“Nowdon'tyouletyourspiritsdown，Pole，”saidtheMarsh-wiggle。“There'sohingyou'vegottoremember。We'rebatherightliogouheRuiy，a。We'refollowiionsagain。”
&heyweregivenfood—flat，flabbyesortwhichhadhardlyaerthat，theygraduallyfellasleep。Butwhentheywwasjustthesame;thegillrowiillglidingon，stilldeadblaessahead。Howoftentheytandateaagaihemcouldeverremember。Ahingaboutitwasthatyoubegantofeelasifyouhadalwayslivedonthatship，inthatdarkowohersunandblueskiesandwindandbirdshadnotbeenonlyadream。
Theyhadalmostgivenuphafraidaboutanythitheysawlightsahead:drearylights，likethatoftheirowhen，quitesuddeheselightscamedtheysawthattheywerepassinganothership。Afterthattheymetseveralships。Then，staringtilltheireyeshurt，theysawthatsomeofthelightsaheadwereshiningonwhatlookedlikeers，andmovingcrowds。Butstilltherewashardlyanynoise。
“ByJove，”saidScrubb。“Adsoontheyallsawthathewasright。
Butitwasaqueercity。Thelightsweresofeartthattheywouldhardlyhavedoteredcottagesinourworld。Butthelittlebitsoftheplacewhichyoucouldseebythelightswerelikeglimpsesofagreatseaport。Youakeoutinoneplaceawholecrowdofshipsloadingorunloading;inanother，balesofstuffandwarehouses;inathird，illarsthatsuggestedgreatpalaples;andalways，whereverthelightfell，endlessdredsofEarthmen，jostliherastheypaddedsoftlyabouttheirbusinessinnarrowstreets，broadsquares，htsofsteps。Theirovemeofsheshipdrewneareraherewasnotasongorashoutorabellortherattleofawheelaywasasquiet，andnearlyasdark，astheinsideofanant-hill。
AtlasttheirshipwasbroughtalongsideaquayahethreetravellersweretakenashoreaotheCity。en，notwoalike，rubbedshoulderswiththeminthecrowdedstreets，andthesadlightfellonmanysadandgrotesquefaooerestirangers。Everygobeasbusyasitwassad，thoughJillneverfoundwhattheyweresobusyabout。Buttheendlessmoving，sh，apad-pad-padwenton。
Atlasttheycametoearedtobeagreatcastle，thoughfesied。Heretheyweretakeniocrossacourtyard，andtoystaircases。Thisbroughtthemioagreatmurkilylitroom。Butino—ohjoy!—therewasanarchwayfilledwithaquitedifferentsht;theho，yellhtofsuchalampashumashowedbythislightihearchwaywasthefootofastaircaseardbetweenwallsofstoseemedtothetop。TwoEarthmenstoodoneoneachsideofthearchlikesentries，orfootmen。
TheWardeothesetwo，andsaid，asifitassword:
“ManysinkdowntotheUnderworld。”
“Ahesunlitlands，”theyanswered，asifitwerethetersighreeputtheirheadstogetheralastowogingsaid，“ItellyoutheQueen&#onefromheaffair。Wehadbestkeepthesetopdwellersinstraitprisontillherhomeihesunlitlands。”
AtthatmomenttheversatioedbywhatseemedtoJillthemostdelightfulheworld。Itabove，fromthetopofthestairditwasagilyhumahevoian。
“Whatcoilareyoukeepingdutherum?”itshouted。“Overworlders，ha!Briome，andthatpresently。”
&yhanMullugutherum，butthevoicecuthimshort。
“ItpleasesmyHighnessprincipallytobeobeyed，themup，”itcalled。
Mullugutherumshookhishead，motioravellerstofollowandbegangoiaircase。Ateverystepthelightiherewererichtapestrieshangihelamplightshohroughthinsatthestaircase-head。TheEarthmehesandstoodaside。Thethreepassedin。Theywereiifulroom，richlytapestried，withabrightfireoh，andredwiglasssparkliable。Ayoungmanwithfairhairrosetogreetthem。Hewashandsomeahboldandkind，thoughtherewassomethingabouthisfacethatdidn'tseemquiteright。HewasdressedinbladaltogetherlookedalittlebitlikeHamlet。
“Wele，Overworlders，”hecried。“Butstayamoment!Iercy!Ihaveseenyoutwofair，andthis，yovernor，before。WasitnotyouthreethatmetmebythebridgeonthebordersofEttinsmoorwheherebymyLady'sside?”
“Oh。。。youweretheblaightwhoneverspoke?”exclaimedJill。
“AndwasthatladytheQueenofUnderland?”askedPuddleglum，innoveryfriendlyvoidScrubb，whowasthinkingthesame，burstout，“Becauseifitwas，Ithinkshewasjollymeantosendusofftoacastleofgiantswhoius。Whatharmhadweeverdoneher，Ishouldliketoknow?”
“How?”saidtheBlaightwithafrown。“Ifyouwerenotsoyoungawarrior，Boy，youandImusthavefoughttothedeathonthisquarrel。IainstmyLady'shonour。Butofthisyoumaybeassured，thatwhatevershesaidtoyou，shesaidofagoodi。Youdonotknowher。Sheisanosegayofallvirtues，astruth，merstaleness，ce，a。IsaywhatIknow。Herkiomealone，whoowayrewardher，wouldmakeanadmirablehistory。Butyoushallknowaer。MeaisyourerrandintheDeepLands?”
Andbeflumcouldstopher，Jillblurtedout，“PleasewearetryingtofindPrinofNarnia。”Andthensherealizedwhatafrightfulriskshehadtaken;thesepeoplemightbeeheKnightshowed。
“Rilian?Narnia?”hesaidcarelessly。“Narnia?Whatlandisthat?IhavehebeathousahosepartsoftheOverworldthatIknow。Butitwasastraasythatbroughtyouseekingthis—howdoyoucallhim?—Billian?Trillian?inmyLady'srealm。Iomyowledge，thereisnosuhere。”Helaughedveryloudlyatthis，andJillthoughttoherself，“Iwowhat&#withhisface?Isheabitsilly?”
“WehadbeentoldteooyRuinous，”saidSdordsUNDERME。”
&laughedevehanbefore。“Youwerethemoredeceived，”hesaid。“Thosewordsmeantnothingtoyourpurpose。HadyoubutaskedmyLady，shecouldhavegiveersel。Forthosewordsareallthatisleftofalo，whittimes，asshewellremembers，expressedthisverse:
Thoughuhandthroneless，whileIlived，allEarthwasunderme。
Fromwhichitisplainthatsoftheas，wholiesburiedthere，causedthisboasttobethestoneoverhissepulchre;thoughthebreakingupofsomestohegawayofothersfornewbuildings，andthefillingupofthecutswithrubble，hasleftonlytwowordsthatstillberead。Isitjestihatyoushouldhavethoughttheywerewrittentoyou?”
ThiswaslikecoldwaterdowoSd
Jill;foritseemedtothemverylikelythatthewordshadnothingtodowiththeirquestatall，andthattheyhadbeentakeninbyamereat。
“Don'tyoumindhim，”saidPuddleglum。“Thereares。uideisAslaherewheKiterstobedhekhingsthatwould;ingthis。”
“Thisguideofyoursmustbealongliver，friend，”saidtheKnightwithanotherofhislaughs。
Jillbegantofileirritating。
“Aome，Sir，”answeredPuddleglum，“thatthisLadyofyoursmustbealooo，ifsherememberstheverseasitwaswhecutit。”
“Veryshrewd，Frog-face，”saidtheKnight，gPuddleglumontheshhingagain。“Andyouhavehitthetruth。Sheisofdivineraowsherageh。IamthemorethankfultoherforallheriosuortalwretchasI。Foryoumustknow，Sirs，Iamamaraions，aheQueen'sgraceatiehme。Patience，saidI?Butitgoesfarbeyondthat。ShehaspromisedmeagreatkingdominOverland，and，whenIamking，herownmostgradihetaleistoolongforyandstanding。Hithere，somedwellers'fuests。Pleaseyou，beseated，gelemaiden，sitinthischair。Youshallhearitall。”