E. Nesbit

“ The treasure, and make me brave and wise—"
If you don't mind," he added.
And instantly there was the white mole.
"What do you want now?" it said very crossly indeed. "And call that poetry?"
"It's the first I ever made," said Elfrida, of the hot ears. "Perhaps it'll be better next time."
"We want you to do what the spell says," said Edred.
"Make you brave and wise? That can't be done all in a minute. That's a long job, that is," said the mole viciously.
"Don't be so cross, dear," said Elfrida; "and if it's going to be so long hadn't you better begin?" ”

“ You're a dream, that's all you are," he said, "and I'm dreaming you."
"And what do you think?" the mole asked Elfrida, who hesitated.
"I think," she said at last, "that it's getting very dark, and Aunt Edith will be anxious about us; and will you meet us another day? There isn't time to make us brave and wise to-night."
"That there ain't, for sure," said the mole meaningly.
"But you might tell us where the treasure is," said Edred.
"That comes last, greedy," said the mole. "I've got to make you kind and wise first, and I see I've got my work cut out. Good-night." ”

“ They began by being very polite to each other, and presently it grew to seem like a game.
"Let's call each other Lord and Lady Arden all the time, and pretend that we're no relation," said Elfrida. And really that helped tremendously. It is wonderful how much more polite you can be to outsiders than you can to your relations, who are, when all's said and done, the people you really love. ”

“ I feel it inside me. So now we've got the treasure. We'll rebuild the castle."
He got to the nearest chest and pushed at the lid, but Elfrida had to push too before he could get the heavy thing up. And when it was up, alas! there was no treasure in the chest—only folded clothes.
So then they tried the next chest.
And in all the chests there was no treasure at all—only clothes. Clothes, and more clothes again.
"Well, never mind," said Elfrida, trying to speak comfortably. "They'll be splendid for dressing up in."
"That's all very well," said Edred, "but I want the treasure." ”

“ It's our own old family mole that's our crest. How can it be a common mole? It's all golden."
And, even as she spoke, it left off being golden. For the last bit of sun dipped behind the shoulder of the downs, and in the grey twilight that was left the mole was white—any one could see that.
"Oh!" said Elfrida—but she stuck to her point. "So you see," she went on, "it can't be just a really-mole. Really-moles are black." ”

“ And at once—this happened in the library, where they had found the spell—Elfrida began to walk in a steady and purposeful way. She crossed the hall and went through the green baize door into the other house; went along its corridor and up its dusty stairs—up, and up, and up—
"We've looked everywhere here," said Edred, but Elfrida did not stop for that.
"I know I'm going straight to it," she said. "Oh! do try to believe a little, or we shall never find anything," and went on along the corridor, where the spiders had draped the picture-frames with their grey crape curtains. ”

“ Elfrida said. "It's not fair."
"Never mind, old girl," said Edred kindly. "I'll call you Lady Arden whenever you like."
"How would you like," asked the aunt, "to go over and live at the castle now?"
"To-night?"
"No, no," she laughed; "next week. You see, I must try to let this house, and I shall be very busy. Mrs. Honeysett, the old lady who used to keep house for your great-uncle, wrote to the lawyers and asked if we would employ her. I remember her when I was a little girl; she is a dear, and knows heaps of old songs. ”

“ Honeysett was in none of them. There were no workmen about, yet the baize door was gone, and in its stead was a door of old wood, very shaky and crooked.
The children ran down the passage to the parlour and burst open the door, looking for Mrs. Honeysett.
There sat a very upright old lady and a very upright old gentleman, and their clothes were not the clothes people wear nowadays. They were like the clothes the children themselves had on. The old lady was hemming a fine white frill; the old gentleman was reading what looked like a page from some newspaper. ”

“ They talked without stopping till they got to Cliffville Station, and then they talked all the way home, and by the time they reached the house with the green balconies and the smooth, pale, polished door-knocker they had decided, as children almost always do in cases of magic adventure, that they had better not say anything to any one. As I am always pointing out, it is extremely difficult to tell your magic experiences to people who not only will not, but cannot believe you. ”

“ The mole paused.
"I've got to let you find me again. Don't upset yourself," it said bitterly. "When you wants me, come up on to the knoll and say a piece of poetry to call me, and I'll come," and it started again.
"But what poetry?" Edred asked.
"Oh, anything. You can pick and choose."
Edred thought of "The Lays of Ancient Rome."
"Only 'tain't no good without you makes it up yourselves," said the Mouldiwarp.
"Oh!" said the two, much disheartened.
"And course it must be askin' me to kindly come to you. Get along home."
"Where are you going?" Elfrida asked. ”

“ And when they had looked at all the fifty-seven on the inside and on the outside, there was nothing for it but to look again. So they looked again, very carefully, to see if there were any magic writing that they hadn't happened to notice. ”

“ Honeysett had helped them to toad-in-the-hole and left them to eat it—
"May I pass you some potatoes, Lady Arden?"
Elfrida giggled happily.
The parlour was furnished with the kind of furniture they knew and loved. It had a long, low window that showed the long, narrow garden outside. The walls were panelled with wood, browny-grey under its polish.
"Oh," said Elfrida, "there must be secret panels here."
And though Edred said, "Secret fiddlesticks!" he in his heart felt that she was right.
After dinner, "May we explore?" Elfrida asked, and Mrs. ”