E. Nesbit

“ All the children felt quite sure that they were not at all sure whether they wanted the face to be the face of a real person, or whether they wished it to be the Invisible made visible by fern-seed. But when the hand tapped at the window and a sound came to the children within—a sound quite distinct, and just the noise you or I might make if we tapped at a window and didn't want every one in the house to hear us—the children, though startled, no longer felt any doubt as to what they wished that face to be.
'It's only a real person,’ whispered Charles, and sighed deeply. ”

“ But the council, if it could be called one, was brief and languid.
'I'd rather think first,' said Caroline. And the others said so would they.
'I could think better with my head on your lap, Caro,' Charles said.
And Charlotte murmured, 'Bunch the fern up closer under my back, Caro.'
And when the sun came over the top of the sweet chestnut, it fell upon a warm and comfortable heap of children asleep.
You really can't stay up all night, or even dream that you sit up, and then hold important councils next day just as though nothing had happened. ”

“ Here Charlotte began to cry.
'Oh, don't!' said Caroline, putting her arm round her. 'Do you mean to say you don't understand yet? I'd no idea you could be so silly.'
'l don't think she's silly at all,' said Charles, loyally. 'I wish he was here, too.'
'He is here,' said Caroline, in an exasperated whisper; 'just behind you. We thought you might be someone else, so he hid. Come back, Rupert; it's only them.'
And from the tangled thicket, Rupert put forth a head, very rough as to his hair, which bristled with twigs and pine-needles. ”

“ Seven seeds and no more for the one sowing. In the garden of peace let them be sown, which same is the seventh garden of the world. Let him that would sow, take heed to bathe him seven times in fair water, and let him sow with his face set eastward, with silence at the lips and at the heart faith in all good things and the love of all things beautiful. After seven weeks the blossom shall appear. Then let him who sowed the seed eat of the flower. The seed of the F. of H. D.'
'What?' cried Rupert.
'That's all,' said Caroline. 'It stops short like that. ”

“ The leopard lay down, flat—flatter than you would think a leopard could lie.
'It understands,' said Charlotte.
'Oh, yes.' Caroline's voice trembled as much as the hand that held the candlestick. 'It does. Poor pussy! Poor Leopard, then.'
A faint rumbling sound came from the crouching heap of spotted fur.
'I believe it's trying to purr,' whispered Caroline. 'Of course, leopard's purrs would be different.'
'Give a paw, then,' she said, very shakily. And the leopard lifted a ragged-looking forefoot. But even Caroline had not the courage to reach out a hand towards it. ”

“ They went away beyond the shrubbery, to a wood where there were oak trees and hazels and dog-wood and silver birches and here and there a black yew, with open bracken-feathered glades between. Here they found a little glade between a honeysuckle and a sweet chestnut and a hazel thicket, flattened the bracken, and sat down amid the sweet scent of it.
'To hold a council about the wonderful dream we've all of us had,' said Caroline, slowly. ”

“ I haven't had anything else to do, you know.'
'Poor old Charles!' said Charlotte. 'I'm sorry I scratched, but it is aggravating, now isn't it?'
'Not for you, it isn't,' said Charles. 'You haven't looked behind the curtains. You haven't broken your part of the magic. It's all right for you. You'll see her right enough. It's me that won't. You're all right.'
'But I expect your looking broke the spell, and she's back again,' said Caroline, reaching out a hand to the curtains. ”

“ Please, Murdstone man, let your crimes and your animosity and your aversion be burnt away, and may you lie on beds of roses really as soon as you are changed and amiable. Then, when you are truly benevolent, Rupert and us will esteem you, and the hazel is for reconciliation. Now let's go away and leave the incense to do its healing work, and to-morrow we'll come and put a fresh rose-bed and burn new incense.' Thus Caroline. ”

“ The sun had shone now for days and days, and it had seemed as though it must always go on shining.
'Rupert won’t be able to hide in the wood, will he?' said Charlotte after a dismal silence.
'Oh, Charlotte,’ said Caroline in deep reproach, holding- up her little silver watch, 'it's only a quarter to five. I'm going to sleep again. You know how thin and rotten you feel in the afternoon if you get up too early. Come on. Perhaps it won't be raining when it's proper getting-up time.'
But it was, as hard as ever. And it was a dismal little breakfast party. ”

“ Rupert grew grumpier and grumpier as the days went on, and seemed to care less and less for being with the three C.'s. He would go for long walks by himself, and seemed to prefer to be with William, who 'put up' with him, or even with Mrs. Wilmington, who adored him, to being with the children.
And we thought it would be so jolly,' sighed Charlotte; 'and the worst of it is Charles tries to imitate him. He speaks quite rudely sometimes, even to you, Caro, and you know he always used to like you best.'
The only thing Rupert seemed truly and constantly to care for was swimming. ”

“ Charlotte was nodding happily.
'Get up!' said Caroline, exasperated. 'Get up! Get down! Get off the bed and stand on your feet. Now, then, Charles!'
But Charles was deeply slumbering, with his mouth very much more open than it ought to have been.
'That's it!' said Caroline, as Charlotte responded to her pull. 'That's it. It's just you and me! Women always have to do the work of the world! Aunt Emmeline said so once. She said it's not "Men must work and women must weep"; it's "Men must talk and women must work." ”

“ So Caroline said:
'How beautifully everything grows here!'
'Ay,' said the old man, 'it do. Say perfect and you won't be far out.'
'It's very clever of you,' Charlotte spoke. 'Ill-weeds don't grow in a single place in your garden.'
'I don't say as I don't do something,' replied the old man, 'but seems as if there was a blessing on the place—everything thrives and grows just-so. ”

“ Oh, please don't!' said Caroline, again and again; and again and again the woman who was crying said, 'Go away. I can't attend to you. Go away!'
She was a middle-aged woman, and her dark hair, streaked with grey, was screwed up behind in a tight knob. Her sleeves were tucked up, and all round her were piles of those square boxes with wooden divisions in which lemonade and ginger-beer travel about. The boxes were dotted with greeny bottles, some full, some empty, and the boxes were everywhere—on the sink, under the sink, on the copper, on the bricks, and outside the open back door. ”

“ You must remember that day, Charles—the day you upset the ink over my Hereward the Wake.'
'Here, I say, chuck it,' said Charles, rather red. 'I never——'
'Oh, Pax, for goodness' sake,' said Charlotte; 'if we begin ragging just when we ought to stand by each other, we're like deserters. United we stand, divided we fall a victim to the Wilmington. Hark! that's the Uncle's door.'
They flung themselves into the hall; and the astonished doctor, just saying a few last words of politeness to Uncle Charles, was met by a charge of children all firmly asking, 'How is Rupert? Is he worse? Is he better? ”

“ Therefore, you see what you desired to see, and when the flowering time is here you shall have your heart's desire. Do not speak or move, lest you break the spell. I will sing to you. And when the last note dies away, close your eyes and count very slowly twenty-seven—the number of the years on earth of your kinswoman Eleanour.'
The beautiful presence moved along the room to the harp, that too, was in the field of vision bounded by the tarnished gold of the mirror's frame. ”

“ And then he'll have to believe.'
'Well, what is it?'
'We'll make,' said Charles, slowly and seriously, 'a wax image of the Murdstone man, and we'll make him hollow; his legs and arms needn't be, nor his head, but just his chest. And make his heart separate, and put it in. And take out his heart and melt it every day. That would soften his heart, and he would say he was sorry, and Rupert would forgive him.'
'"When hollow hearts shall wear a mask,"' said Charlotte.
'That's only song-nonsense. People die if you take their hearts out,' said Caroline, with conviction. ”

“ Yet it was true.
'It's all over,' said Charles.
'But we've seen Her,' said Caroline.
'We've heard Her,' said Charlotte.
'Yes,' said Charles. 'I intend to be perfectly good every minute as long as I live. I wish Rupert had been here. He would never have done anything wrong again either, like he did when——'
'It's very wrong,' Charlotte interrupted, 'to remember things other people have done wrong. Come on, let's go back to the dining-room. It's lonely here without Her.'
They went back to the dining-room and sat talking the great mystery, almost in whispers, till it was time to go to bed. ”

“ Almost in silence Caroline poured out the milk, Charles served the bacon, and Charlotte handed the toast. And quite in silence they ate and drank. But breakfast soon began its healing work, and before it came to the marmalade, Charlotte was able to say:
'This is the time to do something desperate. I'll have some tea, please, Caro. Aunt Emmeline says it's a dreadful drug and people take it instead of beer. I don't like it,' she hastened to add. 'It's only to show how desperate we are.'
'Yes, but your drinking tea won't help Rupert. He'll be soaked in the woods,' said Caroline heavily. ”

“ In Caroline and Charlotte there was a deep unacknowledged feeling that they ought to be very good in order to make up for 'poor Rupert.' And Charles cared little for anything but swimming, in which art he was progressing so far that he sometimes knew, even in the water, which were his arms and which were his legs, and could at least imagine that he was making the correct movements with all four.
Uncle Charles was less frequently visible even than at first, though when he did appear he was mere like an uncle and less like a polite acquaintance. ”

“ He would start new games and play them in the most amusing and satisfactory way. But always, sooner or later, and generally sooner, the light of life seemed to go out of him, and he would seem suddenly to be not only tired of the game, but angry with everybody.
'I'm sure he's bewitched,' said Charlotte more than once in those intimate moments when Caroline and she 'talked things over' as they brushed their hair. 'I shouldn't wonder if somebody's made a wax image of him, and it's when they stick the pins in it that he goes all savage all in a minute. ”

“ Now run away and play in the park. If the illness is not infectious, you shall see your little friend later.'
'Oh, uncle!' said Charlotte, in heartfelt tones. 'It's a long lane that never rejoices. We have been so sick about it. And now it's all right. And you are a dear!'
'The dearest dear,' corrected Caroline.
'I call him a brick,' said Charles, with the air of a man of the world.
'There's only one thing more,' said the uncle. 'Go and get me that red rose. ”

“ And there weren't any birthday-cards for her, either.
All the letters were for Miss Sandal. And just as the leopard-skin had been spread on the floor she came to the door of the children's room with one of the letters in her hand.
'I have a surprise for you,' she said.
'Do come in and sit down,’ said Caroline. That was another nice thing about Aunt Emmeline. She always treated the children's room as though it really was the children's room, and expected to be treated as a visitor when she came into it. She never sat down without being asked. ”

“ The ostler from the Peal is over the other side, case he gets out that way. Unless he’s had to get back to his work already.'
'Let's go and have another look at those birds' nests while we're waiting,' said Charlotte, with great presence of mind. And so it was through the little diamond panes of the lodge that they saw again the Murdstone gentleman, in evening dress and an overcoat, with his tie in a crumpled state under one ear, and his face, as Charlotte said, exactly like the face of a baffled executioner. ”

“ So Caroline got up and said:
'Charles, come outside. I want to say something'; and when she got him outside the door, 'come out,' she said, earnestly. 'Yes, you shall. Rupert doesn't want the lot of us. Let him talk to Charlotte. He can't stand a crowd.'
'Isn't it dreadful,' said Charles, in very shocked tones, 'Rupert turning out a liar like this?'
'Oh, don't,' said Caroline, hotly. 'It must have been awful for him, all this time. And now he's sorry, and he's owned up. We've got to try and forget about it. ”