the enchanted castle-第36部分

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smile。　Both　boys；　I　am　sorry　to　say；　screamed。　The　American　fired
again。　The　bullet　passed　through　Sir　Rupert；　who　advanced
without　appearing　to　notice　it。

Then；　suddenly；　the　lights　went　out。　The　next　thing　the　boys　knew
it　was　morning。　A　grey　daylight　shone　blankly　through　the　tall
windows　and　wild　rain　was　beating　upon　the　glass；　and　the
American　was　gone。

〃Where　are　we？〃　said　Jimmy；　sitting　up　with　tangled　hair　and
looking　round　him。　〃Oh；　I　remember。　Ugh！　it　was　horrid。　I'm　about
fed　up　with　that　ring；　so　1　don't　mind　telling　you。〃　

〃Nonsense！〃　said　Gerald。　〃I　enjoyed　it。　I　wasn't　a　bit　frightened；
were　you？〃

〃No；〃　said　Jimmy；　〃of　course　I　wasn't。　

〃We've　done　the　trick；〃　said　Gerald　later　when　they　learned　that
the　American　had　breakfasted　early　with　Lord　Yalding　and　taken
the　first　train　to　London；　〃he's　gone　to　get　rid　of　his　other　house；
and　take　this　one。　The　old　ring's　beginning　to　do　really　useful
things。〃　

〃Perhaps　you'll　believe　in　the　ring　now；〃　said　Jimmy　to　Lord
Yalding；　whom　he　met　later　on　in　the　picture…gallery；　〃it's　all　our
doing　that　Mr。　Jefferson　saw　the　ghost。　He　told　us　he'd　take　the
house　if　he　saw　a　ghost；　so　of　course　we　took　care　he　did　see　one。〃

〃Oh；　you　did；　did　you？〃　said　Lord　Yalding　in　rather　an　odd　voice。
〃I'm　very　much　obliged；　I'm　sure。〃　

〃Don't　mention　it；〃　said　Jimmy　kindly。　〃I　thought　you'd　be　pleased
and　him　too。〃　

〃Perhaps　you'll　be　interested　to　learn；〃　said　Lord　Yalding；　putting
his　hands　in　his　pockets　and　staring　down　at　Jimmy；　〃that　Mr。
Jefferson　D。　Conway　was　so　pleased　with　your　ghost　that　he　got
me　out　of　bed　at　six　o　clock　this　morning　to　talk　about　it。〃　

〃Oh；　ripping！〃　said　Jimmy。　〃What　did　he　say？〃

〃He　said；　as　far　as　I　can　remember；〃　said　Lord　Yalding；　still　in　the
same　strange　voice　〃he　said：　〃My　lord；　your　ancestral　pile　is　Al。　It
is；　in　fact；　The　Limit。　Its　luxury　is　palatial；　its　grounds　are　nothing
short　of　Edenesque。　No　expense　has　been　spared；　I　should　surmise。
Your　ancestors　were　whole…hoggers。　They　have　done　the　thing　as　it
should　be　done　every　detail　attended　to。　I　like　your　tapestry；　and　I
like　your　oak；　and　I　like　your　secret　stairs。　But　I　think　your
ancestors　should　have　left　well　enough　alone；　and　stopped　at　that。〃
So　I　said　they　had；　as　far　as　I　knew；　and　he　shook　his　head　and
said：

〃No；　Sir。　Your　ancestors　take　the　air　of　a　night　with　their　heads
under　their　arms。　A　ghost　that　sighed　or　glided　or　rustled　I　could
have　stood；　and　thanked　you　for　it；　and　considered　it　in　the　rent。
But　a　ghost　that　bullets　go　through　while　it　stands　grinning　with　a
bare　neck　and　its　head　loose　under　its　own　arm　and　little　boys
screaming　and　fainting　in　their　beds　no！　What　I　say　is；　If　this　is　a
British　hereditary　high…toned　family　ghost；　excuse　me！〃　And　he
went　off　by　the　early　train。　

〃I　say；〃　the　stricken　Jimmy　remarked；　〃I　am　sorry；　and　I　don't　think
we　did　faint；　really　I　don't　but　we　thought　it　would　be　just　what　you
wanted。　And　perhaps　someone　else　will　take　the　house。〃　

〃I　don't　know　anyone　else　rich　enough；〃　said　Lord　Yalding。　〃Mr。
Conway　came　the　day　before　he　said　he　would；　or　you'd　never　have
got　hold　of　him。　And　I　don't　know　how　you　did　it；　and　I　don't　want
to　know。　It　was　a　rather　silly　trick。〃　

There　was　a　gloomy　pause。　The　rain　beat　against　the　long
windows。

〃I　say〃　Jimmy　looked　up　at　Lord　Yalding　with　the　light　of　a　new
idea　in　his　round　face　〃I　say；　if　you're　hard　up；　why　don't　you　sell
your　jewels？〃

〃I　haven't　any　jewels；　you　meddlesome　young　duffer；〃　said　Lord
Yalding　quite　crossly；　and　taking　his　hands　out　of　his　pockets；　he
began　to　walk　away。

〃I　mean　the　ones　in　the　panelled　room　with　the　stars　in　the
ceiling；〃　Jimmy　insisted；　following　him。

〃There　aren't　any；〃　said　Lord　Yalding　shortly；　〃and　if　this　is　some
more　ring…nonsense　I　advise　you　to　be　careful；　young　man。　I've　had
about　as　much　as　I　care　for。〃

〃It's　not　ring…nonsense；　said　Jimmy：　〃there　are　shelves　and　shelves
of　beautiful　family　jewels。　You　can　sell　them　and　；〃

〃Oh；　no！〃　cried　Mademoiselle；　appearing　like　an　oleograph　of　a
duchess　in　the　door　of　the　picture…gallery；　〃don't　sell　the　family
jewels　〃

〃There　aren't　any；　my　lady；〃　said　Lord　Yalding；　going　towards　her。
〃I　thought　you　were　never　coming。〃　

〃Oh；　aren't　there！〃　said　Mabel；　who　had　followed　Mademoiselle。
〃You　just　come　and　see；〃　

〃Let　us　see　what　they　will　to　show　us；〃　cried　Mademoiselle；　for
Lord　Yalding　did　not　move；　〃it　should　at　least　be　amusing。〃　

〃It　is；〃　said　Jimmy。

So　they　went；　Mabel　and　Jimmy　leading；　while　Mademoiselle　and
Lord　Yalding　followed；　hand　in　hand。

〃It's　much　safer　to　walk　hand　in　hand；〃　said　Lord　Yalding；　〃with
these　children　at　large　one　never　knows　what　may　happen　next。〃　

It　would　be　interesting；　no　doubt；　to　describe　the　feelings　of　Lord
Yalding　as　he　followed　Mabel　and　Jimmy　through　his　ancestral
halls；　but　I　have　no　means　of　knowing　at　all　what　he　felt。　Yet　one
must　suppose　that　he　felt　something：　bewilderment；　perhaps；
mixed　with　a　faint　wonder；　and　a　desire　to　pinch　himself　to　see　if
he　were　dreaming。　Or　he　may　have　pondered　the　rival　questions；
〃Am　I　mad？　Are　they　mad？〃　without　being　at　all　able　to　decide
which　he　ought　to　try　to　answer；　let　alone　deciding　what；　in　either
case；　the　answer　ought　to　be。　You　see；　the　children　did　seem　to
believe　in　the　odd　stories　they　told　and　the　wish　had　come　true；
and　the　ghost　had　appeared。　He　must　have　thought　but　all　this　is
vain；　I　don't　really　know　what　he　thought　any　more　than　you　do。

Nor　can　I　give　you　any　clew　to　the　thoughts　and　feelings　of
Mademoiselle。　I　only　know　that　she　was　very　happy；　but　anyone
would　have　known　that　if　they　had　seen　her　face。　Perhaps　this　is　as
good　a　moment　as　any　to　explain　that　when　her　guardian　had　put
her　in　a　convent　so　that　she　should　not　sacrifice　her　fortune　by
marrying　a　poor　lord；　her　guardian　had　secured　that　fortune　（to
himself）　by　going　off　with　it　to　South　America。　Then；　having　no
money　left；　Mademoiselle

had　to　work　for　it。　So　she　went　out　as　governess；　and　took　the
situation　she　did　take　because　it　was　near　Lord　Yalding's　home。
She　wanted　to　see　him；　even　though　she　thought　he　had　forsaken
her　and　did　not　love　her　any　more。　And　now　she　had　seen　him。　I
dare　say　she　thought　about　some　of　these　things　as　she　went　along
through　his　house；　her　hand　held　in　his。　But　of　course　I　can't　be
sure。

Jimmy's　thoughts；　of　course；　I　can　read　like　any　old　book。　He
thought；　〃Now　he'll　have　to　believe　me。〃　That　Lord　Yalding　should
believe　him　had　become；　quite　unreasonably；　the　most　important
thing　in　the　world　to　Jimmy。　He　wished　that　Gerald　and　Kathleen
were　there　to　share　his　triumph；　but　they　were　helping　Mabel's
aunt　to　cover　the　grand　furniture　up；　and　so　were　out　of　what
followed。　Not　that　they　missed　much；　for　when　Mabel　proudly
said；　〃Now　you'll　see；　and　the　others　came　close　round　her　in　the
little　panelled　room；　there　was　a　pause；　and　then　nothing　happened
at　all！

〃There's　a　secret　spring　here　somewhere；〃　said　Mabel；　fumbling
with　fingers　that　had　suddenly　grown　hot　and　damp。

〃Where？〃　said　Lord　Yalding。

〃Here；〃　said　Mabel　impatiently；　〃only　I　can't　find　it。〃　

And　she　couldn't。　She　found　the　spring　of　the　secret　panel　under
the　window　all　right；　but　that　seemed　to　everyone　dull　compared
with　the　jewels　that　everyone　had　pictured　and　two　at　least　had
seen。　But　the　spring　that　made　the　oak　panelling　slide　away　and
displayed　jewels　plainly　to　any　eye　worth　a　king's　ransom　this
could　not　be　found。　More；　it　was　simply　not　there。　There　could　be
no　doubt　of　that。　Every　inch　of　the　panelling　was　felt　by　careful
fingers。　The　earnest　protests　of　Mabel　and　Jimmy　died　away
presently　in　a　silence　made　painful　by　the　hotness　of　one's　ears；　the
discomfort　of　not　liking　to　meet　anyone's　eyes；　and　the　resentful
feeling　that　the　spring　was　not　behaving　in　at　all　a　sportsmanlike
way；　and　that；　in　a　word；　this　was　not　cricket。

〃You　see！〃　said　Lord　Yalding　severely。　〃Now　you've　had　your　joke；
if　you　call　it　a　joke；　and　I've　had　enough　of　the　whole　silly
business。　Give　me　the　ring　it's　mine；　I　suppose；　since　you　say　you
found　it　somewhere　here　and　don't　let's　hear　another　word　about　all
this　rubbish　of　magic　and　enchantment。〃　

〃Gerald's　got　the　ring；〃　said　Mabel　miserably。

〃Then　go　and　fetch　him；〃　said　Lord　Yalding　〃both　of　you。〃

The　melancholy　pair　retired；　and　Lord　Yalding　spent　the　time　of
their　absence　in　explaining　to　Mademoiselle　how　very　unimportant
jewels　were　compared　with　other　things。

The　four　children　came　back　together。

〃We've　had　enough　of　this　ring　business；〃　said　Lord　Yalding。　〃Give
it　to　me　and　we'll　say　no　more　about　it。〃　

〃I　I　can't　get　it　off；〃　said　Gerald。　〃It　it　always　did　have　a　will　of　its
own。〃　

〃I'll　soon　get　it　off；〃　said　Lord　Yalding。　But　he　didn't。　〃We'll　try
soap；〃　he　said　firmly。　Four　out　of　his　five　hearers　knew　just　exactly
how　much　use　soap　would　be。

〃They　won't　believe　about　the　jewels；〃　wailed　Mabel；　suddenly
dissolved　in　tears；　〃and　I　can't　find　the　spring。　I've　felt　all　over　we
all　have　it　was　just　here；　and　〃　

Her　fingers　felt　it　as　she　spoke；　and　as　she　ceased　to　speak　the
carved　panels　slid　away；　and　the　blue　velvet　shelves　laden　with
jewels　were　disclosed　to　the　unbelieving　eyes　of　Lord　Yalding　and
the　lady　who　was　to　be　his　wife。

〃Jove！〃　said　Lord　Yalding。

〃Misericorde！〃　said　the　lady。

〃But　why　now？〃　gasped　Mabel。　〃Why　not　before？〃

〃I　expect　it's　magic；〃　said　Gerald。　〃There's　no　real　spring　here；　and
it　couldn't　act　because　the　ring　wasn't　here。　You　know　Phoebus
told　us　the　ring　was　the　heart　of　all　the　magic。〃　

〃Shut　it　up　and　take　the　ring　away　and　see。　

They　did；　and　Gerald　was　（as　usual；　he　himself　pointed　out）　proved
to　be　right。　When　the　ring　was　away　there　was　no　spring；　when　the
ring　was　in　the　room　there　（as　Mabel　urged）　was　the　spring　all
right　enough。

〃So　you　see；〃　said　Mabel　to　Lord　Yalding。

〃I　see　that　the　spring's　very　artfully　concealed；〃　said　that　dense
peer。　〃I　think　it　was　very　clever　indeed　of　you　to　find　it。　And　if
those　jewels　are　real　；〃

〃Of　course　they're　real；〃　said　Mabel　indignantly。

〃Well；　anyway；〃　said　Lord　Yalding；　〃tha