do, and with some of you I stay quite late in