Lascelles said quickly, “Mr Norrell knows nothing of any magic done in those places.”

Lord Liverpool gave him a cool look as if he did not believe him. There was a pile of papers on the table. Lord Liverpool picked one up at random. “Four days ago in the town of Stamford,” he said, “a Quaker girl and her friend were telling each other secrets. They heard a noise and discovered their younger brothers listening at the door. Full of indignation, they chased the boys into the garden. There they joined hands and recited a charm. The boys’ ears leapt off their heads and flew away. It was not until the boys had made a solemn oath never to do such a thing ever again, that the ears could be coaxed back out of the bare rose-bushes – which was where they had alighted – and persuaded to return to the boys’ heads.”

Mr Norrell was more perplexed than ever. “I am, of course, sorry that these badly behaved young women have been studying magic. That members of the Female Sex should study magic at all is, I may say, a thing I am very much opposed to. But I do not quite see …”

“Mr Norrell,” said Lord Liverpool, “these girls were thirteen. Their parents are adamant that they have never so much as seen a magical text. There are no magicians in Stamford, no magic books of any kind.”

Mr Norrell opened his mouth to say something, realized he was quite at a loss and fell silent.

Lascelles said, “This is very odd. What explanation did the girls give?”

“The girls told their parents that they looked down and saw the spell written upon the path in grey pebbles. They said the stones told them what to do. Other people have since examined the path; there are indeed some grey pebbles, but they form no symbols, no mystical writing. They are ordinary grey pebbles.”

“And you say that there have been other instances of magic, in other places besides Stamford?” said Mr Norrell.

“Many other instances and many other places – mostly, but by no means solely, in the north, and almost all within the past two weeks. Seventeen fairy roads have opened up in Yorkshire. Of course the roads have existed since the reign of the Raven King, but it is centuries since they actually led anywhere and the local inhabitants allowed them to become overgrown. Now without warning they are clear again. The weeds are gone and the inhabitants report that they can see strange destinations at the end of them – places no one has ever seen before.”

“Has any one …?” Mr Norrell paused and licked his lips. “Has any one come down the roads?”

“Not yet,” said Lord Liverpool. “But presumably it is only a matter of time.”

Lord Sidmouth had been impatient to speak for some moments. “This is worst of all!” he declared in a passion, “It is one thing to change Spain by magic, Mr Norrell, but this is England! Suddenly we border upon places no one knows any thing about – places no one has ever even heard of! I can scarcely describe my feelings at this juncture. It is not treason exactly – I do not think there is even a name for what you have done!”