wouldhurry
up
.
"
"
'
Ere
,
miss
,
"
said
the
Mayor
ungraciously
to
a
passing
whirlwind
.
"
'
Urry
them
dumplings
.
"
"
'
Urry
them
dumplings
,
"
echoed
the
whirlwind
to
a
little
hole
in
the
wall
.
The
witch
had
a
silly
vision
of
two
distressed
dumplings
,
like
dilatory
chorus
girls
,
mad
with
the
nightmare
feeling
of
not
being
dressed
in
time
,
hearing
their
cue
called
in
a
heartless
voice
from
the
inexorable
sky
,
desperately
applying
the
last
dab
of
flour
to
their
imperfect
complexions
.
But
the
witch
found
no
fault
with
them
when
they
came
.
She
gave
them
her
whole
attention
for
some
minutes
.
"
Well
,
well
,
"
she
said
,
laying
down
her
fork
and
spoon
,
"
that
's
good
.
I
feel
awfully
grown-up
,
having
had
a
proposal
.
When
real
girls
ask
me
now
how
many
I
've
had
,
I
shall
be
able
to
say
One
.
But
I
met
a
girl
the
other
day
who
had
had
six
.
She
had
six
photographs
,
but
she
called
them
scalps
.
If
you
would
give
me
your
photograph
I
could
label
it
A
Scalp
,
and
hang
it
in
the
Shop
.
That
would
be
very
grown-up
,
would
n't
it
?
"
"
You
will
'
ave
your
joke
,
"
said
the
Mayor
in
a
hollow
voice
.
"
I
never
met
such
a
gurl
as
you
for
a
bit
of
fun
.
I
do
n't
believe
you
've
got
any
'
eart
.
"
There
,
of
course
,
he
was
right
.
A
heart
is
a
sort
of
degree
conferred
by
Providence
on
those
who
have
passed
a
certain
examination
.
Magic
people
are
only
freshmen
in
our
college
,
and
it
is
useless
for
us
—
secure
in
the
possession
of
many
learned
letters
after
our
names
—
to
despise
them
.
They
will
become
sophisticated
in
due
course
.
"
How
d'you
mean
—
heart
?
"
asked
the
witch
therefore
.
"
I
've
still
got
an
awful
hunger
inside
me
,
if
that
's
anything
to
do
with
it
.
I
'll
tell
you
what
.
It
's
Wednesday
.
Let
's
go
and
call
on
Miss
Ford
.
She
might
have
grassy
sandwiches
.
"
There
was
a
most
abrupt
and
disturbing
draught
in
Miss
Ford
's
sleek
and
decorous
flat
as
the
witch
and
the
Mayor
entered
it
.
The
serenity
of
the
night
and
the
morning
had
been
suddenly
obliterated
,
and
Kensington
suffered
a
gust
or
two
of
gritty
wind
which
blew
the
babies
home
from
the
Gardens
,
and
kept
all
the
window-gazers
in
the
High
Street
on
the
alert
with
their
fingers
on
the
triggers
of
their
umbrellas
.
But
no
rain
fell
.
Rain
cannot
fall
in
this
book
of
fine
weather
.
The
draught
that
intruded
into
the
flat
ruffled
the
neat
hair
of
five
persons
,
Miss
Ford
herself
,
Lady
Arabel
Higgins
,
Miss
Ivy
MacBee
,
Mr.
Bernard
Tovey
,
and
Mr.
Darnby
Frere
.
Miss
MacBee
always
seemed
to
be
seated
on
tenterhooks
,
even
in
the
most
comfortable
of
chairs
.
Her
Spartan
spine
never
consented
graciously
to
the
curves
of
cushions
.
She
had
smooth
padded
hair
and
smooth
padded
manners
,
and
her
eyes
were
magnified
by
thick
pince-nez
to
a
cow-like
size
.
Most
people
,
especially
most
women
,
were
instinctively
sorry
for
her
,
because
she
always
looked
a
little
clever
and
very
uncomfortable
.
Mr.
Bernard
Tovey
was
a
blunt-nosed
beaming
person
.
He
leaned
forward
abruptly
whenever
he
spoke
,
thereby
swinging
a
lock
of
hair
into
his
right
eye
.
He
agreed
so
heartily
with
everything
that
was
said
that
people
who
addressed
him
were
left
with
the
happy
impression
that
they
had
said
something
Rather
Good
.
This
habit
,
combined
with
the
fact
that
he
never
launched
an
independent
remark
,
had
given
him
the
reputation
of
being
one
of
the
best
talkers
in
Kensington
.
Mr.
Darnby
Frere
was
the
editor
of
an
advanced
religious
paper
called
I
Wonder
,
but
he
never
wondered
really
.
He
knew
almost
everything
,
and
therefore
,
while
despising
the
public
for
knowing
so
little
,
he
encouraged
it
to
continue
wondering
,
so
that
he
might
continue
despising
and
instructing
it
.
Now
it
was
an
almost
unprecedented
thing
for
two
members
of
the
small
trades-man
class
to
come
into
Miss
Ford
's
drawing-room
,
especially
on
a
Wednesday
.
The
utmost
social
mingling
of
the
classes
that
those
walls
had
ever
seen
was
the
moment
when
Miss
Ford
asked
the
electric
light
man
what
he
thought
of
the
war
.
The
electric
light
man
's
reply
had
been
quoted
in
the
dialect
on
two
or
three
of
the
following
Wednesdays
,
as
a
proof
of
Miss
Ford
's
daring
intimacy
with
men
in
Another
Station
of
Life
.
Really
it
would
have
been
simpler
,
though
of
course
not
so
picturesque
,
to
have
quoted
it
direct
from
its
original
source
,
John
Bull
,
the
electric
light
man
's
Bible
.
The
entrance
of
the
witch
and
the
Mayor
was
to
a
certain
extent
a
crisis
,
but
Miss
Ford
kept
her
head
,
and
her
three
friends
,
though
grasping
at
once
the
extraordinary
situation
,
did
not
give
way
to
panic
.
"
Well
,
well
,
well
,
"
said
the
Mayor
,
looking
round
and
breathing
very
loudly
.
"
This
is
a
cosy
little
nook
you
've
got
'
ere
.
"
He
was
not
at
all
at
his
ease
,
but
being
a
business
man
,
and
being
also
blessed
with
a
peculiarly
inexpressive
face
,
he
was
successfully
dissembling
his
discomfort
.
For
it
had
happened
that
the
lift
had
been
one
of
those
lifts
that
can
do
no
wrong
,
the
kind
that
the
public
is
indulgently
allowed
to
work
by
itself
.
And
the
Mayor
,
looking
upon
this
fact
as
specially
planned
by
a
propitious
god
of
love
,
had
tried
to
kiss
the
witch
as
they
shot
up
the
darkened
shaft
.
If
I
remind
you
that
the
witch
was
still
accompanied
by
her
broomstick
,
Harold
,
a
creature
of
unreasoning
fidelity
,
I
need
hardly
describe
the
scene
further
.
The
Mayor
stepped
out
of
the
lift
with
a
tingling
scraped
face
,
and
if
he
had
possessed
enough
hair
on
his
head
,
it
would
have
been
on
end
.
As
it
was
,
when
the
lift
stopped
,
he
retrieved
his
hat
from
the
floor
with
a
frank
oath
,
and
,
as
the
witch
had
at
once
rung
the
bell
of
Miss
Ford
's
flat
,
he
instinctively
followed
her
across
that
threshold
.
She
looked
round
in
the
hall
,
and
said
with
a
friendly
smile
:
"
I
'm
afraid
Harold
gets
a
bit
irritable
sometimes
.
I
often
tell
him
to
count
ten
before
he
lets
himself
go
,
but
he
forgets
.
Did
he
hurt
you
?
"
I
am
afraid
the
angry
Mayor
did
not
give
Harold
credit
for
much
initiative
.
"
Kissing
is
such
a
funny
habit
,
is
n't
it
,
"
said
the
witch
briskly
as
she
shook
Miss
Ford
's
hand
.
"
I
wonder
who
decided
in
the
first
place
which
forms
of
contact
should
express
which
forms
of
emotion
.
I
wonder
—
—
"
She
interrupted
herself
as
her
eyes
fell
on
some
green
sandwiches
which
were
occupying
the
third
floor
of
a
wicker
Eiffel
Tower
beside
Miss
Ford
.
"
Oh
how
gorgeous
,
"
she
said
.
"
Do
you
know
,
I
've
only
had
two
meals
in
the
last
two
days
.
"
Nobody
present
had
ever
been
obliged
to
miss
a
meal
,
so
this
statement
seemed
to
every
one
to
be
a
message
from
another
world
.
"
You
must
tell
us
about
all
your
experiences
,
my
dear
Miss
Watkins
,
"
said
Miss
Ford
,
leading
the
witch
towards
a
chair
by
the
fire
.
The
witch
sat
down
suddenly
cross-legged
on
the
hearth-rug
,
leaving
her
rather
embarrassed
hostess
in
the
air
,
so
to
speak
,
towering
rigidly
above
her
.
"
How
d'you
mean
—
experiences
?
"
said
the
witch
,
after
eating
one
sandwich
in
silent
ecstasy
.
"
I
was
up
in
the
sky
last
night
,
talking
to
a
German
.
Was
that
an
experience
?
"
"
The
sky
last
night
was
surely
no
place
for
a
lady
,
"
said
Mr.
Frere
with
rather
sour
joviality
.
"
Oh
,
I
know
what
she
means
,
"
said
Miss
MacBee
earnestly
.
"
I
was
up
in
the
sky
last
night
too
—
—
"
"
Great
Scott
,
"
exclaimed
the
witch
.
"
But
—
—
"
"
Yes
,
I
was
,
"
persisted
Miss
MacBee
.
"
I
lay
on
the
hammock
which
I
have
had
slung
in
my
cellar
,
and
shut
my
eyes
,
and
loosed
my
spirit
,
and
it
shot
upward
like
a
lark
released
.
It
detached
itself
from
the
common
trammels
of
the
body
,
yes
,
my
spirit
,
in
shining
armour
,
fought
with
the
false
,
cruel
spirits
of
murderers
.
"
"
I
had
n't
got
any
shining
armour
,
"
sighed
the
witch
,
who
had
been
looking
a
little
puzzled
.
"
But
I
had
the
hell
of
a
wrangle
with
a
Boche
witch
who
came
over
.
We
fought
till
we
fell
off
our
broomsticks
,
and
then
she
quoted
the
Daily
Mail
at
me
,
and
then
she
fell
through
a
hole
and
broke
her
back
over
the
cross
on
St.
Paul
's
.
"
It
was
Miss
MacBee
's
turn
to
look
puzzled
,
but
she
said
to
Miss
Ford
:
"
My
dear
,
you
have
brought
us
a
real
mystic
.
"
Mr.
Frere
,
though
emitting
an
applauding
murmur
,
leaned
back
and
fixed
his
face
in
the
ambiguous
expression
of
one
who
,
while
listening
with
interest
to
the
conversation
of
liars
,
is
determined
not
to
appear
deceived
.
"
How
d'you
mean
—
mystic
?
"
asked
the
witch
.
"
I
do
n't
think
I
can
have
made
myself
clear
.
Excuse
me
,
"
she
added
to
Miss
Ford
,
"
but
this
room
smells
awfully
clever
to
any
one
coming
in
from
outside
.
Do
you
mind
if
I
dance
a
little
,
to
move
the
air
about
?
"
"
We
shall
be
delighted
,
"
said
Miss
Ford
indulgently
.
"
Shall
I
play
for
you
?
"
The
witch
did
not
answer
;
she
rose
,
and
as
she
rose
she
threw
a
little
white
paper
packet
into
the
fire
.
She
danced
round
the
sofa
and
the
chairs
.
The
floor
shook
a
little
,
and
all
her
watchers
twisted
their
necks
gravely
,
like
lizards
watching
an
active
fly
.
The
parlour-maid
,
by
appearing
in
the
doorway
with
an
inaudible
announcement
,
diverted
their
attention
,
though
she
did
not
interrupt
the
witch
's
exercises
.
A
very
respectable-looking
man
came
in
.
Darnby
Frere
,
who
was
a
student
of
Henry
James
's
works
,
and
therefore
constantly
made
elaborate
guesses
on
matters
that
did
not
concern
him
,
and
then
forgot
them
because
—
unlike
Mr.
James
's
guesses
—
they
were
always
wrong
,
gave
the
newcomer
credit
for
being
perhaps
a
shopwalker
,
or
perhaps
a
South-Eastern
and
Chatham
ticket-collector
,
but
surely
a
chapel-goer
.
At
any
rate
the
stranger
looked
ill
at
ease
,
and
especially
disconcerted
by
the
sight
of
the
dancing
witch
.
Miss
Ford
realised
by
now
that
her
Wednesday
had
for
some
reason
gone
mad
.
She
had
lost
her
hold
on
the
reins
of
that
usually
dignified
equipage
;
there
was
nothing
now
for
her
to
do
but
to
grip
tight
and
keep
her
head
.
She
therefore
concealed
her
ignorance
of
her
newest
guest
's
identity
,
she
stiffened
her
lips
and
poured
out
another
cup
of
tea
with
a
nerveless
hand
.
The
stranger
took
the
cup
of
tea
with
some
relief
,
and
said
:
"
Thenk
you
,
meddem
.
"
The
witch
stopped
dancing
,
and
stood
in
front
of
the
newcomer
's
chair
.
"
I
think
yours
must
be
a
discouraging
job
,
"
she
said
to
him
.
"
Getting
people
punished
for
doing
things
you
'd
love
to
do
yourself
.
Oh
,
awfully
discouraging
.
And
do
tell
me
,
there
's
a
little
problem
that
's
been
on
my
mind
ever
since
the
war
started
.
I
hear
that
Hindenburg
says
the
German
Army
intends
to
march
through
London
the
moment
it
can
brush
away
the
obstacles
in
front
of
it
.
Have
you
considered
what
will
happen
to
the
traffic
,
because
you
know
Germans
on
principle
march
on
the
wrong
side
of
the
street
—
indeed
everybody
in
the
world
does
,
except
the
conscientious
British
.
Think
of
the
knotted
convulsions
of
traffic
at
the
Bank
,
with
a
hundred
thousand
Boches
goose-stepping
on
the
wrong
side
of
the
road
—
think
of
poor
thin
Fleet
Street
,
and
the
dam
that
would
occur
in
Piccadilly
Circus
.
What
do
you
policemen
intend
to
do
about
it
?
"
"
I
do
n't
know
I
'm
sure
,
miss
,
"
said
the
newcomer
coldly
.
"
It
's
a
long
time
since
I
was
on
point
duty
.
I
'm
a
plain
clothes
man
,
meddem
,
"
he
added
to
Miss
Ford
.
"
I
'm
afraid
I
'm
intruding
on
your
tea-party
,
owing
to
your
maid
misunderstanding
my
business
.
But
being
'
ere
,
I
'
ope
you
'll
excuse
me
stating
what
I
've
come
for
.
"
"
Oh
certainly
,
certainly
,
"
said
Miss
Ford
,
who
was
staring
vaguely
into
the
fireplace
.
A
rather
fascinating
thread
of
lilac
smoke
was
spinning
itself
out
of
the
ashes
of
the
little
white
paper
packet
.
"
The
names
of
the
Mayor
of
the
Brown
Borough
,
Miss
Meter
Mostyn
Ford
,
and
Lady
A
.
'
Iggins
—
all
of
'
oom
I
understand
from
the
maid
are
present
—
'
ave
been
mentioned
as
being
presoomably
willing
to
give
information
likely
to
be
'
elpful
in
the
search
for
a
suspicious
cherecter
'
oo
is
believed
to
'
ave
intruded
on
a
cheritable
meeting
,
at
which
you
were
present
last
Seturday
,
in
order
to
escape
arrest
,
'
aving
just
perpetrated
a
petty
theft
from
a
baker
,
'
Ermann
Schwab
.
The
cherecter
is
charged
now
with
a
more
important
offence
,
being
in
possession
of
an
armed
flying
machine
,
in
defiance
of
the
Defence
of
the
Realm
Act
,
and
interfering
with
the
work
of
'
Is
Majesty
's
Forces
during
enemy
attack
.
The
cherecter
is
believed
to
be
a
man
in
female
disguise
,
but
enquiry
up
to
date
'
as
failed
to
get
any
useful
description
.
You
ladies
and
gents
,
I
understand
,
should
be
able
to
'
elp
the
Law
in
this
metter
.
"
There
was
a
stunned
silence
in
the
room
,
broken
only
by
the
pastoral
sound
of
the
witch
eating
grassy
sandwiches
.
After
a
moment
Miss
Ford
,
the
Mayor
,
and
Lady
Arabel
all
began
speaking
at
once
,
and
each
stopped
with
a
look
of
relief
on
hearing
that
some
one
else
was
ready
to
take
the
responsibility
of
speaking
.
Then
the
witch
began
with
her
mouth
full
:
"
You
know
—
—
,
"
but
Lady
Arabel
interrupted
her
.
"
Angela
dear
,
be
silent
.
This
does
not
concern
you
.
Of
course
,
inspector
,
we
're
all
only
too
dretfully
anxious
to
do
anything
to
help
the
Law
,
but
you
must
specify
the
occasion
more
exactly
.
Our
committee
sees
so
many
applicants
.
"
"
You
are
Lady
A
.
'
Iggins
,
I
believe
,
"
said
the
policeman
impassively
.
"
Well
,
my
lady
,
may
I
ask
you
whether
you
are
aware
thet
the
cherecter
in
question
was
seen
to
leave
your
'
ouse
last
night
,
at
nine
forty-five
P.M.
,
after
the
warning
of
approaching
enemy
atteck
was
given
,
and
to
disappear
in
an
easterly
direction
,
on
a
miniature
'
eavier
than
air
machine
,
make
and
number
unknown
?
"
The
threads
of
curious
smoke
in
the
fireplace
were
increasing
.
They
shivered
as
though
with
laughter
,
and
flowed
like
crimped
hair
up
the
chimney
.
"
I
had
a
dinner-party
last
night
certainly
,
"
stammered
Lady
Arabel
.
A
trembling
seized
the
sock
she
was
knitting
.
She
had
turned
the
heel
some
time
ago
,
but
in
the
present
stress
had
forgotten
all
about
the
toe
.
The
prolonged
sock
grew
every
minute
more
and
more
like
a
drain-pipe
with
a
bend
in
it
.
"
Why
yes
,
of
course
I
had
a
dinner-party
;
why
should
n't
I
?
My
son
Rrchud
,
a
private
in
the
London
Rifles
,
this
young
lady
,
Miss
Angela
—
er
—
,
and
her
friend
—
such
a
good
quiet
creature
...
.
"
"
And
'
oo
else
was
in
the
'
ouse
?
"
asked
the
policeman
,
glancing
haughtily
at
the
witch
.
"
Oh
nobody
,
nobody
.
The
servants
all
gave
notice
and
left
—
too
dretfully
tahsome
how
they
ca
n't
stand
Rrchud
and
his
ways
.
Of
course
there
was
the
orchestra
—
twenty-five
pieces
—
but
so
dependable
.
"
"
Dependable
,
"
said
the
witch
,
"
is
a
mystery
word
to
me
.
I
ca
n't
think
how
it
got
into
the
English
language
without
being
right
.
Surely
Depend-on-able
—
—
"
"
Your
son
'
as
peculiar
ways
,
you
say
,
my
lady
,
"
interrupted
the
policeman
.
"
Oh
,
nothing
to
speak
of
,
"
answered
Lady
Arabel
,
wincing
.
"
Merely
lighthearted
...
too
dretfully
Bohemian
...
ingenious
,
you
know
,
in
making
experiments
...
magnetism
...
.
"
"
Experiments
in
Magnetism
,
"
spelt
the
policeman
aloud
into
his
notebook
.
"
And
'
oo
left
your
'
ouse
at
nine
forty-five
P.M.
last
night
?
"
"
I
did
,
"
said
the
witch
.
The
policeman
withered
her
once
more
with
a
glance
.
"
Lady
'
Iggins
,
did
you
say
your
son
left
your
'
ouse
at
nine
forty-five
P.M.
last
night
?
"
"
Yes
,
but
—
—
"
"
Thenk
you
,
my
lady
.
"
"
You
seem
to
me
dretfully
impertinent
,
"
said
Lady
Arabel
.
"
This
is
not
a
court
of
law
.
My
son
Rrchud
left
the
house
with
me
and
our
guest
to
seek
shelter
from
the
raid
.
"
"
Thenk
you
,
my
lady
,
"
repeated
the
policeman
coldly
,
and
turned
to
Miss
Ford
.
"
Could
you
identify
the
cherecter
'
oo
came
into
your
committee
room
last
Seturday
?
"
he
asked
of
her
.
"
No
,
"
she
replied
.
"
Could
n't
you
say
whether
it
seemed
like
a
male
or
a
female
in
disguise
?
Could
n't
you
mention
any
physical
pecooliarity
that
struck
you
?
"
"
No
,
"
said
Miss
Ford
.
"
'
Ave
you
no
memory
of
last
Seturday
night
?
"
"
No
,
"
said
Miss
Ford
.
"
I
have
,
"
said
the
witch
.
The
policeman
bridled
.
"
I
was
addressing
this
'
ere
lady
,
Miss
M.M.
Ford
.
Can
you
at
least
tell
me
,
meddem
,
'
ow
long
you
and
the
'
Iggins
family
'
ave
been
acquainted
?
"
"
No
,
"
said
Miss
Ford
.
"
Eighteen
years
,
"
said
Lady
Arabel
.
The
fumes
from
the
fireplace
were
very
strong
indeed
,
but
nobody
called
attention
to
them
.
"
I
'm
sorry
,
...
"
said
Miss
Ford
pres
ently
,
very
slowly
,
"
that
...
I
...
ca
n't
help
you
.
I
have
...
been
having
...
nerve-storms
...
since
...
last
...
Saturday
...
.
"
The
policeman
fixed
his
ominous
gaze
upon
her
for
quite
a
minute
before
he
wrote
something
in
his
notebook
.
"
Is
Private
Richard
'
Iggins
in
town
to-night
?
"
he
asked
of
Lady
Arabel
in
a
casual
voice
.
"
I
suppose
so
,
"
she
replied
.
"
But
he
has
such
a
dretful
habit
of
disappearing
...
.
"
The
policeman
turned
to
the
Mayor
.
"
Now
,
sir
,
"
he
said
.
"
Could
you
help
me
at
all
in
—
—
"
"
Look
here
,
"
said
the
witch
,
rising
.
"
If
you
would
only
come
along
to
my
house
in
Mitten
Island
I
can
truly
give
you
all
the
information
you
need
.
In
fact
,
wo
n't
you
come
to
supper
with
me
?
If
some
one
will
kindly
lend
me
half-a-crown
I
will
go
on
ahead
and
cook
something
.
"
Mr.
Tovey
mechanically
produced
a
coin
.
"
Here
,
Harold
,
"
called
the
witch
,
and
holding
Harold
's
collar
she
stepped
out
on
to
the
balcony
,
mounted
,
and
flew
away
.
She
left
a
room
full
of
noise
behind
her
.
The
policeman
,
who
was
intoxicated
with
the
strange
fumes
,
said
:
"
Hell
.
Hell
.
Hell
.
"
Lady
Arabel
called
in
vain
:
"
Angela
,
Angela
,
do
n't
be
so
dretfully
rash
.
"
Mr.
Tovey
,
now
afflicted
with
a
lock
of
hair
in
each
eye
,
seized
the
policeman
by
the
shoulder
thinking
to
prevent
him
from
jumping
out
of
the
window
.
"
You
fool
,
"
he
shouted
.
The
Mayor
slapped
his
thigh
with
a
loud
report
.
"
Lawdy
,
"
he
yelled
.
"
She
's
a
sport
.
She
will
'
ave
'
er
joke
.
"
Miss
MacBee
laughed
hysterically
and
very
loudly
.
Mr.
Darnby
Frere
said
"
My
word
"
rather
cautiously
several
times
,
and
rubbed
the
bridge
of
his
nose
.
He
rather
thought
everybody
was
pulling
his
leg
,
but
could
not
be
sure
.
Only
Miss
Ford
sat
silent
.
CHAPTER
IX
THE
HOUSE
OF
LIVING
ALONE
MOVES
AWAY
When
Sarah
Brown
and
Richard
,
followed
by
the
Dog
David
,
reached
the
Mitten
Island
Ferry
,
after
travelling
slowly
by
moonlight
,
they
were
surprised
to
see
a
great
crowd
of
people
banked
up
on
the
Island
,
and
one
man
in
the
uniform
of
a
policeman
,
standing
alone
on
the
mainland
.
About
ten
yards
from
land
the
ferryman
sat
in
his
boat
,
rowing
gently
to
keep
himself
stationary
in
the
current
.
"
You
'll
'
ave
to
come
to
shore
now
,
"
said
the
policeman
,
in
the
tone
of
one
exhausted
by
long
argument
.
"
'
Ere
's
some
more
parties
wanting
to
cross
.
"
He
turned
to
Richard
.
"
Look
'
ere
,
mate
,
"
he
said
.
"
I
'm
'
ere
in
the
discharge
of
my
dooty
,
and
this
ferryman
is
obstructin
'
me
.
"
"
Deah
,
deah
,
"
said
Richard
.
The
ferryman
said
:
"
If
the
King
of
England
—
why
,
if
the
two
ghosts
of
Queen
Victoria
and
Albert
the
Good
—
was
waiting
to
cross
now
,
I
would
n't
come
in
for
them
,
not
if
it
was
going
to
give
you
a
chance
to
set
foot
on
Mitten
Island
.
"
The
crowd
across
the
river
,
divining
that
a
climax
of
defiance
was
being
reached
,
shouted
:
"
Yah
,
yah
,
"
in
unison
.
"
Is
either
of
you
parties
an
'
ouse'older
on
Mitten
Island
?
"
asked
the
policeman
of
Sarah
Brown
and
Richard
.
"
I
am
,
"
said
Richard
,
to
his
companion
's
surprise
.
"
Can
you
give
me
any
information
regarding
the
whereabouts
of
a
cherecter
known
under
any
of
these
names
:
Iris
'
Yde
,
T.B.
Watkins
,
Hangela
the
Witch
,
possibly
a
male
in
female
disguise
,
believed
to
conduct
a
general
shop
and
boardin
'
'
ouse
on
Mitten
Island
?
"
"
There
is
only
one
shop
on
Mitten
Island
,
"
said
Richard
.
"
And
one
boarding
house
.
All
in
one
.
I
own
it
.
I
can
recite
you
the
prospectus
if
you
like
.
I
have
a
superintendent
there
.
I
have
known
her
all
my
life
.
I
did
not
know
she
was
believed
to
be
a
male
in
female
disguise
.
I
did
not
know
she
had
any
name
at
all
,
let
alone
half-a-dozen
.
"
The
policeman
seemed
to
be
troubled
all
the
time
by
mosquitoes
.
He
slapped
his
face
and
his
ears
and
the
back
of
his
neck
.
He
succeeded
in
killing
one
insect
upon
the
bridge
of
his
nose
,
and
left
it
there
by
mistake
,
a
strangely
ignoble
corpse
.
Sarah
Brown
suspected
Richard
of
some
responsibility
for
this
untimely
persecution
.
"
That
party
is
charged
with
an
offence
against
the
Defence
of
the
Realm
Act
,
"
said
the
policeman
,
—
"
with
being
,
although
a
civilian
,
in
possession
of
a
flying
machine
,
and
—
er
—
obstructin
'
'
Is
Majesty
's
enemies
in
the
performance
of
their
dooty
.
"
"
Oh
deah
,
deah
,
"
said
Richard
.
"
Deah
,
deah
,
deah
...
.
"
"
Do
either
of
you
know
the
present
whereabouts
of
the
party
?
"
persisted
the
policeman
.
Attacked
on
every
side
by
insects
,
he
was
becoming
rather
pathetic
in
his
discomfort
and
indignity
.
His
small
eyes
,
set
in
red
fat
,
stared
with
uncomprehending
protest
;
his
fat
busy
hands
were
not
agile
enough
to
defend
him
.
He
felt
unsuccessful
and
foolish
,
and
very
near
the
ground
.
He
wished
quite
disproportionately
to
be
at
home
with
his
admiring
wife
in
Acton
.
Sarah
Brown
shook
her
head
in
reply
,
and
Richard
could
say
nothing
but
"
Oh
deah
,
deah
...
.
"
"
May
I
take
your
name
and
'
ome
address
,
and
regimental
number
,
please
,
young
man
,
"
said
the
policeman
,
after
a
baffled
pause
.
"
Now
my
address
,
"
said
Richard
,
with
genuine
shame
,
"
is
a
thing
I
honestly
can
never
remember
.
I
know
I
've
heard
it
;
I
've
tried
and
tried
to
learn
it
at
my
mother
's
knee
.
It
begins
with
an
H
,
I
think
.
That
's
the
worst
of
not
being
able
to
read
or
write
.
I
can
describe
the
place
to
you
exactly
,
a
house
with
a
lot
of
windows
,
that
sees
a
long
way
.
If
you
turn
your
back
on
the
Marble
Arch
,
and
go
on
till
you
get
to
a
big
poster
saying
Eat
Less
Meat
,
and
then
turn
to
your
right
—
(
pointing
to
the
left
)
—
or
again
,
if
you
go
by
air
as
the
crow
flies
—
or
rather
as
the
witch
flies
—
—
"
"
You
shall
'
ear
of
this
foolery
,
my
fine
feller
,
"
said
the
distressed
policeman
,
almost
with
a
break
in
his
voice
.
"
Seein
'
as
'
ow
you
refuse
information
,
an
'
this
ferryman
thinks
fit
to
defy
the
law
,
I
'
ave
no
course
open
but
to
whistle
for
my
mate
,
and
leave
'
im
'
ere
while
I
telephone
for
a
police-boat
.
"
He
raised
his
whistle
to
his
lips
,
but
before
he
could
blow
it
,
the
climax
of
this
the
least
successful
evening
of
his
life
,
overwhelmed
him
.
A
shadow
swept
over
the
party
,
a
large
flying
substance
caught
him
full
on
the
back
of
the
neck
and
knocked
him
off
the
landing-stage
into
the
river
.
The
witch
on
Harold
her
Broomstick
landed
on
the
spot
vacated
by
the
policeman
.
"
Oh
,
look
what
I
've
done
,
look
what
I
've
done
...
"
she
exclaimed
in
an
ecstasy
of
vexation
.
There
was
no
need
to
tell
anybody
to
look
.
Five
hundred
odd
people
were
already
doing
so
with
enthusiasm
.
"
Oh
,
what
a
dreadfully
bad
landing
!
Oh
,
Harold
,
how
could
you
be
so
careless
?
"
She
took
the
cringing
Harold
by
the
mane
and
slapped
him
violently
once
or
twice
.
Richard
stretched
out
his
riding-
crop
to
the
splashing
policeman
,
murmuring
:
"
Oh
deah
,
deah
...
.
"
"
Do
n't
be
frightened
,
"
said
the
witch
to
the
policeman
.
"
We
'll
soon
get
you
out
,
and
the
water
's
so
shallow
you
ca
n't
sink
.
Talking
of
sinking
,
Richard
,
there
's
a
question
that
puzzles
me
rather
.
If
a
rat
got
on
to
a
submarine
,
how
would
it
behave
?
A
submarine
,
you
see
,
is
a
sinking
ship
,
and
rats
pride
themselves
so
on
knowing
when
to
—
—
"
Sarah
Brown
seized
the
witch
by
the
shoulder
.
"
Go
away
,
witch
,
"
she
said
.
"
How
d'you
mean
—
go
away
?
"
asked
the
witch
.
"
I
've
only
just
this
minute
come
.
"
"
Go
away
,
go
away
,
"
was
all
that
Sarah
Brown
could
manage
to
repeat
.
"
Oh
,
very
well
,
"
said
the
witch
in
her
offended
grown-up
voice
.
"
I
can
take
a
hint
,
I
suppose
,
as
well
as
anybody
.
I
'm
going
.
"
She
seated
herself
with
an
irritable
flouncing
movement
on
Harold
's
saddle
,
and
flew
away
.
The
policeman
climbed
out
of
the
water
,
looking
like
an
enraged
seal
.
Peals
of
laughter
from
the
other
side
of
the
moonlit
river
robbed
him
of
adequate
words
.
"
Not
ser
fast
,
my
fine
feller
,
"
he
roared
,
seeing
Richard
kissing
the
Horse
Vivian
on
the
nose
,
preparatory
to
riding
away
.
"
Do
n't
you
think
for
a
minute
I
do
n't
know
'
oo
's
at
the
bottom
of
this
.
"
"
You
do
n't
know
how
tired
I
am
of
loud
noises
,
"
said
Richard
,
lifting
one
foot
with
dignity
to
the
stirrup
.
"
You
do
n't
know
how
bitterly
I
long
to
be
still
and
hear
things
very
far
off
...
but
always
there
is
an
angry
voice
or
the
angry
noise
of
guns
in
the
way
...
.
"
He
twined
one
finger
negligently
into
the
mane
on
the
Horse
Vivian
's
neck
,
and
pulled
himself
slowly
into
the
saddle
.
The
policeman
stood
mysteriously
impotent
.
Water
dripped
loudly
from
his
clothes
and
punctuated
Richard
's
quiet
speech
.
"
Dear
policeman
,
"
continued
Richard
.
"
I
believe
you
have
talked
so
much
to-night
that
you
have
n't
heard
what
a
quiet
night
it
is
.
You
are
smaller
than
a
star
,
and
yet
you
make
more
noise
than
all
the
stars
together
.
You
are
not
so
cold
as
the
moon
,
and
yet
your
teeth
chatter
more
loudly
than
hers
.
The
heat
of
your
wrath
is
less
than
the
heat
of
the
sun
,
and
yet
,
while
he
is
silent
and
departed
,
you
fill
the
air
with
clamour
,
and
—
if
I
may
say
so
—
seem
to
be
outstaying
your
welcome
.
Oh
,
dear
policeman
,
listen
...
.
Do
you
know
,
if
there
were
no
London
on
this
side
and
no
War
on
that
,
the
silence
would
be
deep
enough
to
fill
all
the
seas
of
all
the
worlds
...
.
"
He
shook
the
reins
,
and
the
Horse
Vivian
moved
,
treading
quietly
on
the
strip
of
grass
that
borders
the
path
to
the
ferry
.
"
I
am
going
to
talk
to
my
True
Love
now
,
"
said
Richard
,
his
voice
fading
away
as
he
rode
.
"
My
True
Love
's
voice
is
the
only
voice
that
is
a
little
more
beautiful
to
me
than
silence
...
.
"
For
a
moment
he
looked
every
inch
a
wizard
.
Every
button
on
his
uniform
and
every
buckle
on
the
Horse
Vivian
's
harness
caught
the
moonlight
,
and
changed
into
faery
spangles
as
he
turned
and
waved
his
hand
before
disappearing
.
The
policeman
seemed
quieted
,
as
he
looked
at
Sarah
Brown
sitting
,
white
and
haggard
with
pain
,
on
the
river
bank
,
with
her
arm
round
the
shivering
David
.
"
In
a
minute
,
in
a
minute
,
my
One
,
"
she
was
saying
to
David
.
"
We
are
nearly
home
now
.
We
shall
soon
be
quiet
now
.
"
There
was
always
something
startlingly
inoffensive
about
Sarah
Brown
's
appearance
.
"
I
'd
like
to
know
'
oo
was
responsible
for
this
houtrage
,
all
the
same
,
"
said
the
policeman
.
Sarah
Brown
did
not
hear
him
,
but
she
said
:
"
Oh
,
I
am
so
very
sorry
it
happened
.
It
was
a
pure
accident
,
of
course
,
but
it
is
so
terrible
to
see
any
one
have
an
accident
to
his
dignity
.
You
must
forget
it
quickly
,
you
must
run
and
find
someone
who
knows
you
at
your
best
,
you
must
tell
her
a
fine
revised
version
of
the
incident
,
and
then
you
will
feel
better
.
"
The
ferryman
shouted
:
"
I
do
n't
mind
coming
in
now
to
fetch
this
young
woman
.
You
can
come
too
now
if
you
like
,
Mr.
Pompous-in-the-Pond
,
for
the
party
you
're
looking
for
is
not
at
home
,
and
I
've
no
doubt
but
what
that
crowd
over
there
will
give
you
a
gay
welcome
.
"
"
I
'll
look
into
the
metter
to-morrer
,
"
said
the
policeman
.
"
You
'
ave
n't
'
eard
the
last
of
this
,
none
of
you
'
ave
n't
,
not
by
a
long
chalk
.
I
've
a
good
mind
to
get
the
Mayor
to
read
the
Riot
Act
at
you
.
"
As
Sarah
Brown
landed
on
Mitten
Island
she
could
not
distinguish
the
faces
of
the
waiting
crowd
,
but
she
heard
sharp
anxious
voices
.
"
They
ai
n't
goin
'
to
get
'
er
,
not
if
I
knows
it
.
"
"
She
never
speaks
but
kindness
,
the
dear
lamb
.
"
"
She
's
more
of
a
saint
than
any
in
the
Calendar
.
"
"
She
gave
my
Danny
a
room
in
'
er
house
,
and
put
'
eart
into
'
im
after
'
e
lost
'
is
sight
in
the
War
.
"
"
She
's
the
good
fairy
of
the
Island
.
"
"
She
grew
all
them
Sweet
Williams
in
my
garden
in
one
night
,
when
I
first
come
'
ere
and
was
'
omesick
for
Devon
.
"
"
The
law
's
always
after
saints
and
fairies
,
always
'
as
bin
.
"
"
But
the
law
ca
n't
catch
'
er
.
"
"
The
law
has
driven
her
away
,
"
said
Sarah
Brown
.
"
There
is
no
magic
now
on
Mitten
Island
.
"
She
staggered
through
the
open
door
of
the
Shop
.
"
This
is
Richard
's
house
,
"
she
said
to
herself
as
she
entered
,
and
felt
doubly
alone
because
Richard
was
far
away
,
riding
to
his
True
Love
.
She
struck
her
last
match
,
lit
the
lantern
,
and
looked
round
.
There
was
no
sound
in
the
house
of
Living
Alone
,
she
thought
there
would
never
again
be
any
magic
sound
there
to
penetrate
to
her
imprisoned
hearing
.
The
aprons
hanging
from
the
ceiling
near
the
door
flapped
in
the
cold
wind
,
and
she
thought
they
were
like
grey
bats
in
a
cave
.
The
breeze
blew
out
the
open
lantern
.
Ah
,
how
desolate
,
how
desolate
...
.
A
piece
of
paper
was
impaled
upon
the
counter
by
means
of
a
headless
hatpin
.
There
was
something
very
largely
and
badly
written
on
it
.
Sarah
Brown
read
:
"
Well
Soup
it
looks
like
my
Night
's
come
and
what
dyou
think
Sherry
's
come
too
.
Im
an
me
as
gone
off
to
a
place
e
knows
that
's
a
fine
place
for
such
a
boy
as
Elbert
to
be
born
in
so
no
more
at
present
from
your
true
Peony
.
"
Sarah
Brown
climbed
up
the
short
stairway
,
painful
step
by
painful
step
,
to
her
cell
.
She
sat
on
her
bed
holding
her
throbbing
side
,
and
breathing
with
fearful
caution
.
She
looked
at
the
empty
grate
.
She
put
a
cigarette
in
her
mouth
,
the
unconscious
and
futile
answer
of
the
Dweller
Alone
to
that
blind
hunger
for
comfort
.
But
she
had
no
matches
,
and
presently
,
dimly
conscious
that
her
groping
for
comfort
had
lacked
result
,
she
absently
put
another
cigarette
into
her
mouth
,
and
then
felt
a
fool
.
She
stared
at
the
cold
window
.
The
sky
seemed
to
be
nailed
carelessly
to
it
by
means
of
a
crooked
star
or
two
.
These
are
the
terrible
nights
of
Living
Alone
,
when
you
have
fever
and
sometimes
think
that
your
beloved
stands
in
the
doorway
to
bring
you
comfort
,
and
sometimes
think
that
you
have
no
beloved
,
and
that
there
is
no
one
left
in
all
the
world
,
no
word
,
no
warmth
,
nor
ever
a
kindly
candle
to
be
lighted
in
that
spotted
darkness
that
walls
up
your
hot
sight
.
Again
on
those
nights
you
dream
that
you
have
already
done
those
genial
things
your
body
cries
for
,
or
perhaps
That
Other
has
done
them
.
The
fire
is
built
and
alight
at
last
,
a
cup
of
something
cool
and
beautifully
sour
stands
ready
to
your
hand
,
you
can
hear
the
delicious
rattle
of
china
on
a
tray
in
the
passage
—
someone
coming
with
food
you
would
love
to
look
at
,
and
presently
perhaps
to
eat
...
when
you
feel
better
.
But
again
and
again
your
eyes
open
on
the
cold
dumb
darkness
,
and
there
is
nothing
but
the
wind
and
strange
sinister
emptiness
creaking
on
the
stair
.
These
are
the
terrible
nights
of
Living
Alone
,
yet
no
real
lover
of
that
house
and
of
that
state
would
ever
exchange
one
of
those
haunted
and
desert
nights
for
a
night
spent
watched
,
in
soft
warm
places
.
Sarah
Brown
was
not
long
left
alone
that
night
to
look
at
the
strip
of
moonlight
on
the
cold
ashes
of
her
fireplace
.
The
Shop
below
shook
suddenly
with
many
footfalls
,
and
the
metallic
officious
barking
of
the
Dog
David
rent
the
still
air
of
her
cell
.
A
man
's
voice
at
the
foot
of
the
stairs
said
:
"
I
can
hear
a
dog
barking
.
"
And
a
woman
's
voice
followed
it
:
"
Angela
,
dear
,
is
that
you
?
"
Sarah
Brown
was
only
aware
of
a
vague
and
irksome
disturbance
.
She
groped
to
her
door
,
opened
it
,
and
shouted
miserably
:
"
Go
away
,
policeman
,
go
away
.
She
is
not
here
.
"
Lady
Arabel
came
up
,
flashing
an
electric
torch
.
"
My
dear
,
you
look
dretfully
ill.
Why
look
,
you
are
trembling
.
Why
look
,
your
little
dog
is
making
your
counterpane
muddy
.
Do
n't
be
afraid
for
Angela
,
we
are
all
here
to
try
and
help
her
.
"
"
All
here
?
"
"
Yes
,
Meta
and
the
Mayor
and
Mr.
Tovey
and
Mr.
Frere
.
Let
me
help
you
into
bed
,
and
then
you
shall
tell
me
what
you
know
of
her
.
You
have
had
a
dretfully
trying
time
.
"
"
I
am
well
,
"
said
Sarah
Brown
ungraciously
.
"
You
are
none
of
you
going
to
help
the
witch
without
me
.
"
"
Ah
,
this
is
all
very
dretful
,
"
sighed
Lady
Arabel
.
"
Most
foolish
of
us
to
come
here
all
together
like
this
,
after
the
policeman
took
our
names
and
addresses
,
and
was
dretfully
impertinent
and
suspicious
.
But
Meta
insisted
.
I
quite
expect
to
spend
the
next
twenty-four
hours
in
gaol
,
or
else
to
be
shot
for
Offence
of
the
Realm
.
In
fact
,
speaking
as
a
ratepayer
,
I
think
the
police
ought
to
have
done
it
before
.
Still
,
Meta
thought
we
might
perhaps
be
able
to
help
Angela
...
.
Meta
has
many
friends
who
seem
influential
...
but
so
talkative
,
my
dear
.
"
She
led
the
way
downstairs
.
Mr.
Tovey
and
the
Mayor
were
talking
at
the
foot
of
the
stairs
,
Mr.
Frere
was
listening
sardonically
.
As
Sarah
Brown
went
past
them
into
the
Shop
,
she
smelt
the
unflower-like
scent
that
always
denoted
the
presence
of
Miss
Ford
.
Sarah
Brown
herself
was
accompanied
by
nothing
more
seductive
than
a
faint
smell
of
gasoline
,
showing
that
her
clothes
had
lately
been
home-cleaned
.
In
the
darkness
of
the
Shop
she
saw
Miss
Ford
stooping
,
trying
to
shut
the
big
difficult
drawer
in
which
the
witch
kept
her
magic
.
"
It
is
frightfully
explosive
,
"
said
Sarah
Brown
.
Miss
Ford
started
and
straightened
her
back
.
"
Ah
,
Miss
Brown
...
.
I
was
just
looking
about
...
.
"
Sarah
Brown
sat
gasping
on
the
counter
,
and
the
rest
of
the
party
re-entered
the
Shop
,
bringing
the
lantern
.
"
How
very
absurd
all
this
is
,
"
said
Miss
Ford
nervously
,
—
"
taking
such
a
great
deal
of
trouble
about
a
necessitous
case
.
"
"
America
is
in
my
mind
,
"
said
Lady
Arabel
.
"
If
we
could
get
her
there
.
Anybody
who
has
done
anything
silly
goes
to
America
.
Indeed
,
if
I
remember
rightly
,
America
is
entirely
populated
with
fugitives
from
somewhere
else
.
So
dretfully
confusing
for
the
Red
Indians
.
They
say
the
story
of
the
Tower
of
Babel
was
only
a
prophecy
about
the
Woolworth
Building
—
"
"
You
could
n't
get
a
passport
,
"
said
Mr.
Darnby
Frere
,
who
was
the
only
person
present
really
conscious
of
sanity
.
"
Only
a
miracle
could
produce
a
passport
in
these
days
,
especially
for
a
fugitive
from
justice
.
"
"
Only
a
miracle
—
or
magic
,
"
said
Sarah
Brown
.
Miss
Ford
moved
instinctively
behind
the
counter
towards
the
open
drawer
full
of
ingredients
for
happiness
.
"
We
must
remember
,
"
added
Mr.
Frere
,
"
that
,
after
all
,
she
did
break
the
law
.
In
fact
I
cannot
for
the
life
of
me
imagine
why
on
earth
we
are
all
—
"
"
Oh
,
Darnby
,
do
be
sensible
,
"
said
Miss
Ford
.
"
Of
course
we
know
it
is
wrong
to
break
the
law
,
but
in
this
case
—
well
,
I
myself
should
be
the
last
to
blame
her
.
"
"
No
,
not
the
last
,
"
said
Sarah
Brown
.
"
What
do
you
mean
?
"
"
Certainly
not
the
last
.
Probably
not
even
the
penultimate
one
.
You
flatter
yourself
.
"
"
Why
,
surely
some
of
you
ladies
,
movin
'
in
the
'
ighest
circles
,
knows
of
gentlemen
in
the
Foreign
Office
that
would
do
a
little
shut-eye
job
,
for
old
times
'
sake
,
"
suggested
the
Mayor
.
This
was
a
challenge
to
Miss
Ford
.
She
ceased
to
gaze
haughtily
on
Sarah
Brown
.
"
Men
from
three
departments
of
the
Foreign
Office
are
fairly
regular
Wednesday
friends
of
mine
,
"
she
said
.
"
But
I
could
hardly
trouble
any
of
them
on
—
er
—
so
trivial
a
matter
.
"
There
was
silence
,
while
Miss
Ford
toyed
gingerly
with
one
of
the
paper
packets
out
of
the
witch
's
drawer
.
Presently
she
said
:
"
What
about
Richard
?
"
Lady
Arabel
showed
sudden
irritation
.
"
There
you
go
again
,
Meta
;
I
have
spoken
to
you
of
it
again
and
again
.
It
's
Rrchud
this
and
Rrchud
that
whenever
anything
in
the
least
tahsome
or
out
of
the
way
happens
.
One
would
think
you
considered
the
poor
boy
a
wizard
.
"
"
You
need
n't
lose
your
temper
,
Arabel
,
"
said
Miss
Ford
coldly
.
"
I
only
meant
that
Richard
might
be
useful
,
having
so
many
friends
,
and
such
skill
in
...
chemistry
...
.
"
As
if
unconsciously
she
tore
off
one
corner
of
the
packet
of
magic
she
held
before
adding
:
"
And
besides
,
as
I
have
often
told
you
,
I
believe
Richard
to
have
real
Occult
Power
,
which
would
give
him
a
special
interest
in
this
case
.
"
Sarah
Brown
,
who
was
burying
her
face
in
her
hands
and
missing
much
of
the
conversation
,
caught
the
name
of
Richard
,
and
said
:
"
Richard
has
gone
to
his
True
Love
.
"
A
tempest
of
restrained
embarrassment
arose
.
"
She
's
feverish
,
"
murmured
Miss
Ford
,
turning
scarlet
.
"
My
dear
Sarah
,
"
said
Lady
Arabel
tartly
.
"
You
are
quite
mistaken
,
and
I
must
beg
of
you
to
be
careful
how
you
repeat
idle
gossip
about
my
son
.
Rrchud
is
at
his
office
.
You
know
it
is
only
open
at
night
—
one
of
Rrchud
's
quaint
fancies
.
"
"
I
will
ring
up
his
office
,
"
said
Miss
Ford
,
deciding
to
ignore
Sarah
Brown
both
now
and
in
future
.
"
Where
is
the
telephone
?
"
"
There
is
none
,
"
replied
Sarah
Brown
.
"
This
is
the
House
of
Living
Alone
.
"
Miss
Ford
was
pouring
a
grain
or
two
of
the
magic
into
her
palm
.
"
How
very
credulous
people
are
,
"
she
said
with
a
self-conscious
smile
.
"
If
Thelma
Bennett
Watkins
were
here
she
would
credit
this
powder
with
—
"
She
stopped
,
for
an
astonishing
sharp
smell
filled
the
Shop
.
Almost
immediately
a
curious
wheezy
sound
,
punctuated
by
taps
,
proceeded
from
the
corner
.
It
was
Mr.
Bernard
Tovey
trying
to
sing
,
"
Mon
coeur
s'ouvr
'
à
ta
voix
,
"
and
beating
time
by
swinging
his
heels
against
the
counter
on
which
he
sat
.
Sarah
Brown
felt
suddenly
well
.
She
trembled
but
was
well
.
She
jumped
off
the
counter
.
"
I
will
run
across
,
if
you
like
,
"
she
said
,
"
and
ring
up
Richard
from
the
ferryman
's
house
.
He
may
have
left
his
True
Love
now
.
I
am
not
deaf
on
the
telephone
,
and
the
ferryman
wo
n't
admit
strangers
.
"
As
she
left
,
the
smell
of
magic
was
getting
stronger
and
stronger
.
Mr.
Tovey
,
still
impersonating
Delilah
in
the
corner
,
was
approaching
the
more
excitable
passages
of
the
song
.
Miss
Ford
was
saying
,
"
Really
,
Bernard
...
.
"
Sarah
Brown
felt
a
slight
misgiving
.
A
warm
and
rather
dramatic-looking
light
was
shining
behind
the
red
curtain
of
the
ferryman
's
lattice
window
,
as
Sarah
Brown
crossed
the
moonlit
road
.
She
delighted
,
after
her
recent
black
hours
,
to
think
of
all
those
people
in
the
world
who
were
sitting
stuffily
and
pleasantly
in
little
ugly
rooms
that
they
loved
,
doing
quiet
careful
things
that
pleased
them
.
And
she
told
herself
that
the
thought
of
Richard
's
little
office
,
alone
and
alight
in
the
deserted
City
every
night
,
would
comfort
her
often
in
the
darkness
.
The
ferryman
opened
his
door
,
and
invited
her
genially
to
his
telephone
.
He
had
been
sitting
at
his
table
,
surrounded
by
the
snakes
that
for
him
took
the
place
of
a
family
.
On
the
table
was
a
bowl
of
milk
from
which
a
large
bull-snake
,
in
a
gay
Turkey-carpet
design
,
was
drinking
.
A
yellow
and
black
python
lay
coiled
in
several
figures
of
eight
in
the
armchair
,
and
an
intelligent-looking
small
dust-coloured
snake
with
a
broad
nose
and
an
active
tongue
leaned
out
of
the
ferryman
's
breast
pocket
.
"
Are
n't
they
beautiful
?
"
he
said
,
with
shy
and
paternal
pride
,
as
Sarah
Brown
tried
to
find
a
place
on
which
the
python
would
like
to
be
tickled
or
scratched
.
Somehow
the
python
has
a
barren
figure
,
from
a
caresser
's
point
of
view
.
The
ferryman
went
on
:
"
There
is
something
about
the
grip
and
spring
in
a
snake
's
body
that
makes
me
feel
giddy
with
pleasure
.
Snakes
to
me
,
you
know
,
are
just
a
drug
,
sold
by
the
yard
instead
of
in
bottles
.
My
brain
is
getting
every
day
colder
and
quieter
,
and
all
through
loving
snakes
so
.
"
Sarah
Brown
rang
up
Richard
's
office
,
and
the
over-refined
voice
of
a
young
gentleman
clerk
answered
her
.
Mr.
Higgins
was
not
in
the
office
.
Mr.
Higgins
had
left
particular
word
that
if
any
one
wanted
him
they
were
to
be
told
that
he
had
—
er
—
gone
to
his
True
Love
.
But
any
minor
business
matter
connected
with
magic
could
be
attended
to
in
his
absence
.
Mr.
Higgins
spending
so
much
of
his
time
on
the
battlefield
at
present
,
a
good
deal
of
the
routine
work
had
to
be
done
in
any
case
by
the
speaker
,
his
confidential
clerk
.
Passports
to
America
?
Perfectly
simple
.
The
office
had
simply
to
issue
blank
sheets
treated
in
a
certain
way
,
and
every
official
to
whom
the
sheet
should
be
presented
would
read
upon
it
what
he
would
want
.
But
Mr.
Higgins
would
have
to
affix
his
mark
and
seal
.
Mr.
Higgins
would
be
in
the
office
sometime
to-night
,
probably
within
the
hour
.
How
many
passports
?
"
Two
,
"
said
Sarah
Brown
.
"
One
for
my
friend
and
one
for
me
.
A
dog
does
n't
need
one
,
does
he
—
a
British
dog
?
I
will
book
the
berths
to-morrow
.
I
can
pawn
my
—
or
rather
,
I
can
sell
my
War
Loan
.
"
As
she
hung
up
the
receiver
,
the
ferryman
asked
:
"
Are
you
having
a
party
up
at
the
Shop
,
in
the
superintendent
's
absence
?
"
"
Not
intentionally
,
"
replied
Sarah
Brown
.
"
Why
?
"
"
Well
,
I
just
wondered
.
There
's
a
noise
like
a
thousand
mad
gramophones
playing
backwards
,
coming
from
there
.
"
Sarah
Brown
's
misgivings
returned
like
a
clap
of
thunder
.
She
rushed
back
to
the
Shop
.
The
lantern
was
standing
in
the
middle
of
the
floor
,
its
glass
was
shattered
,
and
out
of
each
of
its
eight
panels
streamed
a
great
flame
six
or
seven
feet
high
,
like
the
petal
of
an
enormous
flower
.
Facing
these
flames
stood
Miss
Ford
and
Mr.
Tovey
,
hand
in
hand
,
each
singing
a
different
song
very
earnestly
.
Lady
Arabel
had
found
somewhere
a
patent
fire
extinguisher
,
and
was
putting
on
her
glasses
in
order
to
read
the
directions
.
Mr.
Frere
was
hesitating
in
the
background
with
a
leaking
biscuit
tin
full
of
water
.
The
Mayor
was
gone
.
"
Great
Scott
!
"
said
Sarah
Brown
.
You
'll
burn
the
place
down
.
Look
at
that
row
of
petticoats
up
there
,
catching
fire
already
.
What
have
you
done
with
the
Mayor
?
"
"
We
made
him
invisible
by
mistake
,
"
whispered
Mr.
Tovey
.
"
But
sh
—
sh
,
he
does
n't
know
it
yet
.
"
"
Nothing
matters
,
"
said
Miss
Ford
.
"
We
are
all
going
to
America
.
"
And
she
continued
her
song
,
which
was
an
extempore
one
about
the
sea
.
"
But
that
's
no
reason
why
you
should
burn
the
house
down
,
"
said
Sarah
Brown
.
"
That
's
what
I
thought
,
"
agreed
Mr.
Frere
.
"
But
water
wo
n't
put
out
that
flame
.
"
The
singers
fell
silent
.
Only
the
voice
of
the
invisible
Mayor
could
be
heard
,
singing
,
"
If
those
lips
could
only
speak
,
"
in
a
loud
tremulous
voice
,
to
the
accompaniment
of
his
own
unseen
stamping
feet
.
"
You
've
been
putting
magic
into
that
flame
,
"
said
Sarah
Brown
distractedly
.
"
I
told
you
it
was
dangerous
.
Nothing
will
put
magic
out
,
except
more
magic
.
What
will
the
witch
say
?
"
"
It
does
n't
matter
what
anybody
says
,
"
said
Miss
Ford
.
"
We
are
all
going
to
America
.
No
place
and
no
person
matters
when
I
am
not
there
.
There
are
no
places
and
no
people
existing
where
I
am
not
.
I
have
suspected
it
before
,
and
now
I
am
sure
that
everything
is
all
a
pretence
,
except
me
.
Look
how
easy
it
was
to
dismiss
that
gross
grocer
from
sight
.
He
was
just
a
bit
of
background
.
I
have
painted
him
out
.
"
The
drapery
department
on
the
ceiling
was
ablaze
now
,
and
flakes
of
ashy
petticoat
,
and
the
metal
frames
of
buttons
,
showered
to
the
floor
.
"
I
will
go
and
get
help
,
"
said
Sarah
Brown
,
and
hurried
out
of
doors
,
followed
feverishly
by
David
,
who
was
not
a
very
brave
dog
in
moments
of
crisis
,
and
yet
liked
to
appear
busy
and
helpful
.
It
was
to
the
ferryman
's
telephone
that
they
returned
.
Sarah
Brown
knew
that
the
fire
was
a
magic
fire
,
and
that
an
appeal
to
the
L.C.C.
Fire
Brigade
would
only
bring
defeat
and
unnecessary
bewilderment
upon
a
deserving
organisation
.
Sarah
Brown
rang
up
Richard
's
office
,
and
Richard
,
who
had
a
heroic
and
almost
cinematic
gift
for
being
on
hand
at
the
right
moments
,
answered
her
himself
.
"
Come
at
once
,
"
said
Sarah
Brown
.
"
The
House
of
Living
Alone
is
on
fire
.
Someone
has
been
tampering
with
the
magic
drawer
.
"
"
Oh
deah
,
deah
,
"
said
Richard
.
"
And
this
is
such
a
busy
night
at
the
office
too
.
Do
you
think
it
is
really
important
?
It
is
my
house
,
you
know
.
"
"
Well
,
I
do
n't
see
what
is
to
prevent
Mitten
Island
from
being
burnt
to
the
water
's
edge
.
In
fact
I
do
n't
see
why
,
being
a
magic
fire
,
it
should
stop
at
the
water
's
edge
.
Not
to
mention
that
the
Mayor
—
—
"
"
Very
well
,
I
'll
come
,
"
said
Richard
.
As
she
stepped
out
of
the
door
he
arrived
.
"
I
came
by
flash
of
lightning
,
"
he
explained
,
smoothing
his
hair
and
readjusting
his
Bill
Sykes
service
cap
,
in
the
manner
of
one
who
has
moved
swiftly
.
"
The
lightning
service
is
getting
very
bad
.
I
was
held
up
for
quite
three-quarters
of
a
second
over
Whitehall
.
There
was
some
wireless
war-news
coming
in
,
and
the
lightning
had
to
let
it
pass
.
Now
,
what
's
all
this
fuss
about
,
Sarah
Brown
?
"
There
was
a
crowd
of
delirious
Mitten
Islanders
round
the
House
of
Living
Alone
.
While
Sarah
Brown
and
Richard
were
about
fifty
yards
away
,
a
many-forked
and
enormous
white
flame
suddenly
wrapped
the
house
about
,
like
a
hand
clutching
and
crushing
it
.
"
The
faggots
round
the
stake
are
lighted
,
"
said
Richard
.
"
But
the
witch
has
fled
.
"
It
seemed
that
the
stars
were
devoured
by
the
flame
,
so
far
did
it
outshine
them
.
The
flame
shrank
in
upon
itself
and
collapsed
.
There
was
no
more
House
of
Living
Alone
.
"
Oh
,
Richard
,
"
said
Sarah
Brown
.
"
Your
mother
and
Miss
Ford
and
—
—
"
"
Was
mother
in
there
?
"
asked
Richard
placidly
.
"
Wonders
will
never
cease
.
Well
,
well
,
it
is
fortunate
that
no
magic
of
any
sort
could
ever
touch
mother
.
"
And
indeed
,
as
they
pushed
through
the
crowd
,
they
saw
all
the
recent
occupants
of
the
Shop
arguing
at
the
front
gate
.
"
I
did
n't
blow
it
,
"
Mr.
Tovey
was
saying
in
an
aggrieved
voice
.
"
I
was
singing
,
not
blowing
.
"
"
Well
,
all
I
know
is
that
while
you
were
on
that
high
note
something
seemed
to
scatter
the
flames
,
and
the
drawer
full
of
explosives
caught
fire
,
"
said
Mr.
Darnby
Frere
aggressively
,
flourishing
his
empty
biscuit
tin
.
"
It
does
n't
matter
,
"
said
Miss
Ford
calmly
.
"
We
are
all
going
across
the
sea
to-morrow
.
"
She
roused
herself
a
little
,
and
said
to
Mr.
Frere
with
a
smile
:
"
You
know
,
I
inherit
the
sea
tradition
.
My
father
commanded
H.M.S.
Indigestible
in
'
84.
"
"
I
wonder
what
put
out
the
flame
so
suddenly
?
"
asked
Mr.
Tovey
,
who
was
still
dreamily
beating
time
to
imaginary
music
with
one
hand
.
"
I
put
it
out
,
"
said
Richard
.
"
I
wonder
whose
house
it
is
?
"
added
Mr.
Tovey
,
turning
vaguely
to
face
Richard
.
"
It
is
my
house
,
"
said
Richard
.
They
all
discovered
his
presence
.
"
Your
