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300
SILVER SHOAL LIGHT

the Rules, and I suppose you wouldn't be competent, if you didn't know how to start everything."

He and Elspeth waved their hands from the Ailouros, and Joan and Garth stood at the door watching the gray sail grow smaller, slanting across the steely water. Then a cold gust from under the low clouds made them turn back into the living-room.

"You can sit in Fogger's big chair," Garth said. "And it would be very nice if you'd tell me a story," he hinted, in a detached tone.

He pushed up a foot-stool for himself, and, collapsing upon it, leaned against Joan's knee.

"Well," she said presently, "perhaps I will. Not a real story; I'll just tell you about some things."

"Ships?" questioned Garth eagerly, screwing himself around to look up at her.

"No, not ships at all," Joan said. "Something quite different. Something about Town."

"Oh," said Garth. He turned away again and sighed faintly.

"About music," Joan went on. "There are such concerts! Music rather like the Count's, but there are hundreds of men to play it. Some of them have violins, and some have flutes—like