five children and it-第23部分

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'Not　to…day；'　said　Robert；　rejecting　the　idea　of　trying　to　sing　'As

once　in　May'；　a　favourite　of　his　mother's；　and　the　only　song　he

could　think　of　at　the　moment。



'Get　Levi　and　clear　them　bloomin'　photos　out。　　Clear　the　tent。　

Stick　up　a　curtain　or　suthink；'　the　man　went　on。　　'Lor'；　what　a

pity　we　ain't　got　no　tights　his　size！　　But　we'll　have　'em　before

the　week's　out。　　Young　man；　your　fortune's　made。　　It's　a　good　thing

you　came　to　me；　and　not　to　some　chaps　as　I　could　tell　you　on。　　I've

known　blokes　as　beat　their　giants；　and　starved　'em　too；　so　I'll

tell　you　straight；　you're　in　luck　this　day　if　you　never　was　afore。　

'Cos　I'm　a　lamb；　I　am　…　and　I　don't　deceive　you。'



'I'm　not　afraid　of　anyone's　beating　ME；'　said　Robert；　looking　down

on　the　'lamb'。　　Robert　was　crouched　on　his　knees；　because　the　tent

was　not　big　enough　for　him　to　stand　upright　in；　but　even　in　that

position　he　could　still　look　down　on　most　people。　　'But　I'm　awfully

hungry　I　wish　you'd　get　me　something　to　eat。'



'Here；　'Becca；'　said　the　hoarse　Bill。　　'Get　him　some　grub　…　the

best　you've　got；　mind！'　　Another　whisper　followed；　of　which　the

children　only　heard；　'Down　in　black　and　white　…　first　thing

to…morrow。'



Then　the　woman　went　to　get　the　food　…　it　was　only　bread　and　cheese

when　it　came；　but　it　was　delightful　to　the　large　and　empty　Robert；

and　the　man　went　to　post　sentinels　round　the　tent；　to　give　the

alarm　if　Robert　should　attempt　to　escape　with　his　fifteen

shillings。



'As　if　we　weren't　honest；'　said　Anthea　indignantly　when　the　meaning

of　the　sentinels　dawned　on　her。



Then　began　a　very　strange　and　wonderful　afternoon。



Bill　was　a　man　who　knew　his　business。　　In　a　very　little　while；　the

photographic　views；　the　spyglasses　you　look　at　them　through；　so

that　they　really　seem　rather　real；　and　the　lights　you　see　them　by；

were　all　packed　away。　　A　curtain　…　it　was　an　old　red…and…black

carpet　really　…　was　run　across　the　tent。　　Robert　was　concealed

behind；　and　Bill　was　standing　on　a　trestle…table　outside　the　tent

making　a　speech。　　It　was　rather　a　good　speech。　　It　began　by　saying

that　the　giant　it　was　his　privilege　to　introduce　to　the　public　that

day　was　the　eldest　son　of　the　Emperor　of　San　Francisco；　compelled

through　an　unfortunate　love　affair　with　the　Duchess　of　the　Fiji

Islands　to　leave　his　own　country　and　take　refuge　in　England　…　the

land　of　liberty　…　where　freedom　was　the　right　of　every　man；　no

matter　how　big　he　was。　　It　ended　by　the　announcement　that　the　first

twenty　who　came　to　the　tent　door　should　see　the　giant　for

threepence　apiece。　　'After　that；'　said　Bill；　'the　price　is　riz；　and

I　don't　undertake　to　say　what　it　won't　be　riz　to。　　So　now's　yer

time。'



A　young　man　squiring　his　sweetheart　on　her　afternoon　out　was　the

first　to　come　forward。　　For　that　occasion　his　was　the　princely

attitude　…　no　expense　spared　…　money　no　object。　　His　girl　wished　to

see　the　giant？　　Well；　she　should　see　the　giant；　even　though　seeing

the　giant　cost　threepence　each　and　the　other　entertainments　were

all　penny　ones。



The　flap　of　the　tent　was　raised　…　the　couple　entered。　　Next　moment

a　wild　shriek　from　the　girl　thrilled　through　all　present。　　Bill

slapped　his　leg。　　'That's　done　the　trick！'　he　whispered　to　'Becca。　

It　was　indeed　a　splendid　advertisement　of　the　charms　of　Robert。　

When　the　girl　came　out　she　was　pale　and　trembling；　and　a　crowd　was

round　the　tent。





'What　was　it　like？'　asked　a　bailiff。



'Oh！　…　horrid！　…　you　wouldn't　believe；'　she　said。　　'It's　as　big　as

a　barn；　and　that　fierce。　　It　froze　the　blood　in　my　bones。　　I

wouldn't　ha'　missed　seeing　it　for　anything。'



The　fierceness　was　only　caused　by　Robert's　trying　not　to　laugh。　

But　the　desire　to　do　that　soon　left　him；　and　before　sunset　he　was

more　inclined　to　cry　than　to　laugh；　and　more　inclined　to　sleep　than

either。　　For；　by　ones　and　twos　and　threes；　people　kept　coming　in

all　the　afternoon；　and　Robert　had　to　shake　hands　with　those　who

wished　it；　and　allow　himself　to　be　punched　and　pulled　and　patted

and　thumped；　so　that　people　might　make　sure　he　was　really　real。



The　other　children　sat　on　a　bench　and　watched　and　waited；　and　were

very　bored　indeed。　　It　seemed　to　them　that　this　was　the　hardest　way

of　earning　money　that　could　have　been　invented。　　And　only　fifteen

shillings！　　Bill　had　taken　four　times　that　already；　for　the　news　of

the　giant　had　spread；　and　tradespeople　in　carts；　and　gentlepeople

in　carriages；　came　from　far　and　near。　　One　gentleman　with　an

eyeglass；　and　a　very　large　yellow　rose　in　his　buttonhole；　offered

Robert；　in　an　obliging　whisper；　ten　pounds　a　week　to　appear　at　the

Crystal　Palace。　　Robert　had　to　say　'No'。



'I　can't；'　he　said　regretfully。　　'It's　no　use　promising　what　you

can't　do。'



'Ah；　poor　fellow；　bound　for　a　term　of　years；　I　suppose！　　Well；

here's　my　card；　when　your　time's　up　come　to　me。'



'I　will　…　if　I'm　the　same　size　then；'　said　Robert　truthfully。



'If　you　grow　a　bit；　so　much　the　better；'　said　the　gentleman。

When　he　had　gone；　Robert　beckoned　Cyril　and　said：



'Tell　them　I　must　and　will　have　an　easy。　　And　I　want　my　tea。'



Tea　was　provided；　and　a　paper　hastily　pinned　on　the　tent。　　It　said：



　　　　　CLOSED　FOR　HALF　AN　HOUR

　　　　　WHILE　THE　GIANT　GETS　HIS　TEA



Then　there　was　a　hurried　council。



'How　am　I　to　get　away？'　said　Robert。　　'I've　been　thinking　about　it

all　the　afternoon。'



'Why；　walk　out　when　the　sun　sets　and　you're　your　right　size。　　They

can't　do　anything　to　us。'



Robert　opened　his　eyes。　　'Why；　they'd　nearly　kill　us；'　he　said；

'when　they　saw　me　get　my　right　size。　　No；　we　must　think　of　some

other　way。　　We　MUST　be　alone　when　the　sun　sets。'



'I　know；'　said　Cyril　briskly；　and　he　went　to　the　door；　outside

which　Bill　was　smoking　a　clay　pipe　and　talking　in　a　low　voice　to

'Becca。　　Cyril　heard　him　say　…　'Good　as　havin'　a　fortune　left　you。'



'Look　here；'　said　Cyril；　'you　can　let　people　come　in　again　in　a

minute。　　He's　nearly　finished　his　tea。　　But　he　must　be　left　alone

when　the　sun　sets。　　He's　very　queer　at　that　time　of　day；　and　if

he's　worried　I　won't　answer　for　the　consequences。'



'Why　…　what　comes　over　him？'　asked　Bill。



'I　don't　know；　it's　…　it's　a　sort　of　a　change；'　said　Cyril

candidly。　　'He　isn't　at　all　like　himself　…　you'd　hardly　know　him。　

He's　very　queer　indeed。　　Someone'll　get　hurt　if　he's　not　alone

about　sunset。'　　This　was　true。



'He'll　pull　round　for　the　evening；　I　s'pose？'



'Oh　yes　…　half　an　hour　after　sunset　he'll　be　quite　himself　again。'



'Best　humour　him；'　said　the　woman。



And　so；　at　what　Cyril　judged　was　about　half　an　hour　before　sunset；

the　tent　was　again　closed　'whilst　the　giant　gets　his　supper'。



The　crowd　was　very　merry　about　the　giant's　meals　and　their　coming

so　close　together。



'Well；　he　can　pick　a　bit；'　Bill　owned。　　'You　see　he　has　to　eat

hearty；　being　the　size　he　is。'



Inside　the　tent　the　four　children　breathlessly　arranged　a　plan　of

retreat。

'You　go　NOW；'　said　Cyril　to　the　girls；　'and　get　along　home　as　fast

as　you　can。　　Oh；　never　mind　the　beastly　pony…cart；　we'll　get　that

to…morrow。　　Robert　and　I　are　dressed　the　same。　　We'll　manage

somehow；　like　Sydney　Carton　did。　　Only；　you　girls　MUST　get　out；　or

it's　all　no　go。　　We　can　run；　but　you　can't　…　whatever　you　may

think。　　No；　Jane；　it's　no　good　Robert　going　out　and　knocking　people

down。　　The　police　would　follow　him　till　he　turned　his　proper　size；

and　then　arrest　him　like　a　shot。　　Go　you　must！　　If　you　don't；　I'll

never　speak　to　you　again。　　It　was　you　got　us　into　this　mess　really；

hanging　round　people's　legs　the　way　you　did　this　morning。　　Go；　I

tell　you！'



And　Jane　and　Anthea　went。



'We're　going　home；'　they　said　to　Bill。　　'We're　leaving　the　giant

with　you。　　Be　kind　to　him。'　　And　that；　as　Anthea　said　afterwards；

was　very　deceitful；　but　what　were　they　to　do？



When　they　had　gone；　Cyril　went　to　Bill。



'Look　here；'　he　said；　'he　wants　some　ears　of　corn　…　there's　some　in

the　next　field　but　one。　　I'll　just　run　and　get　it。　　Oh；　and　he　says

can't　you　loop　up　the　tent　at　the　back　a　bit？　　He　says　he's

stifling　for　a　breath　of　air。　　I'll　see　no　one　peeps　in　at　him。　

I'll　cover　him　up；　and　he　can　take　a　nap　while　I　go　for　the　corn。　

He　WILL　have　it　…　there's　no　holding　him　when　he　gets　like　this。'



The　giant　was　made　comfortable　with　a　heap　of　sacks　and　an　old

tarpaulin。　　The　curtain　was　looped　up；　and　the　brothers　were　left

alone。　　They　matured　their　plan　in　whispers。　　Outside；　the

merry…go…round　blared　out　its　comic　tunes；　screaming　now　and　then

to　attract　public　notice。



Half　a　minute　after　the　sun　had　set；　a　boy　in　a　Norfolk　suit　came

out　past　Bill。



'I'm　off　for　the　corn；'　he　said；　and　mingled　quickly　with　the

crowd。



At　the　same　instant　a　boy　came　out　of　the　back　of　the　tent　past

'Becca；　posted　there　as　sentinel。



'I'm　off　after　the　corn；'　said　this　boy　also。　　And　he；　too；　moved

away　quietly　and　was　lost　in　the　crowd。　　The　front…door　boy　was

Cyril；　the　back…door　was　Robert　…　now；　since　sunset；　once　more　his

proper　size。　　They　walked　quickly　through　the　field；　and　along　the

road；　where　Robert　caught　Cyril　up。　　Then　they　ran。　　They　were　home

as　soon　as　the　girls　were；　for　it　was　a　long　way；　and　they　ran　most

of　it。　　It　was　indeed　a　very　long　way；　as　they　found　when　they　had

to　go　and　drag　the　pony…trap　home　next　morning；　with　no　enormous

Robert　to　wheel　them　in　it　as　if　it　were　a　mail…cart；　and　they　were

babies　and　he　was　their　gigantic　nursemaid。





I　cannot　possibly　tell　you　what　Bill　and　'Becca　said　when　they

found　that　the　giant　had　gone。　　For　one　thing；　I　do　not　know。







CHAPTER　9

GROWN　UP





Cyril　had　once　pointed　out　that　ordinary　life　is　full　of　occasions

on　which　a　wish　would　be　most　useful。　　And　this　thought　filled　his

mind　when　he　happened　to　wake　early　on　the　morning　after　the

morning　after　Robert　had　wished　to　be　bigger