t it greler every day till at lengttle more ter  as if t t t neellations ure of  joy and fear, no living eye  all. tars  of t on deck and talked far into t or cheir bows.

    On an evening of startling beauty, self seemed to  of land on tarboard bo came slo be look as if try  presently ts coast and its ern cape noern of t t  out of  cardboard, and tter ry  ains but many  gentle tractive smell came from it - ;a dim, purple kind of smellquot;, , but  Caspian said, quot;I know w you mean.”

    t point after point, o find a nice  deep  o content t   at sea t bring treader as far in as t and tumbling landing in t. treader. o see no more islands. All time t  try their ears.

    t to guard t and Caspian led t  not far because it oo late for exploring and t   to go far to find an adventure. t track or otation. Underfoot ine springy  turf dotted ook for ace, any; said it , and ; but it he same kind.

    from t;Look!  s t?quot; and everyone stopped.

    quot;Are t trees?quot; said Caspian.

    quot;to; said Eustace.

    quot;It migs,quot; said Edmund in a lower voice.

    quot;to find out is to go rig; said Reepictering off ahead of everyone else.

    quot;I ts a ruin,quot; said Lucy ones and surrounded by grey pillars but unroofed. And from end to end of it ran  a long table laid  came doo t. At  eit  on table itself t out suc as  even   at Cair Paravel. turkeys and  geese and peacocks, ts, t lobsters and gleaming salmon, ts and grapes, pineapples and peaces and melons and tomatoes. t glass; and t and tohem like a  promise of all happiness.

    quot;I say!quot; said Lucy.

    tly.

    quot;But ; asked Eustace.

    quot;e can provide t, Sir,quot; said Rhince.

    quot;Look!quot; said Edmund sually anding on t. Everyone looked   all empty. At table and in t things.

    quot; are t; asked Lucy in a  looks like tting on table.”

    quot;Or a ,quot; said Edmund.

    quot;It looks more like a ack to me,quot; said Caspian.

    Reepico table, and  ran along it, t and -ivory salt-cellars.  up to terious grey mass at touc:  quot;t fighink.”

    Everyone no  in to recognize as men till you looked closely. their hair, which  was grey, had

    groill it almost concealed table, climbing pound and entes and goblets as  brambles; entil, all mixed in one great mat of o t t three men were; nearly all hair.

    quot;Dead?quot; said Caspian.

    quot;I t, Sire,quot; said Reepicing one of t of its  tangle of ;ts.”

    quot;too, and t; said Drinian.

    quot;; said Eustace.

    quot;Its been a long sleep, t; said Edmund, quot;to let this.”

    quot;It must be an enced sleep,quot; said Lucy. quot;I felt t  it ?”

    quot;e can try,quot; said Caspian, and began s of t everyone t o be successful, for ttered, quot;Ill go east oars for Narnia.quot; But  at once into a yet deeper sleep t is, oable and all efforts to rouse   born to live like animals. Get to t  ;Mustard, please,quot; and slept hard.

    quot;Out oars for Narnia, e; said Drinian.

    quot;Yes,quot; said Caspian, quot;you are rig is at an  end. Lets look at the Lord Mavramorn.”

    quot;But  ; said Lucy. quot; are o do?”

    quot;Begging your Majesties pardons all,quot; said R;but o   see a dinner like this every day.”

    quot;Not for your life!quot; said Caspian.

    quot;ts rigs rig; said several of the sailors.

    quot;too muc ter.”

    quot;Depend upon it,quot; said Reepic;it ing t three lords came by a seven years sleep.”

    quot;I  touc to save my life,quot; said Drinian.

    quot;ts going uncommon quick,quot; said Rynelf.

    quot;Back to so s; muttered the men.

    quot;I really t; said Edmund, quot;t. e can decide o do  omorro eat t in staying  . the whole place smells of magic - and danger.”

    quot;I am entirely of King Edmunds opinion,quot; said Reepic;as far as  concerns t I myself  at table till sunrise.”

    quot;; said Eustace.

    quot;Because,quot; said t;t adventure, and no danger  seems to me so great as t of knoo Narnia t I left a mystery  behrough fear.”

    quot;Ill stay ; said Edmund.

    quot;And I too,quot; said Caspian.

    quot;And me,quot; said Lucy. And tace volunteered also. till reader made it worse for hers.

    quot;I beseecy -quot; began Drinian.

    quot;No, my Lord,quot; said Caspian. quot;Your place is ; t of argument about t  in to tc peromach.

    took some time cs at table. Probably  everyone  no one said it out loud. For it y  co sit all nig to terrible s  ainly not alive in to sit  at t you  gre kno see t all by about t  to be t of. So tered round and round table saying, quot;  about here?”

    and quot;Or per furt; or, quot; on t; till at last  ttled do nearer to to t

    ten by no dark. trange neellations burned in t. Lucy ter if the Narnian sky.

    t still and ed. At  first ttempt at talk but it didnt come to muc and sat. And  all time the beach.

    After  seemed like ages t  ars  e different positions from t noticed. t for test possible greyness in t. ty, and stiff.

    And none of t last something was happening.

    Before t appeared in t,  and t be. t, and t  tinctly. It came sloill at last it stood rig  table opposite to t it all girl, dressed in a single long  garment of clear blue  beauty meant.

    t ick able. If t it must raigill as if it  and tains draable ss light.

    Lucy noiced sometable ion before. It one, seel, a cruel-looking,  ancient looking thing.

    No one  spoken a , and Caspian next -  to t, because t t s lady.

    quot;travellers able,quot; said t; eat and drink?”

    quot;Madam,quot; said Caspian, quot; it   our friends into an enced sleep.

    quot;tasted it,quot; she said.

    quot;Please,quot; said Lucy, quot;hem?”

    quot;Seven years ago,quot; said t;timbers ready to fall apart. to table one said, ` us set sail and  reef sail and ro sit do us re-embark and sail for Narnia and t; it may be t Miraz is dead. But  terful man, leaped up and said, `No, by elmarines, not brutes.  s seek adventure after  adventure? e  long to live in any event. Let us spend  in seeking t up tone   it is a  t rigo touc, deep sleep fell upon  all three.

    And till tment is undone they will never wake.”

    quot; is tone?quot; asked Eustace.

    quot;Do none of you kno?quot; said the girl.

    quot;I - I t; said Lucy, quot;Ive seen somet before. It  t te itc tone table long ago.”

    quot;It ; said t;and it  in  s.”

    Edmund,  fees, now spoke.

    quot;Look ; ;I  a co eating t mean to be rude. But ures on  t al  ts just w migcoo. o know youre a friend?”

    quot;You cant kno; said t;You can only believe or not.”

    After a moments pause Reepicheeps small voice was heard.

    quot;Sire,quot; o Caspian, quot;of your courtesy fill my cup  flagon: it is too big for me to lift. I o the lady.”

    Caspian obeyed and tanding on table, s tiny pa;Lady, I pledge you.quot; t fell to on cold peacock,  and in a s e ed for a very early breakfast,  as a very late  supper.

    quot; called Aslans table?quot; asked Lucy presently.

    quot;It is set ; said t;for the end.”

    quot;But ; asked tical Eustace.  ?

    quot;It is eaten, and rene; said t;this you will see.”

    quot;And o do about t; asked Caspian. quot;In t; ( Eustace and t;tory of a prince or a king coming to a castle  story  dissolve tment until he  Princess.”

    quot;But ; said t;it is different.  kiss till ment.”

    quot;t; said Caspian, quot;in to set about t   once.”

    quot;My fateac,quot; said the girl.

    quot;Your fat; said everyone. quot;ho is he? And where?”

    quot;Look,quot; said turning round and pointing at t more easily noars er and great gaps of we ligern  sky.