"Yes, I suppose you have no idea of our canning business."
"None in the world."
"I presumed as much," said Paz, wisely, "nor am I going to bore you
with any more information."
Leo looked quite shocked.
"Oh, well," said Paz, profoundly, "there's a limit to all things, and
I'm not a Knops."
"But have you been to all parts of the world?" asked Leo.
"Oh, yes," answered Paz, carelessly. "I have wandered far and wide in my
time. Until I caught the diamond fever I was used as an envoy."
"Indeed!" said Leo, having but a faint idea of what an envoy was. "What
did you do?"
"I went on errands of importance."
"Who for, and where did you go?"
"I was sent generally to carry messages from our King to the Queen of
the Wind Fairies or the Herb Elves, or the Sylphs, sometimes to warn
them of trouble or danger, sometimes to tell them that imps were
rampaging or giants were about to make war, but oftener to inform them
of some plan for assisting man, or some good to be done for a child: in
these things we delight."
"How kind!" said Leo.
"Kindness has so much power, if people only knew it. But you are
waiting; I must not detain you." So, without further preface, thus began
PAZ'S STORY
"It was a time of trouble to mankind--a year of strange events, and yet
so stupid are ordinary mortals--begging your pardon--that none were
making preparations either to meet or to avoid disaster.
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