five children and it-第26部分

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In　her　heart　she　could　hear　the　pretty；　soft　little　loving　voice　of

the　baby　Lamb　…　so　different　from　the　affected　tones　of　the

dreadful　grown…up　Lamb　（one　of　whose　names　was　Devereux）　…　saying；

'Me　love　Panty　…　wants　to　come　to　own　Panty。'



'Oh；　let's　get　home；　for　goodness'　sake；'　she　said。　　'You　shall　say

whatever　you　like　in　the　morning　…　if　you　can；'　she　added　in　a

whisper。

It　was　a　gloomy　party　that　went　home　through　the　soft　evening。　

During　Anthea's　remarks　Robert　had　again　made　play　with　the　pin　and

the　bicycle　tyre　and　the　Lamb　（whom　they　had　to　call　St　Maur　or

Devereux　or　Hilary）　seemed　really　at　last　to　have　had　his　fill　of

bicycle…mending。　　So　the　machine　was　wheeled。



The　sun　was　just　on　the　point　of　setting　when　they　arrived　at　the

White　House。　　The　four　elder　children　would　have　liked　to　linger　in

the　lane　till　the　complete　sunsetting　turned　the　grown…up　Lamb

（whose　Christian　names　I　will　not　further　weary　you　by　repeating）

into　their　own　dear　tiresome　baby　brother。　　But　he；　in　his

grown…upness；　insisted　on　going　on；　and　thus　he　was　met　in　the

front　garden　by　Martha。



Now　you　remember　that；　as　a　special　favour；　the　Psammead　had

arranged　that　the　servants　in　the　house　should　never　notice　any

change　brought　about　by　the　wishes　of　the　children。　　Therefore

Martha　merely　saw　the　usual　party；　with　the　baby　Lamb；　about　whom

she　had　been　desperately　anxious　all　the　afternoon；　trotting　beside

Anthea　on　fat　baby　legs；　while　the　children；　of　course；　still　saw

the　grown…up　Lamb　（never　mind　what　names　he　was　christened　by）；　and

Martha　rushed　at　him　and　caught　him　in　her　arms；　exclaiming：



'Come　to　his　own　Martha；　then　…　a　precious　poppet！'



The　grown…up　Lamb　（whose　names　shall　now　be　buried　in　oblivion）

struggled　furiously。　　An　expression　of　intense　horror　and　annoyance

was　seen　on　his　face。　　But　Martha　was　stronger　than　he。　　She　lifted

him　up　and　carried　him　into　the　house。　　None　of　the　children　will

ever　forget　that　picture。　　The　neat　grey…flannel…suited　grown…up

young　man　with　the　green　tie　and　the　little　black　moustache　…

fortunately；　he　was　slightly　built；　and　not　tall　…　struggling　in

the　sturdy　arms　of　Martha；　who　bore　him　away　helpless；　imploring

him；　as　she　went；　to　be　a　good　boy　now；　and　come　and　have　his　nice

bremmilk！　　Fortunately；　the　sun　set　as　they　reached　the　doorstep；

the　bicycle　disappeared；　and　Martha　was　seen　to　carry　into　the

house　the　real　live　darling　sleepy　two…year…old　Lamb。　　The　grown…up

Lamb　（nameless　hence…　forth）　was　gone　for　ever。



'For　ever；'　said　Cyril；　'because；　as　soon　as　ever　the　Lamb's　old

enough　to　be　bullied；　we　must　jolly　well　begin　to　bully　him；　for

his　own　sake　…　so　that　he　mayn't　grow　up　like　that。'



'You　shan't　bully　him；'　said　Anthea　stoutly；　'not　if　I　can　stop

it。'



'We　must　tame　him　by　kindness；'　said　Jane。



'You　see；'　said　Robert；　'if　he　grows　up　in　the　usual　way；　there'll

be　plenty　of　time　to　correct　him　as　he　goes　along。　　The　awful　thing

to…day　was　his　growing　up　so　suddenly。　　There　was　no　time　to

improve　him　at　all。'



'He　doesn't　want　any　improving；'　said　Anthea　as　the　voice　of　the

Lamb　came　cooing　through　the　open　door；　just　as　she　had　heard　it　in

her　heart　that　afternoon：



'Me　loves　Panty　…　wants　to　come　to　own　Panty！'







CHAPTER　10

SCALPS





Probably　the　day　would　have　been　a　greater　success　if　Cyril　had　not

been　reading　The　Last　of　the　Mohicans。　　The　story　was　running　in

his　head　at　breakfast；　and　as　he　took　his　third　cup　of　tea　he　said

dreamily；　'I　wish　there　were　Red　Indians　in　England　…　not　big　ones；

you　know；　but　little　ones；　just　about　the　right　size　for　us　to

fight。'



Everyone　disagreed　with　him　at　the　time；　and　no　one　attached　any

importance　to　the　incident。　　But　when　they　went　down　to　the

sand…pit　to　ask　for　a　hundred　pounds　in　two…shilling　pieces　with

Queen　Victoria's　head　on；　to　prevent　mistakes　…　which　they　had

always　felt　to　be　a　really　reasonable　wish　that　must　turn　out　well

…　they　found　out　that　they　had　done　it　again！　　For　the　Psammead；

which　was　very　cross　and　sleepy；　said：



'Oh；　don't　bother　me。　　You've　had　your　wish。'



'I　didn't　know　it；'　said　Cyril。



'Don't　you　remember　yesterday？'　said　the　Sand…fairy；　still　more

disagreeably。　　'You　asked　me　to　let　you　have　your　wishes　wherever

you　happened　to　be；　and　you　wished　this　morning；　and　you've　got

it。'



'Oh；　have　we？'　said　Robert。　　'What　is　it？'



'So　you've　forgotten？'　said　the　Psammead；　beginning　to　burrow。　

'Never　mind；　you'll　know　soon　enough。　　And　I　wish　you　joy　of　it！　

A　nice　thing　you've　let　yourselves　in　for！'



'We　always　do；　somehow；'　said　Jane　sadly。



And　now　the　odd　thing　was　that　no　one　could　remember　anyone's

having　wished　for　anything　that　morning。　　The　wish　about　the　Red

Indians　had　not　stuck　in　anyone's　head。　　It　was　a　most　anxious

morning。　　Everyone　was　trying　to　remember　what　had　been　wished　for；

and　no　one　could；　and　everyone　kept　expecting　something　awful　to

happen　every　minute。　　It　was　most　agitating；　they　knew；　from　what

the　Psammead　had　said；　that　they　must　have　wished　for　something

more　than　usually　undesirable；　and　they　spent　several　hours　in　most

agonizing　uncertainty。　　It　was　not　till　nearly　dinner…time　that

Jane　tumbled　over　The　Last　of　the　Mohicans　…　which　had；　of　course；

been　left　face　downwards　on　the　floor　…　and　when　Anthea　had　picked

her　and　the　book　up　she　suddenly　said；　'I　know！'　and　sat　down　flat

on　the　carpet。



'Oh；　Pussy；　how　awful！　　It　was　Indians　he　wished　for　…　Cyril　…　at

breakfast；　don't　you　remember？　　He　said；　〃I　wish　there　were　Red

Indians　in　England；〃　…　and　now　there　are；　and　they're　going　about

scalping　people　all　over　the　country；　like　as　not。'



'Perhaps　they're　only　in　Northumberland　and　Durham；'　said　Jane

soothingly。　　It　was　almost　impossible　to　believe　that　it　could

really　hurt　people　much　to　be　scalped　so　far　away　as　that。



'Don't　you　believe　it！'　said　Anthea。　　'The　Sammyadd　said　we'd　let

ourselves　in　for　a　nice　thing。　　That　means　they'll　come　HERE。　　And

suppose　they　scalped　the　Lamb！'



'Perhaps　the　scalping　would　come　right　again　at　sunset；'　said　Jane；

but　she　did　not　speak　so　hopefully　as　usual。



'Not　it！'　said　Anthea。　　'The　things　that　grow　out　of　the　wishes

don't　go。　　Look　at　the　fifteen　shillings！　　Pussy；　I'm　going　to

break　something；　and　you　must　let　me　have　every　penny　of　money

you've　got。　　The　Indians　will　come　HERE；　don't　you　see？　　That

spiteful　Psammead　as　good　as　said　so。　　You　see　what　my　plan　is？　

Come　on！'



Jane　did　not　see　at　all。　　But　she　followed　her　sister　meekly　into

their　mother's　bedroom。



Anthea　lifted　down　the　heavy　water…jug　…　it　had　a　pattern　of　storks

and　long　grasses　on　it；　which　Anthea　never　forgot。　　She　carried　it

into　the　dressing…room；　and　carefully　emptied　the　water　out　of　it

into　the　bath。　　Then　she　took　the　jug　back　into　the　bedroom　and

dropped　it　on　the　floor。　　You　know　how　a　jug　always　breaks　if　you

happen　to　drop　it　by　accident。　　If　you　happen　to　drop　it　on

purpose；　it　is　quite　different。　　Anthea　dropped　that　jug　three

times；　and　it　was　as　unbroken　as　ever。　　So　at　last　she　had　to　take

her　father's　boot…tree　and　break　the　jug　with　that　in　cold　blood。　

It　was　heartless　work。



Next　she　broke　open　the　missionary…box　with　the　poker。　　Jane　told

her　that　it　was　wrong；　of　course；　but　Anthea　shut　her　lips　very

tight　and　then　said：



'Don't　be　silly　…　it's　a　matter　of　life　and　death。'



There　was　not　very　much　in　the　missionary…box　…　only

seven…and…fourpence　…　but　the　girls　between　them　had　nearly　four

shillings。　　This　made　over　eleven　shillings；　as　you　will　easily

see。



Anthea　tied　up　the　money　in　a　corner　of　her　pocket…handkerchief。　

'Come　on；　Jane！'　she　said；　and　ran　down　to　the　farm。　　She　knew　that

the　farmer　was　going　into　Rochester　that　afternoon。　　In　fact　it　had

been　arranged　that　he　was　to　take　the　four　children　with　him。　　They

had　planned　this　in　the　happy　hour　when　they　believed　that　they

were　going　to　get　that　hundred　pounds；　in　two…shilling　pieces；　out

of　the　Psammead。　　They　had　arranged　to　pay　the　farmer　two　shillings

each　for　the　ride。　　Now　Anthea　hastily　explained　to　him　that　they

could　not　go；　but　would　he　take　Martha　and　the　Baby　instead？　　He

agreed；　but　he　was　not　pleased　to　get　only　half…a…crown　instead　of

eight　shillings。



Then　the　girls　ran　home　again。　　Anthea　was　agitated；　but　not

flurried。　　When　she　came　to　think　it　over　afterwards；　she　could　not

help　seeing　that　she　had　acted　with　the　most　far…seeing

promptitude；　just　like　a　born　general。　　She　fetched　a　little　box

from　her　corner　drawer；　and　went　to　find　Martha；　who　was　laying　the

cloth　and　not　in　the　best　of　tempers。



'Look　here；'　said　Anthea。　　'I've　broken　the　toilet…jug　in　mother's

room。'



'Just　like　you　…　always　up　to　some　mischief；'　said　Martha；　dumping

down　a　salt…cellar　with　a　bang。



'Don't　be　cross；　Martha　dear；'　said　Anthea。　　'I've　got　enough　money

to　pay　for　a　new　one　…　if　only　you'll　be　a　dear　and　go　and　buy　it

for　us。　　Your　cousins　keep　a　china…shop；　don't　they？　　And　I　would

like　you　to　get　it　to…day；　in　case　mother　comes　home　to…morrow。　

You　know　she　said　she　might；　perhaps。'



'But　you're　all　going　into　town　yourselves；'　said　Martha。



'We　can't　afford　to；　if　we　get　the　new　jug；'　said　Anthea；　'but

we'll　pay　for　you　to　go；　if　you'll　take　the　Lamb。　　And　I　say；

Martha；　look　here　…　I'll　give　you　my　Liberty　box；　if　you'll　go。　

Look；　it's　most　awfully　pretty　…　all　inlaid　with　real　silver　and

ivory　and　ebony　like　King　Solomon's　temple。'



'I　see；'　said　Martha；　'no；　I　don't　want　your　box；　miss。　　What　you

want　is　to　get　the　precious　Lamb　off　your　hands　for　the　afternoon。　

Don't　you　go　for　to　think　I　don't　see　through　you！'



This　was　so　true　that　Anthea　longed　to　deny　it　at　once　…　Martha　had

no　business　to　know　so　much。　　But　she　held　her　tongue。