第6章

Thecellwasalittlewhite-washedroomabouttwelvefeetlongandsixfeetwide。Ononesideofitwasasortofshelfslopingalittletowardsthewall。Onthisweretworugs，stripedblueandyellow，andawater-proofpillow。Rolledintherugs，andwithhisheadonthepillow，laytheburglar，fastasleep。（Hehadhadhistea，thoughthisthechildrendidnotknow——ithadcomefromthecoffee-shoproundthecorner，inverythickcrockery。）Thescenewasplainlyrevealedbythelightofagas-lampinthepassageoutside，whichshoneintothecellthroughapaneofthickglassoverthedoor。

’Ishallgaghim，’saidCyril，’andRobertwillholdhimdown。

AntheaandJaneandthePhoenixcanwhispersoftnothingstohimwhilehegraduallyawakes。’

Thisplandidnothavethesuccessitdeserved，becausetheburglar，curiouslyenough，wasmuchstronger，eveninhissleep，thanRobertandCyril，andatthefirsttouchoftheirhandsheleaptupandshoutedoutsomethingveryloudindeed。

Instantlystepswereheardoutside。Antheathrewherarmsroundtheburglarandwhispered——

’It’sus——theonesthatgaveyouthecats。We’vecometosaveyou，onlydon’tletonwe’rehere。Can’twehidesomewhere？’

Heavybootssoundedontheflaggedpassageoutside，andafirmvoiceshouted——

’Here——you——stopthatrow，willyou？’

’Allright，governor，’repliedtheburglar，stillwithAnthea’sarmsroundhim；’Iwasonlya-talkinginmysleep。Nooffence。’

Itwasanawfulmoment。Wouldthebootsandthevoicecomein。

Yes！No！Thevoicesaid——

’Well，stowit，willyou？’

Andthebootswentheavilyaway，alongthepassageandupsomesoundingstonestairs。

’Nowthen，’whisperedAnthea。

’HowtheblueMosesdidyougetin？’askedtheburglar，inahoarsewhisperofamazement。

’Onthecarpet，’saidJane，truly。

’Stowthat，’saidtheburglar。’OneonyouIcould’a’swallowed，butfour——ANDayellowfowl。’

’Lookhere，’saidCyril，sternly，’youwouldn’thavebelievedanyoneifthey’dtoldyoubeforehandaboutyourfindingacowandallthosecatsinournursery。’

’ThatIwouldn’t，’saidtheburglar，withwhisperedfervour，’sohelpmeBob，Iwouldn’t。’

’Well，then，’Cyrilwenton，ignoringthisappealtohisbrother，’justtrytobelievewhatwetellyouandactaccordingly。Itcan’tdoyouanyHARM，youknow，’hewentoninhoarsewhisperedearnestness。’Youcan’tbeverymuchworseoffthanyouarenow，youknow。Butifyou’lljusttrusttouswe’llgetyououtofthisrightenough。Noonesawuscomein。Thequestionis，wherewouldyouliketogo？’

’I’dliketogotoBoolong，’wastheinstantreplyoftheburglar。

’I’vealwayswantedtogoonthattheretrip，butI’venever’adthereadyattherighttimeoftheyear。’

’BoolongisatownlikeLondon，’saidCyril，wellmeaning，butinaccurate，’howcouldyougetalivingthere？’

Theburglarscratchedhisheadindeepdoubt。

’It’s’ardtogeta’onestlivinganywheresnowadays，’hesaid，andhisvoicewassad。

’Yes，isn’tit？’saidJane，sympathetically；’buthowaboutasunnysouthernshore，wherethere’snothingtodoatallunlessyouwantto。’

’That’smybillet，miss，’repliedtheburglar。’Ineverdidcareaboutwork——notlikesomepeople，alwaysfussingabout。’

’Didyouneverlikeanysortofwork？’askedAnthea，severely。

’Lor’，lumme，yes，’heanswered，’gardeningwasmy’obby，soitwas。Butfatherdiedafore’ecouldbindmetoanurseryman，an’——

’

’We’lltakeyoutothesunnysouthernshore，’saidJane；’you’venoideawhattheflowersarelike。’

’Ouroldcook’sthere，’saidAnthea。’She’squeen——’

’Oh，chuckit，’theburglarwhispered，clutchingathisheadwithbothhands。’IknowedthefirstminuteIseethemcatsandthatcowasitwasajudgementonme。Idon’tknownowwhetherI’ma-standingonmyhatormyboots，sohelpmeIdon’t。IfyouCAN

getmeout，getme，andifyoucan’t，getalongwithyouforgoodness’sake，andgivemeachansttothinkaboutwhat’llbemostlikelytogodownwiththeBeakinthemorning。’

’Comeontothecarpet，then，’saidAnthea，gentlyshoving。Theothersquietlypulled，andthemomentthefeetoftheburglarwereplantedonthecarpetAntheawished：

’Iwishwewereallonthesunnysouthernshorewherecookis。’

Andinstantlytheywere。Thereweretherainbowsands，thetropicgloriesofleafandflower，andthere，ofcourse，wasthecook，crownedwithwhiteflowers，andwithallthewrinklesofcrossnessandtirednessandhardworkwipedoutofherface。

’Why，cook，you’requitepretty！’Antheasaid，assoonasshehadgotherbreathafterthetumble-rush-whirlofthecarpet。Theburglarstoodrubbinghiseyesinthebrillianttropicsunlight，andgazingwildlyroundhimonthevividhuesofthetropicland。

’Pennyplainandtuppencecoloured！’heexclaimedpensively，’andwellworthanytuppence，howeverhard-earned。’

Thecookwasseatedonagrassymoundwithhercourtofcopper-colouredsavagesaroundher。Theburglarpointedagrimyfingeratthese。

’Aretheytame？’heaskedanxiously。’Dotheybiteorscratch，ordoanythingtoyerwithpoisonedarrowsoroystershellsorthat？’

’Don’tyoubesotimid，’saidthecook。’Look’e’ere，this’ere’sonlyadreamwhatyou’vecomeinto，an’asit’sonlyadreamthere’snononsenseaboutwhatayoungladylikemeoughttosayornot，soI’llsayyou’rethebest-lookingfellowI’veseenthismanyaday。Andthedreamgoesonandon，seemingly，aslongasyoubehaves。Thethingswhatyouhastoeatanddrinktastesjustasgoodasrealones，and——’

’Look’ere，’saidtheburglar，’I’vecome’erestraightouterthepleecestation。These’erekids’lltellyouitain’tnoblameermine。’

’Well，youWEREaburglar，youknow，’saidthetruthfulAntheagently。

’OnlybecauseIwasdruvtoitbydishonestblokes，aswellyouknows，miss，’rejoinedthecriminal。’Blowedifthisain’tthe’ottestJanuaryasI’veknownforyears。’

’Wouldn’tyoulikeabath？’askedthequeen，’andsomewhiteclotheslikeme？’

’Ishouldonlylookajugginsin’em，miss，thankingyouallthesame，’wasthereply；’butabathIwouldn’tresist，andmyshirtwasonlycleanonweekbeforelast。’

CyrilandRobertledhimtoarockypool，wherehebathedluxuriously。Then，inshirtandtrousershesatonthesandandspoke。

’Thatcook，orqueen，orwhateveryoucallher——herwiththewhitebokayonher’ed——she’smysort。Wonderifshe’dkeepcompany！’

’Ishouldaskher。’

’Iwasalwaysaquickhitter，’themanwenton；’it’sawordandablowwithme。Iwill。’

Inshirtandtrousers，andcrownedwithascentedflowerywreathwhichCyrilhastilywoveastheyreturnedtothecourtofthequeen，theburglarstoodbeforethecookandspoke。

’Look’ere，miss，’hesaid。’Youan’mebeing’allforlorn-like，bothonus，inthis’eredream，orwhateveryoucallsit，I’dliketotellyoustraightasIlikesyerlooks。’

Thecooksmiledandlookeddownbashfully。

’I’masingleman——whatyoumightcallabatcheldore。I’mmildinmy’abits，whichthesekids’lltellyouthesame，andI’dliketo’avethepleasureofwalkin’outwithyounextSunday。’

’Lor！’saidthequeencook，’’owsuddenyouare，mister。’

’Walkingoutmeansyou’regoingtobemarried，’saidAnthea。’Whynotgetmarriedandhavedonewithit？_I_would。’

’Idon’tmindifIdo，’saidtheburglar。Butthecooksaid——

’No，miss。Notme，noteveninadream。Idon’tsayanythinkag’intheyoungchap’slooks，butIalwayssworeI’dbemarriedinchurch，ifatall——and，anyway，Idon’tbelievetheseheresavageswouldknowhowtokeeparegisteringoffice，evenifIwastoshowthem。No，mister，thankingyoukindly，ifyoucan’tbringaclergymanintothedreamI’llliveanddielikewhatIam。’

’Willyoumarryherifwegetaclergyman？’askedthematch-makingAnthea。

’I’magreeable，miss，Imsure，’saidhe，pullinghiswreathstraight。’’Owthis’erebokaydotiddleachap’searstobesure！’

So，veryhurriedly，thecarpetwasspreadout，andinstructedtofetchaclergyman。TheinstructionswerewrittenontheinsideofCyril’scapwithapieceofbilliardchalkRoberthadgotfromthemarkeratthehotelatLyndhurst。Thecarpetdisappeared，andmorequicklythanyouwouldhavethoughtpossibleitcameback，bearingonitsbosomtheReverendSeptimusBlenkinsop。

TheReverendSeptimuswasratheraniceyoungman，butverymuchmazedandmuddled，becausewhenhesawastrangecarpetlaidoutathisfeet，inhisownstudy，henaturallywalkedonittoexamineitmoreclosely。AndhehappenedtostandononeofthethinplacesthatJaneandAntheahaddarned，sothathewashalfonwishingcarpetandhalfonplainScotchheather-mixturefingering，whichhasnomagicpropertiesatall。

Theeffectofthiswasthathewasonlyhalfthere——sothatthechildrencouldjustseethroughhim，asthoughhehadbeenaghost。

Andasforhim，hesawthesunnysouthernshore，thecookandtheburglarandthechildrenquiteplainly；butthroughthemallhesaw，quiteplainlyalso，hisstudyathome，withthebooksandthepicturesandthemarbleclockthathadbeenpresentedtohimwhenhelefthislastsituation。

Heseemedtohimselftobeinasortofinsanefit，sothatitdidnotmatterwhathedid——andhemarriedtheburglartothecook。

Thecooksaidthatshewouldratherhavehadasoliderkindofaclergyman，onethatyoucouldn’tseethroughsoplain，butperhapsthiswasrealenoughforadream。

Andofcoursetheclergyman，thoughmisty，wasreallyreal，andabletomarrypeople，andhedid。Whentheceremonywasovertheclergymanwanderedabouttheislandcollectingbotanicalspecimens，forhewasagreatbotanist，andtherulingpassionwasstrongeveninaninsanefit。

Therewasasplendidweddingfeast。CanyoufancyJaneandAnthea，andRobertandCyril，dancingmerrilyinaring，hand-in-handwithcopper-colouredsavages，roundthehappycouple，thequeencookandtheburglarconsort？Thereweremoreflowersgatheredandthrownthanyouhaveeverevendreamedof，andbeforethechildrentookcarpetforhomethenowmarried-and-settledburglarmadeaspeech。

’Ladiesandgentlemen，’hesaid，’andsavagesofbothkinds，onlyIknowyoucan’tunderstandwhatI’masayingof，butwe’llletthatpass。Ifthisisadream，I’mon。Ifitain’t，I’monnerthanever。Ifit’sbetwixtandbetween——well，I’mhonest，andI

can’tsaymore。Idon’twantnomore’ighLondonsociety——I’vegotsomeonetoputmyarmaroundof；andI’vegotthewholelotofthis’ereislandformyallotment，andifIdon’tgrowsomebroccolias’llopenthejudge’seyeatthecottageflowershows，well，strikemepink！AllIaskis，astheseyounggentsandladies’llbringsomeparsleyseedintothedream，andapenn’orthofradishseed，andthreepenn’orthofonion，andIwouldn’tmindgoin’tofourpenceorfippenceformixedkale，onlyIain’tgotabrown，soIdon’tdeceiveyou。Andthere’sonethingmore，youmighttakeawaytheparson。Idon’tlikethingswhatIcansee’alfthrough，sohere’show！’Hedrainedacoconut-shellofpalmwine。

Itwasnowpastmidnight——thoughitwastea-timeontheisland。

Withallgoodwishesthechildrentooktheirleave。Theyalsocollectedtheclergymanandtookhimbacktohisstudyandhispresentationclock。

ThePhoenixkindlycarriedtheseedsnextdaytotheburglarandhisbride，andreturnedwiththemostsatisfactorynewsofthehappypair。

’He’smadeawoodenspadeandstartedonhisallotment，’itsaid，’andsheisweavinghimashirtandtrousersofthemostradiantwhiteness。’

Thepoliceneverknewhowtheburglargotaway。InKentishTownPoliceStationhisescapeisstillspokenofwithbatedbreathasthePersianmystery。

AsfortheReverendSeptimusBlenkinsop，hefeltthathehadhadaveryinsanefitindeed，andhewassureitwasduetoover-study。

Soheplannedalittledissipation，andtookhistwomaidenauntstoParis，wheretheyenjoyedadazzlingroundofmuseumsandpicturegalleries，andcamebackfeelingthattheyhadindeedseenlife。Henevertoldhisauntsoranyoneelseaboutthemarriageontheisland——becausenoonelikesittobegenerallyknownifhehashadinsanefits，howeverinterestingandunusual。

CHAPTER10

THEHOLEINTHECARPET

Hooray！hooray！hooray！

Mothercomeshometo-day；

Mothercomeshometo-day，Hooray！hooray！hooray！’

Janesangthissimplesongdirectlyafterbreakfast，andthePhoenixshedcrystaltearsofaffectionatesympathy。

’Howbeautiful，’itsaid，’isfilialdevotion！’

’Shewon’tbehometillpastbedtime，though，’saidRobert。’Wemighthaveonemorecarpet-day。’

Hewasgladthatmotherwascominghome——quiteglad，veryglad；butatthesametimethatgladnesswasrudelycontradictedbyaquitestrongfeelingofsorrow，becausenowtheycouldnotgooutalldayonthecarpet。

’Idowishwecouldgoandgetsomethingniceformother，onlyshe’dwanttoknowwherewegotit，’saidAnthea。’Andshe’dnever，neverbelieveit，thetruth。Peopleneverdo，somehow，ifit’satallinteresting。’

’I’lltellyouwhat，’saidRobert。’Supposewewishedthecarpettotakeussomewherewherewecouldfindapursewithmoneyinit——thenwecouldbuyhersomething。’

’Supposeittookussomewhereforeign，andthepursewascoveredwithstrangeEasterndevices，embroideredinrichsilks，andfullofmoneythatwasn’tmoneyatallhere，onlyforeigncuriosities，thenwecouldn’tspendit，andpeoplewouldbotheraboutwherewegotit，andweshouldn’tknowhowonearthtogetoutofitatall。’

Cyrilmovedthetableoffthecarpetashespoke，anditslegcaughtinoneofAnthea’sdarnsandrippedawaymostofit，aswellasalargeslitinthecarpet。

’Well，nowyouHAVEdoneit，’saidRobert。

ButAntheawasareallyfirst-classsister。ShedidnotsayawordtillshehadgotouttheScotchheather-mixturefingeringwoolandthedarning-needleandthethimbleandthescissors，andbythattimeshehadbeenabletogetthebetterofhernaturalwishtobethoroughlydisagreeable，andwasabletosayquitekindly——

’Nevermind，Squirrel，I’llsoonmendit。’

Cyrilthumpedherontheback。Heunderstoodexactlyhowshehadfelt，andhewasnotanungratefulbrother。

’Respectingthepursecontainingcoins，’thePhoenixsaid，scratchingitsinvisibleearthoughtfullywithitsshiningclaw，’itmightbeaswell，perhaps，tostateclearlytheamountwhichyouwishtofind，aswellasthecountrywhereyouwishtofindit，andthenatureofthecoinswhichyouprefer。Itwouldbeindeedacoldmomentwhenyoushouldfindapursecontainingbutthreeoboloi。’

’Howmuchisanoboloi？’

’Anobolisabouttwopencehalfpenny，’thePhoenixreplied。

’Yes，’saidJane，’andifyoufindapurseIsupposeitisonlybecausesomeonehaslostit，andyououghttotakeittothepoliceman。’

’Thesituation，’remarkedthePhoenix，’doesindeedbristlewithdifficulties。’

’Whataboutaburiedtreasure，’saidCyril，’andeveryonewasdeadthatitbelongedto？’

’Motherwouldn’tbelieveTHAT，’saidmorethanonevoice。

’Suppose，’saidRobert——’supposeweaskedtobetakenwherewecouldfindapurseandgiveitbacktothepersonitbelongedto，andtheywouldgiveussomethingforfindingit？’

’Wearen’tallowedtotakemoneyfromstrangers。Youknowwearen’t，Bobs，’saidAnthea，makingaknotattheendofaneedlefulofScotchheather-mixturefingeringwool（whichisverywrong，andyoumustneverdoitwhenyouaredarning）。

’No，THATwouldn’tdo，’saidCyril。’Let’schuckitandgototheNorthPole，orsomewherereallyinteresting。’

’No，’saidthegirlstogether，’theremustbeSOMEway。’

’Waitasec，’Antheaadded。’I’vegotanideacoming。Don’tspeak。’

Therewasasilenceasshepausedwiththedarning-needleintheair！Suddenlyshespoke：

’Isee。Let’stellthecarpettotakeussomewherewherewecangetthemoneyformother’spresent，and——and——andgetitsomewaythatshe’llbelieveinandnotthinkwrong。’

’Well，Imustsayyouarelearningthewaytogetthemostoutofthecarpet，’saidCyril。Hespokemoreheartilyandkindlythanusual，becauseherememberedhowAntheahadrefrainedfromsnarkinghimabouttearingthecarpet。

’Yes，’saidthePhoenix，’youcertainlyare。Andyouhavetorememberthatifyoutakeathingoutitdoesn’tstayin。’

Noonepaidanyattentiontothisremarkatthetime，butafterwardseveryonethoughtofit。

’Dohurryup，Panther，’saidRobert；andthatwaswhyAntheadidhurryup，andwhythebigdarninthemiddleofthecarpetwasallopenandwebbylikeafishingnet，nottightandcloselikewovencloth，whichiswhatagood，well-behaveddarnshouldbe。

Theneveryoneputonitsoutdoorthings，thePhoenixflutteredontothemantelpieceandarrangeditsgoldenfeathersintheglass，andallwasready。Everyonegotontothecarpet。

’Pleasegoslowly，dearcarpet，’Antheabegan；weliketoseewherewe’regoing。’Andthensheaddedthedifficultwishthathadbeendecidedon。

Nextmomentthecarpet，stiffandraftlike，wassailingovertheroofsofKentishTown。

’Iwish——No，Idon’tmeanthat。Imeanit’saPITYwearen’thigherup，’saidAnthea，astheedgeofthecarpetgrazedachimney-pot。

’That’sright。Becareful，’saidthePhoenix，inwarningtones。

’Ifyouwishwhenyou’reonawishingcarpet，youDOwish，andthere’sanendofit。’

Soforashorttimenoonespoke，andthecarpetsailedonincalmmagnificenceoverStPancrasandKing’sCrossstationsandoverthecrowdedstreetsofClerkenwell。

’We’regoingoutGreenwichway，’saidCyril，astheycrossedthestreakofrough，tumbledwaterthatwastheThames。’WemightgoandhavealookatthePalace。’

Onandonthecarpetswept，stillkeepingmuchnearertothechimney-potsthanthechildrenfoundatallcomfortable。Andthen，justoverNewCross，aterriblethinghappened。

JaneandRobertwereinthemiddleofthecarpet。Partofthemwasonthecarpet，andpartofthem——theheaviestpart——wasonthegreatcentraldarn。

’It’sallverymisty，’saidJane；’itlookspartlylikeoutofdoorsandpartlylikeinthenurseryathome。IfeelasifIwasgoingtohavemeasles；everythinglookedawfullyrumthen，remember。’

’Ifeeljustexactlythesame，’Robertsaid。

’It’sthehole，’saidthePhoenix；’it’snotmeasleswhateverthatpossessionmaybe。’

AndatthatbothRobertandJanesuddenly，andatonce，madeaboundtotryandgetontothesaferpartofthecarpet，andthedarngavewayandtheirbootswentup，andtheheavyheadsandbodiesofthemwentdownthroughthehole，andtheylandedinapositionsomethingbetweensittingandsprawlingontheflatleadsonthetopofahigh，grey，gloomy，respectablehousewhoseaddresswas705，AmershamRoad，NewCross。

Thecarpetseemedtoawakentonewenergyassoonasithadgotridoftheirweight，anditrosehighintheair。Theotherslaydownflatandpeepedovertheedgeoftherisingcarpet。

’Areyouhurt？’criedCyril，andRobertshouted’No，’andnextmomentthecarpethadspedaway，andJaneandRobertwerehiddenfromthesightoftheothersbyastackofsmokychimneys。

’Oh，howawful！’saidAnthea。

’Itmighthavebeenworse，’saidthePhoenix。’Whatwouldhavebeenthesentimentsofthesurvivorsifthatdarnhadgivenwaywhenwewerecrossingtheriver？’

’Yes，there’sthat，’saidCyril，recoveringhimself。’They’llbeallright。They’llhowltillsomeonegetsthemdown，ordroptilesintothefrontgardentoattractattentionofpassersby。

Bobshasgotmyone-and-fivepence——luckyyouforgottomendthatholeinmypocket，Panther，orhewouldn’thavehadit。Theycantramithome。’

ButAntheawouldnotbecomforted。

’It’sallmyfault，’shesaid。’IKNEWtheproperwaytodarn，andIdidn’tdoit。It’sallmyfault。Let’sgohomeandpatchthecarpetwithyourEtons——somethingreallystrong——andsendittofetchthem。’

’Allright，’saidCyril；’butyourSundayjacketisstrongerthanmyEtons。Wemustjustchuckmother’spresent，that’sall。I

wish——’

’Stop！’criedthePhoenix；’thecarpetisdroppingtoearth。’

Andindeeditwas。

Itsankswiftly，yetsteadily，andlandedonthepavementoftheDeptfordRoad。Ittippedalittleasitlanded，sothatCyrilandAntheanaturallywalkedoffit，andinaninstantithadrolleditselfupandhiddenbehindagate-post。ItdidthissoquicklythatnotasinglepersonintheDeptfordRoadnoticedit。ThePhoenixrustleditswayintothebreastofCyril’scoat，andalmostatthesamemomentawell-knownvoiceremarked——

’Well，Inever！Whatonearthareyoudoinghere？’

Theywerefacetofacewiththeirpetuncle——theirUncleReginald。

’WeDIDthinkofgoingtoGreenwichPalaceandtalkingaboutNelson，’saidCyril，tellingasmuchofthetruthashethoughthisunclecouldbelieve。

’Andwherearetheothers？’askedUncleReginald。

’Idon’texactlyknow，’Cyrilreplied，thistimequitetruthfully。

’Well，’saidUncleReginald，’Imustfly。I’veacaseintheCountyCourt。That’stheworstofbeingabeastlysolicitor。Onecan’ttakethechancesoflifewhenonegetsthem。IfonlyIcouldcomewithyoutothePaintedHallandgiveyoulunchatthe"Ship"

afterwards！But，alas！itmaynotbe。’

Theunclefeltinhispocket。

’_I_mustn’tenjoymyself，’hesaid，’butthat’snoreasonwhyyoushouldn’t。Here，dividethisbyfour，andtheproductoughttogiveyousomedesiredresult。Takecareofyourselves。Adieu。’

Andwavingacheeryfarewellwithhisneatumbrella，thegoodandhigh-hattedunclepassedaway，leavingCyrilandAntheatoexchangeeloquentglancesovertheshininggoldensovereignthatlayinCyril’shand。

’Well！’saidAnthea。

’Well！’saidCyril。

’Well！’saidthePhoenix。

’Goodoldcarpet！’saidCyril，joyously。

’ItWAScleverofit——soadequateandyetsosimple，’saidthePhoenix，withcalmapproval。

’Oh，comeonhomeandlet’smendthecarpet。Iamabeast。I’dforgottentheothersjustforaminute，’saidtheconscience-strickenAnthea。

Theyunrolledthecarpetquicklyandslyly——theydidnotwanttoattractpublicattention——andthemomenttheirfeetwereonthecarpetAntheawishedtobeathome，andinstantlytheywere。

ThekindnessoftheirexcellentunclehadmadeitunnecessaryforthemtogotosuchextremesasCyril’sEtonsorAnthea’sSundayjacketforthepatchingofthecarpet。

Antheasettoworkatoncetodrawtheedgesofthebrokendarntogether，andCyrilhastilywentoutandboughtalargepieceofthemarble-patternedAmericanoil-clothwhichcarefulhouse-wivesusetocoverdressersandkitchentables。Itwasthestrongestthinghecouldthinkof。

Thentheysettoworktolinethecarpetthroughoutwiththeoil-cloth。Thenurseryfeltveryoddandemptywithouttheothers，andCyrildidnotfeelsosureashehaddoneabouttheirbeingableto’tramit’home。SohetriedtohelpAnthea，whichwasverygoodofhim，butnotmuchusetoher。

ThePhoenixwatchedthemforatime，butitwasplainlygrowingmoreandmorerestless。Itfluffedupitssplendidfeathers，andstoodfirstononegildedclawandthenontheother，andatlastitsaid——

’Icanbearitnolonger。Thissuspense！MyRobert——whosetmyeggtohatch——inthebosomofwhoseNorfolkraimentIhavenestledsooftenandsopleasantly！Ithink，ifyou’llexcuseme——’

’Yes——DO，’criedAnthea，’Iwishwe’dthoughtofaskingyoubefore。’

Cyrilopenedthewindow。ThePhoenixflappeditssunbrightwingsandvanished。

’SoTHAT’Sallright，’saidCyril，takinguphisneedleandinstantlyprickinghishandinanewplace。

OfcourseIknowthatwhatyouhavereallywantedtoknowaboutallthistimeisnotwhatAntheaandCyrildid，butwhathappenedtoJaneandRobertaftertheyfellthroughthecarpetontotheleadsofthehousewhichwascallednumber705，AmershamRoad。

ButIhadtotellyoutheotherfirst。Thatisoneofthemostannoyingthingsaboutstories，youcannottellallthedifferentpartsofthematthesametime。

Robert’sfirstremarkwhenhefoundhimselfseatedonthedamp，cold，sootyleadswas——

’Here’sago！’

Jane’sfirstactwastears。

’Dryup，Pussy；don’tbealittleduffer，’saidherbrother，kindly，’it’llbeallright。’

Andthenhelookedabout，justasCyrilhadknownhewould，forsomethingtothrowdown，soastoattracttheattentionofthewayfarersfarbelowinthestreet。Hecouldnotfindanything。

Curiouslyenough，therewerenostonesontheleads，notevenaloosetile。Theroofwasofslate，andeverysingleslateknewitsplaceandkeptit。But，assooftenhappens，inlookingforonethinghefoundanother。Therewasatrap-doorleadingdownintothehouse。

Andthattrap-doorwasnotfastened。

’Stopsnivellingandcomehere，Jane，’hecried，encouragingly。

’Lendahandtoheavethisup。Ifwecangetintothehouse，wemightsneakdownwithoutmeetinganyone，withluck。Comeon。’

Theyheavedupthedoortillitstoodstraightup，and，astheybenttolookintotheholebelow，thedoorfellbackwithahollowclangontheleadsbehind，andwithitsnoisewasmingledablood-curdlingscreamfromunderneath。

’Discovered！’hissedRobert。’Oh，mycatsalive！’

Theywereindeeddiscovered。

Theyfoundthemselveslookingdownintoanattic，whichwasalsoalumber-room。Ithadboxesandbrokenchairs，oldfendersandpicture-frames，andrag-bagshangingfromnails。

Inthemiddleofthefloorwasabox，open，halffullofclothes。

Otherclotheslayonthefloorinneatpiles。Inthemiddleofthepilesofclothessatalady，veryfatindeed，withherfeetstickingoutstraightinfrontofher。Anditwasshewhohadscreamed，andwho，infact，wasstillscreaming。

’Don’t！’criedJane，’pleasedon’t！Wewon’thurtyou。’

’Wherearetherestofyourgang？’askedthelady，stoppingshortinthemiddleofascream。

’Theothershavegoneon，onthewishingcarpet，’saidJanetruthfully。

’Thewishingcarpet？’saidthelady。

’Yes，’saidJane，beforeRobertcouldsay’Youshutup！’’Youmusthavereadaboutit。ThePhoenixiswiththem。’

Thentheladygotup，andpickingherwaycarefullybetweenthepilesofclothesshegottothedoorandthroughit。Sheshutitbehindher，andthetwochildrencouldhearhercalling’Septimus！

Septimus！’inaloudyetfrightenedway。

’Now，’saidRobertquickly；’I’lldropfirst。’

Hehungbyhishandsanddroppedthroughthetrap-door。

’Nowyou。Hangbyyourhands。I’llcatchyou。Oh，there’snotimeforjaw。Drop，Isay。’

Janedropped。

Roberttriedtocatchher，andevenbeforetheyhadfinishedthebreathlessrollamongthepilesofclothes，whichwaswhathiscatchingendedin，hewhispered——

’We’llhide——behindthosefendersandthings；they’llthinkwe’vegonealongtheroofs。Then，whenalliscalm，we’llcreepdownthestairsandtakeourchance。’

Theyhastilyhid。AcornerofanironbedsteadstuckintoRobert’sside，andJanehadonlystandingroomforonefoot——buttheyboreit——andwhentheladycameback，notwithSeptimus，butwithanotherlady，theyheldtheirbreathandtheirheartsbeatthickly。

’Gone！’saidthefirstlady；’poorlittlethings——quitemad，mydear——andatlarge！Wemustlockthisroomandsendforthepolice。’

’Letmelookout，’saidthesecondlady，whowas，ifpossible，olderandthinnerandprimmerthanthefirst。Sothetwoladiesdraggedaboxunderthetrap-doorandputanotherboxonthetopofit，andthentheybothclimbedupverycarefullyandputtheirtwotrim，tidyheadsoutofthetrap-doortolookforthe’madchildren’。

’Now，’whisperedRobert，gettingthebedsteadlegoutofhisside。

Theymanagedtocreepoutfromtheirhiding-placeandoutthroughthedoorbeforethetwoladieshaddonelookingoutofthetrap-doorontotheemptyleads。

RobertandJanetiptoeddownthestairs——oneflight，twoflights。

Thentheylookedoverthebanisters。Horror！aservantwascomingupwithaloadedscuttle。

Thechildrenwithoneconsentcreptswiftlythroughthefirstopendoor。

Theroomwasastudy，calmandgentlemanly，withrowsofbooks，awritingtable，andapairofembroideredslipperswarmingthemselvesinthefender。Thechildrenhidbehindthewindow-curtains。Astheypassedthetabletheysawonitamissionary-boxwithitsbottomlabeltornoff，openandempty。

’Oh，howawful！’whisperedJane。’Weshallnevergetawayalive。’

’Hush！’saidRobert，notamomenttoosoon，fortherewerestepsonthestairs，andnextinstantthetwoladiescameintotheroom。

Theydidnotseethechildren，buttheysawtheemptymissionarybox。

’Iknewit，’saidone。’Selina，itWASagang。Iwascertainofitfromthefirst。Thechildrenwerenotmad。Theyweresenttodistractourattentionwhiletheirconfederatesrobbedthehouse。’

’Iamafraidyouareright，’saidSelina；’andWHEREARETHEYNOW？’

’Downstairs，nodoubt，collectingthesilvermilk-jugandsugar-basinandthepunch-ladlethatwasUncleJoe’s，andAuntJerusha’steaspoons。Ishallgodown。’

’Oh，don’tbesorashandheroic，’saidSelina。’Amelia，wemustcallthepolicefromthewindow。Lockthedoor。IWILL——Iwill——’

ThewordsendedinayellasSelina，rushingtothewindow，camefacetofacewiththehiddenchildren。

’Oh，don’t！’saidJane；’howcanyoubesounkind？WeAREN’T

burglars，andwehaven’tanygang，andwedidn’topenyourmissionary-box。Weopenedourownonce，butwedidn’thavetousethemoney，soourconsciencesmadeusputitbackand——DON’T！Oh，Iwishyouwouldn’t——’

MissSelinahadseizedJaneandMissAmeliacapturedRobert。Thechildrenfoundthemselvesheldfastbystrong，slimhands，pinkatthewristsandwhiteattheknuckles。

’We’vegotYOU，atanyrate，’saidMissAmelia。’Selina，yourcaptiveissmallerthanmine。Youopenthewindowatonceandcall"Murder！"asloudasyoucan。

Selinaobeyed；butwhenshehadopenedthewindow，insteadofcalling’Murder！’shecalled’Septimus！’becauseatthatverymomentshesawhernephewcominginatthegate。

Inanotherminutehehadlethimselfinwithhislatch-keyandhadmountedthestairs。AshecameintotheroomJaneandRoberteachutteredashriekofjoysoloudandsosuddenthattheladiesleapedwithsurprise，andnearlyletthemgo。

’It’sourownclergyman，’criedJane。

’Don’tyourememberus？’askedRobert。’Youmarriedourburglarforus——don’tyouremember？’

’IKNEWitwasagang，’saidAmelia。’Septimus，theseabandonedchildrenaremembersofadesperateburglinggangwhoarerobbingthehouse。Theyhavealreadyforcedthemissionary-boxandpurloineditscontents。’

TheReverendSeptimuspassedhishandwearilyoverhisbrow。

’Ifeelalittlefaint，’hesaid，’runningupstairssoquickly。’

’Wenevertouchedthebeastlybox，’saidRobert。

’Thenyourconfederatesdid，’saidMissSelina。

’No，no，’saidthecurate，hastily。’_I_openedtheboxmyself。

ThismorningIfoundIhadnotenoughsmallchangefortheMothers’

IndependentUnityMeaslesandCroupInsurancepayments。IsupposethisisNOTadream，isit？’

’Dream？No，indeed。Searchthehouse。Iinsistuponit。’

Thecurate，stillpaleandtrembling，searchedthehouse，which，ofcourse，wasblamelesslyfreeofburglars。

Whenhecamebackhesankwearilyintohischair。

’Aren’tyougoingtoletusgo？’askedRobert，withfuriousindignation，forthereissomethinginbeingheldbyastrongladythatsetsthebloodofaboyboilinginhisveinswithangeranddespair。’We’veneverdoneanythingtoyou。It’sallthecarpet。

Itdroppedusontheleads。WEcouldn’thelpit。Youknowhowitcarriedyouovertotheisland，andyouhadtomarrytheburglartothecook。’

’Oh，myhead！’saidthecurate。

’Nevermindyourheadjustnow，’saidRobert；’trytobehonestandhonourable，anddoyourdutyinthatstateoflife！’

’Thisisajudgementonmeforsomething，Isuppose，’saidtheReverendSeptimus，wearily，’butIreallycannotatthemomentrememberwhat。’

’Sendforthepolice，’saidMissSelina。

’Sendforadoctor，’saidthecurate。

’DoyouthinktheyAREmad，then，’saidMissAmelia。

’IthinkIam，’saidthecurate。

Janehadbeencryingeversincehercapture。Nowshesaid——

’Youaren’tnow，butperhapsyouwillbe，if——Anditwouldserveyoujollywellright，too。’

’AuntSelina，’saidthecurate，’andAuntAmelia，believeme，thisisonlyaninsanedream。Youwillrealizeitsoon。Ithashappenedtomebefore。Butdonotletusbeunjust，eveninadream。Donotholdthechildren；theyhavedonenoharm。AsI

saidbefore，itwasIwhoopenedthebox。’

Thestrong，bonyhandsunwillinglyloosenedtheirgrasp。Robertshookhimselfandstoodinsulkyresentment。ButJanerantothecurateandembracedhimsosuddenlythathehadnottimetodefendhimself。

’You’readear，’shesaid。’ItISlikeadreamjustatfirst，butyougetusedtoit。NowDOletusgo。There’sagood，kind，honourableclergyman。’

’Idon’tknow，’saidtheReverendSeptimus；’it’sadifficultproblem。Itissuchaveryunusualdream。Perhapsit’sonlyasortofotherlife——quiterealenoughforyoutobemadin。Andifyou’remad，theremightbeadream-asylumwhereyou’dbekindlytreated，andintimerestored，cured，toyoursorrowingrelatives。

Itisveryhardtoseeyourdutyplainly，eveninordinarylife，andthesedream-circumstancesaresocomplicated——’

’Ifit’sadream，’saidRobert，’youwillwakeupdirectly，andthenyou’dbesorryifyou’dsentusintoadream-asylum，becauseyoumightnevergetintothesamedreamagainandletusout，andsowemightstaythereforever，andthenwhataboutoursorrowingrelativeswhoaren’tinthedreamsatall？’

Butallthecuratecouldnowsaywas，’Oh，myhead！’

AndJaneandRobertfeltquiteillwithhelplessnessandhopelessness。Areallyconscientiouscurateisaverydifficultthingtomanage。

Andthen，justasthehopelessnessandthehelplessnessweregettingtobealmostmorethantheycouldbear，thetwochildrensuddenlyfeltthatextraordinaryshrinkingfeelingthatyoualwayshavewhenyouarejustgoingtovanish。Andthenextmomenttheyhadvanished，andtheReverendSeptimuswasleftalonewithhisaunts。

’Iknewitwasadream，’hecried，wildly。’I’vehadsomethinglikeitbefore。Didyoudreamittoo，AuntSelina，andyou，AuntAmelia？Idreamedthatyoudid，youknow。’

AuntSelinalookedathimandthenatAuntAmelia。Thenshesaidboldly——

’Whatdoyoumean？WEhaven’tbeendreaminganything。Youmusthavedroppedoffinyourchair。’

Thecurateheavedasighofrelief。

’Oh，ifit’sonly_I_，’hesaid；’ifwe’dalldreameditIcouldneverhavebelievedit，never！’

AfterwardsAuntSelinasaidtotheotheraunt——

’Yes，Iknowitwasanuntruth，andIshalldoubtlessbepunishedforitinduecourse。ButIcouldseethepoordearfellow’sbraingivingwaybeforemyveryeyes。Hecouldn’thavestoodthestrainofthreedreams。ItWASodd，wasn’tit？Allthreeofusdreamingthesamethingatthesamemoment。WemustnevertelldearSeppy。

ButIshallsendanaccountofittothePsychicalSociety，withstarsinsteadofnames，youknow。’

Andshedid。Andyoucanreadallaboutitinoneofthesociety’sfatBlue-books。

Ofcourse，youunderstandwhathadhappened？TheintelligentPhoenixhadsimplygonestraightofftothePsammead，andhadwishedRobertandJaneathome。And，ofcourse，theywereathomeatonce。CyrilandAntheahadnothalffinishedmendingthecarpet。

Whenthejoyfulemotionsofreunionhadcalmeddownalittle，theyallwentoutandspentwhatwasleftofUncleReginald’ssovereigninpresentsformother。Theyboughtherapinksilkhandkerchief，apairofblueandwhitevases，abottleofscent，apacketofChristmascandles，andacakeofsoapshapedandcolouredlikeatomato，andonethatwassolikeanorangethatalmostanyoneyouhadgivenittowouldhavetriedtopeelit——iftheylikedoranges，ofcourse。Alsotheyboughtacakewithicingon，andtherestofthemoneytheyspentonflowerstoputinthevases。

Whentheyhadarrangedallthethingsonatable，withthecandlesstuckuponaplatereadytolightthemomentmother’scabwasheard，theywashedthemselvesthoroughlyandputontidierclothes。

ThenRobertsaid，’GoodoldPsammead，’andtheotherssaidsotoo。

’But，really，it’sjustasmuchgoodoldPhoenix，’saidRobert。

’Supposeithadn’tthoughtofgettingthewish！’

’Ah！’saidthePhoenix，’itisperhapsfortunateforyouthatIamsuchacompetentbird。’

’There’smother’scab，’criedAnthea，andthePhoenixhidandtheylightedthecandles，andnextmomentmotherwashomeagain。

Shelikedherpresentsverymuch，andfoundtheirstoryofUncleReginaldandthesovereigneasyandevenpleasanttobelieve。

’Goodoldcarpet，’wereCyril’slastsleepywords。

’Whatthereisofit，’saidthePhoenix，fromthecornice-pole。

CHAPTER11

THEBEGINNINGOFTHEEND

’Well，IMUSTsay，’mothersaid，lookingatthewishingcarpetasitlay，alldarnedandmendedandbackedwithshinyAmericancloth，onthefloorofthenursery——’IMUSTsayI’veneverinmylifeboughtsuchabadbargainasthatcarpet。’

Asoft’Oh！’ofcontradictionsprangtothelipsofCyril，Robert，Jane，andAnthea。Motherlookedatthemquickly，andsaid——

’Well，ofcourse，Iseeyou’vemendeditverynicely，andthatwassweetofyou，dears。’

’Theboyshelpedtoo，’saidthedears，honourably。

’But，still——twenty-twoandninepence！Itoughttohavelastedforyears。It’ssimplydreadfulnow。Well，nevermind，darlings，you’vedoneyourbest。Ithinkwe’llhavecoconutmattingnexttime。Acarpetdoesn’thaveaneasylifeofitinthisroom，doesit？’

’It’snotourfault，mother，isit，thatourbootsarethereallyreliablekind？’Robertaskedthequestionmoreinsorrowthaninanger。

’No，dear，wecan’thelpourboots，’saidmother，cheerfully，’butwemightchangethemwhenwecomein，perhaps。It’sjustanideaofmine。Iwouldn’tdreamofscoldingontheveryfirstmorningafterI’vecomehome。Oh，myLamb，howcouldyou？’

Thisconversationwasatbreakfast，andtheLambhadbeenbeautifullygooduntileveryonewaslookingatthecarpet，andthenitwasforhimbuttheworkofamomenttoturnaglassdishofsyrupyblackberryjamupsidedownonhisyounghead。Itwastheworkofagoodmanyminutesandseveralpersonstogetthejamoffhimagain，andthisinterestingworktookpeople’smindsoffthecarpet，andnothingmorewassaidjustthenaboutitsbadnessasabargainandaboutwhatmotherhopedforfromcoconutmatting。

WhentheLambwascleanagainhehadtobetakencareofwhilemotherrumpledherhairandinkedherfingersandmadeherheadacheoverthedifficultandtwistedhouse-keepingaccountswhichcookgaveherondirtybitsofpaper，andwhichweresupposedtoexplainhowitwasthatcookhadonlyfivepence-half-pennyandalotofunpaidbillsleftoutofallthemoneymotherhadsentherforhouse-keeping。Motherwasveryclever，butevenshecouldnotquiteunderstandthecook’saccounts。

TheLambwasverygladtohavehisbrothersandsisterstoplaywithhim。Hehadnotforgottenthemabit，andhemadethemplayalltheoldexhaustinggames：’WhirlingWorlds’，whereyouswingthebabyroundandroundbyhishands；and’LegandWing’，whereyouswinghimfromsidetosidebyoneankleandonewrist。TherewasalsoclimbingVesuvius。Inthisgamethebabywalksupyou，andwhenheisstandingonyourshoulders，youshoutasloudasyoucan，whichistherumblingoftheburningmountain，andthentumblehimgentlyontothefloor，androllhimthere，whichisthedestructionofPompeii。

’Allthesame，Iwishwecoulddecidewhatwe’dbettersaynexttimemothersaysanythingaboutthecarpet，’saidCyril，breathlesslyceasingtobeaburningmountain。

’Well，youtalkanddecide，’saidAnthea；’here，youlovelyduckyLamb。CometoPantherandplayNoah’sArk。’

TheLambcamewithhisprettyhairalltumbledandhisfacealldustyfromthedestructionofPompeii，andinstantlybecameababysnake，hissingandwrigglingandcreepinginAnthea’sarms，asshesaid——

’Ilovemylittlebabysnake，Hehisseswhenheisawake，Hecreepswithsuchawrigglycreep，Hewriggleseveninhissleep。’

’Crocky，’saidtheLamb，andshowedallhislittleteeth。SoAntheawenton——

’Ilovemylittlecrocodile，Ilovehistruthfultoothfulsmile；

Itissowonderfulandwide，Iliketoseeit——FROMOUTSIDE。’

’Well，yousee，’Cyrilwassaying；’it’sjusttheoldbother。

Mothercan’tbelievetherealtruetruthaboutthecarpet，and——’

’Youspeaksooth，OCyril，’remarkedthePhoenix，comingoutfromthecupboardwheretheblackbeetleslived，andthetornbooks，andthebrokenslates，andoddpiecesoftoysthathadlosttherestofthemselves。’NowhearthewisdomofPhoenix，thesonofthePhoenix——’

’Thereisasocietycalledthat，’saidCyril。

’Whereisit？Andwhatisasociety？’askedthebird。

’It’sasortofjoined-togetherlotofpeople——asortofbrotherhood——akindof——well，somethingverylikeyourtemple，youknow，onlyquitedifferent。’

’Itakeyourmeaning，’saidthePhoenix。’IwouldfainseethesecallingthemselvesSonsofthePhoenix’

’Butwhataboutyourwordsofwisdom？’

’Wisdomisalwayswelcome，’saidthePhoenix。

’PrettyPolly！’remarkedtheLamb，reachinghishandstowardsthegoldenspeaker。

ThePhoenixmodestlyretreatedbehindRobert，andAntheahastenedtodistracttheattentionoftheLambbymurmuring——

"Ilovemylittlebabyrabbit；

Butoh！hehasadreadfulhabitOfpaddlingoutamongtherocksAndsoakingbothhisbunnysocks。’

’Idon’tthinkyou’dcareaboutthesonsofthePhoenix，really，’

saidRobert。’Ihaveheardthattheydon’tdoanythingfiery。

Theyonlydrinkagreatdeal。Muchmorethanotherpeople，becausetheydrinklemonadeandfizzythings，andthemoreyoudrinkofthosethemoregoodyouget。’

’Inyourmind，perhaps，’saidJane；’butitwouldn’tbegoodinyourbody。You’dgettooballoony。’

ThePhoenixyawned。

’Lookhere，’saidAnthea；’Ireallyhaveanidea。Thisisn’tlikeacommoncarpet。It’sverymagicindeed。Don’tyouthink，ifweputTatchoonit，andthengaveitarest，themagicpartofitmightgrow，likehairissupposedtodo？’

’Itmight，’saidRobert；’butIshouldthinkparaffinwoulddoaswell——atanyrateasfarasthesmellgoes，andthatseemstobethegreatthingaboutTatcho。’

ButwithallitsfaultsAnthea’sideawassomethingtodo，andtheydidit。

ItwasCyrilwhofetchedtheTatchobottlefromfather’swashhand-stand。Butthebottlehadnotmuchinit。

’Wemustn’ttakeitall，’Janesaid，’incasefather’shairbegantocomeoffsuddenly。Ifhehadn’tanythingtoputonit，itmightalldropoffbeforeElizahadtimetogetroundtothechemist’sforanotherbottle。Itwouldbedreadfultohaveabaldfather，anditwouldallbeourfault。’

’Andwigsareveryexpensive，Ibelieve，’saidAnthea。’Lookhere，leaveenoughinthebottletowetfather’sheadalloverwithincaseanyemergencyemerges——andlet’smakeupwithparaffin。I

expectit’sthesmellthatdoesthegoodreally——andthesmell’sexactlythesame。’

SoasmallteaspoonfuloftheTatchowasputontheedgesoftheworstdarninthecarpetandrubbedcarefullyintotherootsofthehairsofit，andallthepartsthattherewasnotenoughTatchoforhadparaffinrubbedintothemwithapieceofflannel。Thentheflannelwasburned。Itmadeagayflame，whichdelightedthePhoenixandtheLamb。

’Howoften，’saidmother，openingthedoor——’howoftenamItotellyouthatyouareNOTtoplaywithparaffin？Whathaveyoubeendoing？’

’Wehaveburntaparaffinyrag，’Antheaanswered。

Itwasnousetellingmotherwhattheyhaddonetothecarpet。Shedidnotknowitwasamagiccarpet，andnoonewantstobelaughedatfortryingtomendanordinarycarpetwithlamp-oil。

’Well，don’tdoitagain，’saidmother。’Andnow，awaywithmelancholy！Fatherhassentatelegram。Look！’Shehelditout，andthechildren，holdingitbyitsyieldingcorners，read——

’BoxforkiddiesatGarrick。Stallsforus，Haymarket。MeetCharingCross，6。30。’

’Thatmeans，’saidmother，’thatyou’regoingtosee"TheWaterBabies"allbyyourhappyselves，andfatherandIwilltakeyouandfetchyou。GivemetheLamb，dear，andyouandJaneputcleanlaceinyourredeveningfrocks，andIshouldn’twonderifyoufoundtheywantedironing。Thisparaffinsmellisghastly。Runandgetoutyourfrocks。’

Thefrocksdidwantironing——wanteditratherbadly，asithappened；for，beingoftomato-ColouredLibertysilk，theyhadbeenfoundveryusefulfortableauxvivantswhenareddresswasrequiredforCardinalRichelieu。Theywereverynicetableaux，these，andIwishIcouldtellyouaboutthem；butonecannottelleverythinginastory。YouwouldhavebeenspeciallyinterestedinhearingaboutthetableauofthePrincesintheTower，whenoneofthepillowsburst，andtheyouthfulPrincesweresocoveredwithfeathersthatthepicturemightverywellhavebeencalled’MichaelmasEve；or，PluckingtheGeese’。

Ironingthedressesandsewingthelaceinoccupiedsometime，andnoonewasdull，becausetherewasthetheatretolookforwardto，andalsothepossiblegrowthofhairsonthecarpet，forwhicheveryonekeptlookinganxiously。Byfouro’clockJanewasalmostsurethatseveralhairswerebeginningtogrow。

ThePhoenixperchedonthefender，anditsconversation，asusual，wasentertainingandinstructive——likeschoolprizesaresaidtobe。Butitseemedalittleabsent-minded，andevenalittlesad。

’Don’tyoufeelwell，Phoenix，dear？’askedAnthea，stoopingtotakeanironoffthefire。

’Iamnotsick，’repliedthegoldenbird，withagloomyshakeofthehead；’butIamgettingold。’

’Why，you’vehardlybeenhatchedanytimeatall。’

’Time，’remarkedthePhoenix，’ismeasuredbyheartbeats。I’msurethepalpitationsI’vehadsinceI’veknownyouareenoughtoblanchthefeathersofanybird。’

’ButIthoughtyoulived500years，’saidRobert，andyou’vehardlybegunthissetofyears。Thinkofallthetimethat’sbeforeyou。’

’Time，’saidthePhoenix，’is，asyouareprobablyaware，merelyaconvenientfiction。Thereisnosuchthingastime。Ihavelivedinthesetwomonthsatapacewhichgenerouslycounterbalances500

yearsoflifeinthedesert。Iamold，Iamweary。IfeelasifIoughttolaymyegg，andlaymedowntomyfierysleep。ButunlessI’mcarefulIshallbehatchedagaininstantly，andthatisamisfortunewhichIreallydonotthinkICOULDendure。Butdonotletmeintrudethesedesperatepersonalreflectionsonyouryouthfulhappiness。Whatistheshowatthetheatreto-night？

Wrestlers？Gladiators？Acombatofcameleopardsandunicorns？’

’Idon’tthinkso，’saidCyril；’it’scalled"TheWaterBabies"，andifit’slikethebookthereisn’tanygladiatinginit。Therearechimney-sweepsandprofessors，andalobsterandanotterandasalmon，andchildrenlivinginthewater。’

’Itsoundschilly。’ThePhoenixshivered，andwenttositonthetongs。

’Idon’tsupposetherewillbeREALwater，’saidJane。’Andtheatresareverywarmandpretty，withalotofgoldandlamps。

Wouldn’tyouliketocomewithus？’

’_I_wasjustgoingtosaythat，’saidRobert，ininjuredtones，’onlyIknowhowrudeitistointerrupt。Docome，Phoenix，oldchap；itwillcheeryouup。It’llmakeyoulaughlikeanything。

MrBourchieralwaysmakesrippingplays。Yououghttohaveseen"Shock-headedPeter"lastyear。’

’Yourwordsarestrange，’saidthePhoenix，’butIwillcomewithyou。TherevelsofthisBourchier，ofwhomyouspeak，mayhelpmetoforgettheweightofmyyears。’

SothateveningthePhoenixsnuggedinsidethewaistcoatofRobert’sEtons——averytightfititseemedbothtoRobertandtothePhoenix——andwastakentotheplay。

Roberthadtopretendtobecoldattheglittering，many-mirroredrestaurantwheretheyatedinner，withfatherineveningdress，withaveryshinywhiteshirt-front，andmotherlookinglovelyinhergreyeveningdress，thatchangesintopinkandgreenwhenshemoves。Robertpretendedthathewastoocoldtotakeoffhisgreat-coat，andsosatswelteringthroughwhatwouldotherwisehavebeenamostthrillingmeal。Hefeltthathewasablotonthesmartbeautyofthefamily，andhehopedthePhoenixknewwhathewassufferingforitssake。Ofcourse，weareallpleasedtosufferforthesakeofothers，butwelikethemtoknowitunlesswearetheverybestandnoblestkindofpeople，andRobertwasjustordinary。

Fatherwasfullofjokesandfun，andeveryonelaughedallthetime，evenwiththeirmouthsfull，whichisnotmanners。Robertthoughtfatherwouldnothavebeenquitesofunnyabouthiskeepinghisover-coatoniffatherhadknownallthetruth。AndthereRobertwasprobablyright。