第6章

\"Poordearhead，\"saidBobbie，\"doesitache？\" \"No——yes——notmuch，\"saidMother。\"Bobbie，doyouthinkPeterandPhilareFORGETTINGFather？\" \"NO，\"saidBobbie，indignantly。\"Why？\" \"Younoneofyoueverspeakofhimnow。\" Bobbiestoodfirstononelegandthenontheother。 \"Weoftentalkabouthimwhenwe’rebyourselves，\"shesaid。 \"Butnottome，\"saidMother。\"Why？\" Bobbiedidnotfinditeasytosaywhy。 \"I——you——\"shesaidandstopped。Shewentovertothewindowandlookedout。 \"Bobbie，comehere，\"saidherMother，andBobbiecame。 \"Now，\"saidMother，puttingherarmroundBobbieandlayingherruffledheadagainstBobbie’sshoulder，\"trytotellme，dear。\" Bobbiefidgeted。 \"TellMother。\" \"Well，then，\"saidBobbie，\"IthoughtyouweresounhappyaboutDaddynotbeinghere，itmadeyouworsewhenItalkedabouthim。SoIstoppeddoingit。\" \"Andtheothers？\" \"Idon’tknowabouttheothers，\"saidBobbie。\"IneversaidanythingaboutTHATtothem。ButIexpecttheyfeltthesameaboutitasme。\" \"Bobbiedear，\"saidMother，stillleaningherheadagainsther，\"I’lltellyou。BesidespartingfromFather，heandIhavehadagreatsorrow——oh，terrible——worsethananythingyoucanthinkof，andatfirstitdidhurttohearyoualltalkingofhimasifeverythingwerejustthesame。Butitwouldbemuchmoreterribleifyouweretoforgethim。Thatwouldbeworsethananything。\" \"Thetrouble，\"saidBobbie，inaverylittlevoice——\"IpromisedI wouldneveraskyouanyquestions，andIneverhave，haveI？But—— thetrouble——itwon’tlastalways？\" \"No，\"saidMother，\"theworstwillbeoverwhenFathercomeshometous。\" \"IwishIcouldcomfortyou，\"saidBobbie。 \"Oh，mydear，doyousupposeyoudon’t？DoyouthinkIhaven’tnoticedhowgoodyou’veallbeen，notquarrellingnearlyasmuchasyouusedto——andallthelittlekindthingsyoudoforme——theflowers，andcleaningmyshoes，andtearinguptomakemybedbeforeIgettimetodoitmyself？\" BobbieHADsometimeswonderedwhetherMothernoticedthesethings。 \"That’snothing，\"shesaid，\"towhat——\" \"IMUSTgetonwithmywork，\"saidMother，givingBobbieonelastsqueeze。\"Don’tsayanythingtotheothers。\" Thateveninginthehourbeforebed—timeinsteadofreadingtothechildrenMothertoldthemstoriesofthegamessheandFatherusedtohavewhentheywerechildrenandlivedneareachotherinthecountry——talesoftheadventuresofFatherwithMother’sbrotherswhentheywereallboystogether。Veryfunnystoriestheywere，andthechildrenlaughedastheylistened。 \"UncleEdwarddiedbeforehewasgrownup，didn’the？\"saidPhyllis，asMotherlightedthebedroomcandles。 \"Yes，dear，\"saidMother，\"youwouldhavelovedhim。Hewassuchabraveboy，andsoadventurous。Alwaysinmischief，andyetfriendswitheverybodyinspiteofit。AndyourUncleReggie’sinCeylon—— yes，andFather’saway，too。ButIthinkthey’dallliketothinkwe’denjoyedtalkingaboutthethingstheyusedtodo。Don’tyouthinkso？\" \"NotUncleEdward，\"saidPhyllis，inashockedtone;\"he’sinHeaven。\" \"Youdon’tsupposehe’sforgottenusandalltheoldtimes，becauseGodhastakenhim，anymorethanIforgethim。Oh，no，heremembers。He’sonlyawayforalittletime。Weshallseehimsomeday。\" \"AndUncleReggie——andFather，too？\"saidPeter。 \"Yes，\"saidMother。\"UncleReggieandFather，too。Goodnight，mydarlings。\" \"Goodnight，\"saideveryone。Bobbiehuggedhermothermorecloselyeventhanusual，andwhisperedinherear，\"Oh，Idoloveyouso，Mummy——Ido——Ido——\" WhenBobbiecametothinkitallover，shetriednottowonderwhatthegreattroublewas。Butshecouldnotalwayshelpit。Fatherwasnotdead——likepoorUncleEdward——Motherhadsaidso。Andhewasnotill，orMotherwouldhavebeenwithhim。Beingpoorwasn’tthetrouble。Bobbieknewitwassomethingnearertheheartthanmoneycouldbe。 \"Imustn’ttrytothinkwhatitis，\"shetoldherself;\"no，I mustn’t。IAMgladMothernoticedaboutusnotquarrellingsomuch。 We’llkeepthatup。\" Andalas，thatveryafternoonsheandPeterhadwhatPetercalledafirst—classshindy。 TheyhadnotbeenaweekatThreeChimneysbeforetheyhadaskedMothertoletthemhaveapieceofgardeneachfortheirveryown，andshehadagreed，andthesouthborderunderthepeachtreeshadbeendividedintothreepiecesandtheywereallowedtoplantwhatevertheylikedthere。 PhyllishadplantedmignonetteandnasturtiumandVirginiaStockinhers。Theseedscameup，andthoughtheylookedjustlikeweeds，Phyllisbelievedthattheywouldbearflowerssomeday。TheVirginiaStockjustifiedherfaithquitesoon，andhergardenwasgaywithabandofbrightlittleflowers，pinkandwhiteandredandmauve。 \"Ican’tweedforfearIpullupthewrongthings，\"sheusedtosaycomfortably;\"itsavessuchalotofwork。\" Petersowedvegetableseedsinhis——carrotsandonionsandturnips。 Theseedwasgiventohimbythefarmerwholivedintheniceblack— and—white，wood—and—plasterhousejustbeyondthebridge。Hekeptturkeysandguineafowls，andwasamostamiableman。ButPeter’svegetablesneverhadmuchofachance，becausehelikedtousetheearthofhisgardenfordiggingcanals，andmakingfortsandearthworksforhistoysoldiers。Andtheseedsofvegetablesrarelycometomuchinasoilthatisconstantlydisturbedforthepurposesofwarandirrigation。 Bobbieplantedrose—bushesinhergarden，butallthelittlenewleavesoftherose—bushesshrivelledandwithered，perhapsbecauseshemovedthemfromtheotherpartofthegardeninMay，whichisnotatalltherighttimeofyearformovingroses。Butshewouldnotownthattheyweredead，andhopedonagainsthope，untilthedaywhenPerkscameuptoseethegarden，andtoldherquiteplainlythatallherroseswereasdeadasdoornails。 \"Onlygoodforbonfires，Miss，\"hesaid。\"Youjustdig’emupandburn’em，andI’llgiveyousomenicefreshrootsoutermygarden; pansies，andstocks，andsweetwillies，andforget—me—nots。I’llbring’emalongto—morrowifyougetthegroundready。\" Sonextdayshesettowork，andthathappenedtobethedaywhenMotherhadpraisedherandtheothersaboutnotquarrelling。Shemovedtherose—bushesandcarriedthemtotheotherendofthegarden，wheretherubbishheapwasthattheymeanttomakeabonfireofwhenGuyFawkes’Daycame。 MeanwhilePeterhaddecidedtoflattenoutallhisfortsandearthworks，withaviewtomakingamodeloftherailway—tunnel，cutting，embankment，canal，aqueduct，bridges，andall。 SowhenBobbiecamebackfromherlastthornyjourneywiththedeadrose—bushes，hehadgottherakeandwasusingitbusily。 \"_I_wasusingtherake，\"saidBobbie。 \"Well，I’musingitnow，\"saidPeter。 \"ButIhaditfirst，\"saidBobbie。 \"Thenit’smyturnnow，\"saidPeter。Andthatwashowthequarrelbegan。 \"You’realwaysbeingdisagreeableaboutnothing，\"saidPeter，aftersomeheatedargument。 \"Ihadtherakefirst，\"saidBobbie，flushedanddefiant，holdingontoitshandle。 \"Don’t——ItellyouIsaidthismorningImeanttohaveit。Didn’tI，Phil？\" Phyllissaidshedidn’twanttobemixedupintheirrows。Andinstantly，ofcourse，shewas。 \"Ifyouremember，yououghttosay。\" \"Ofcourseshedoesn’tremember——butshemightsayso。\" \"IwishI’dhadabrotherinsteadoftwowhinylittlekiddysisters，\"saidPeter。Thiswasalwaysrecognisedasindicatingthehigh—watermarkofPeter’srage。 Bobbiemadethereplyshealwaysmadetoit。 \"Ican’tthinkwhylittleboyswereeverinvented，\"andjustasshesaiditshelookedup，andsawthethreelongwindowsofMother’sworkshopflashingintheredraysofthesun。Thesightbroughtbackthosewordsofpraise：—— \"Youdon’tquarrellikeyouusedtodo。\" \"OH！\"criedBobbie，justasifshehadbeenhit，orhadcaughtherfingerinadoor，orhadfeltthehideoussharpbeginningsoftoothache。 \"What’sthematter？\"saidPhyllis。 Bobbiewantedtosay：\"Don’tlet’squarrel。Motherhatesitso，\" butthoughshetriedhard，shecouldn’t。Peterwaslookingtoodisagreeableandinsulting。 \"Takethehorridrake，then，\"wasthebestshecouldmanage。Andshesuddenlyletgoherholdonthehandle。Peterhadbeenholdingontoittoofirmlyandpullingly，andnowthatthepulltheotherwaywassuddenlystopped，hestaggeredandfelloverbackward，theteethoftherakebetweenhisfeet。 \"Serveyouright，\"saidBobbie，beforeshecouldstopherself。 Peterlaystillforhalfamoment——longenoughtofrightenBobbiealittle。Thenhefrightenedheralittlemore，forhesatup—— screamedonce——turnedratherpale，andthenlaybackandbegantoshriek，faintlybutsteadily。Itsoundedexactlylikeapigbeingkilledaquarterofamileoff。 Motherputherheadoutofthewindow，anditwasn’thalfaminuteafterthatshewasinthegardenkneelingbythesideofPeter，whoneverforaninstantceasedtosqueal。 \"Whathappened，Bobbie？\"Motherasked。 \"Itwastherake，\"saidPhyllis。\"Peterwaspullingatit，sowasBobbie，andsheletgoandhewentover。\" \"Stopthatnoise，Peter，\"saidMother。\"Come。Stopatonce。\" Peterusedupwhatbreathhehadleftinalastsquealandstopped。 \"Now，\"saidMother，\"areyouhurt？\" \"Ifhewasreallyhurt，hewouldn’tmakesuchafuss，\"saidBobbie，stilltremblingwithfury;\"he’snotacoward！\" \"Ithinkmyfoot’sbrokenoff，that’sall，\"saidPeter，huffily，andsatup。Thenheturnedquitewhite。Motherputherarmroundhim。 \"HeIShurt，\"shesaid;\"he’sfainted。Here，Bobbie，sitdownandtakehisheadonyourlap。\" ThenMotherundidPeter’sboots。Asshetooktherightoneoff，somethingdrippedfromhisfootontotheground。Itwasredblood。 AndwhenthestockingcameofftherewerethreeredwoundsinPeter’sfootandankle，wheretheteethoftherakehadbittenhim，andhisfootwascoveredwithredsmears。 \"Runforwater——abasinful，\"saidMother，andPhyllisran。Sheupsetmostofthewateroutofthebasininherhaste，andhadtofetchmoreinajug。 PeterdidnotopenhiseyesagaintillMotherhadtiedherhandkerchiefroundhisfoot，andsheandBobbiehadcarriedhiminandlaidhimonthebrownwoodensettleinthedining—room。BythistimePhylliswashalfwaytotheDoctor’s。 MothersatbyPeterandbathedhisfootandtalkedtohim，andBobbiewentoutandgotteaready，andputonthekettle。 \"It’sallIcando，\"shetoldherself。\"Oh，supposePetershoulddie，orbeahelplesscrippleforlife，orhavetowalkwithcrutches，orwearabootwithasolelikealogofwood！\" Shestoodbythebackdoorreflectingonthesegloomypossibilities，hereyesfixedonthewater—butt。 \"IwishI’dneverbeenborn，\"shesaid，andshesaiditoutloud。 \"Why，lawkamercy，what’sthatfor？\"askedavoice，andPerksstoodbeforeherwithawoodentrugbasketfullofgreen—leavedthingsandsoft，looseearth。 \"Oh，it’syou，\"shesaid。\"Peter’shurthisfootwitharake——threegreatgapingwounds，likesoldiersget。Anditwaspartlymyfault。\" \"Thatitwasn’t，I’llgobail，\"saidPerks。\"Doctorseenhim？\" \"PhyllishasgonefortheDoctor。\" \"He’llbeallright;youseeifheisn’t，\"saidPerks。\"Why，myfather’ssecondcousinhadahay—forkrunintohim，rightintohisinside，andhewasrightaseverinafewweeks，allexcepthisbeingabitweakintheheadafterwards，andtheydidsaythatitwasalongofhisgettingatouchofthesuninthehay—field，andnottheforkatall。Irememberhimwell。Akind—’eartedchap，butsoft，asyoumightsay。\" Bobbietriedtoletherselfbecheeredbythishearteningreminiscence。 \"Well，\"saidPerks，\"youwon’twanttobebotheredwithgardeningjustthisminute，Idaresay。Youshowmewhereyourgardenis，andI’llpopthebitsofstuffinforyou。AndI’llhangabout，ifI maymakesofree，toseetheDoctorashecomesoutandhearwhathesays。Youcheerup，Missie。Ilayapoundheain’thurt，nottospeakof。\" Buthewas。TheDoctorcameandlookedatthefootandbandageditbeautifully，andsaidthatPetermustnotputittothegroundforatleastaweek。 \"Hewon’tbelame，orhavetowearcrutchesoralumponhisfoot，willhe？\"whisperedBobbie，breathlessly，atthedoor。 \"Myaunt！No！\"saidDr。Forrest;\"he’llbeasnimbleaseveronhispinsinafortnight。Don’tyouworry，littleMotherGoose。\" ItwaswhenMotherhadgonetothegatewiththeDoctortotakehislastinstructionsandPhylliswasfillingthekettlefortea，thatPeterandBobbiefoundthemselvesalone。 \"Hesaysyouwon’tbelameoranything，\"saidBobbie。 \"Oh，courseIshan’t，silly，\"saidPeter，verymuchrelievedallthesame。 \"Oh，Peter，IAMsosorry，\"saidBobbie，afterapause。 \"That’sallright，\"saidPeter，gruffly。 \"ItwasALLmyfault，\"saidBobbie。 \"Rot，\"saidPeter。 \"Ifwehadn’tquarrelled，itwouldn’thavehappened。Iknewitwaswrongtoquarrel。Iwantedtosayso，butsomehowIcouldn’t。\" \"Don’tdrivel，\"saidPeter。\"Ishouldn’thavestoppedifyouHAD saidit。Notlikely。Andbesides，usrowinghadn’tanythingtodowithit。Imighthavecaughtmyfootinthehoe，ortakenoffmyfingersinthechaff—cuttingmachineorblownmynoseoffwithfireworks。Itwouldhavebeenhurtjustthesamewhetherwe’dbeenrowingornot。\" \"ButIknewitwaswrongtoquarrel，\"saidBobbie，intears，\"andnowyou’rehurtand——\" \"Nowlookhere，\"saidPeter，firmly，\"youjustdryup。Ifyou’renotcareful，you’llturnintoabeastlylittleSunday—schoolprig，soItellyou。\" \"Idon’tmeantobeaprig。Butit’ssohardnottobewhenyou’rereallytryingtobegood。\" （TheGentleReadermayperhapshavesufferedfromthisdifficulty。） \"Notit，\"saidPeter;\"it’sajollygoodthingitwasn’tyouwashurt。I’mgladitwasME。There！Ifithadbeenyou，you’dhavebeenlyingonthesofalookinglikeasufferingangelandbeingthelightoftheanxioushouseholdandallthat。AndIcouldn’thavestoodit。\" \"No，Ishouldn’t，\"saidBobbie。 \"Yes，youwould，\"saidPeter。 \"ItellyouIshouldn’t。\" \"Itellyouyouwould。\" \"Oh，children，\"saidMother’svoiceatthedoor。\"Quarrellingagain？Already？\" \"Wearen’tquarrelling——notreally，\"saidPeter。\"Iwishyouwouldn’tthinkit’srowseverytimewedon’tagree！\"WhenMotherhadgoneoutagain，Bobbiebrokeout：—— \"Peter，IAMsorryyou’rehurt。ButyouAREabeasttosayI’maprig。\" \"Well，\"saidPeterunexpectedly，\"perhapsIam。YoudidsayI wasn’tacoward，evenwhenyouwereinsuchawax。Theonlythingis——don’tyoubeaprig，that’sall。Youkeepyoureyesopenandifyoufeelpriggishnesscomingonjuststopintime。See？\" \"Yes，\"saidBobbie，\"Isee。\" \"Thenlet’scallitPax，\"saidPeter，magnanimously：\"burythehatchetinthefathomsofthepast。Shakehandsonit。Isay，Bobbie，oldchap，Iamtired。\" Hewastiredformanydaysafterthat，andthesettleseemedhardanduncomfortableinspiteofallthepillowsandbolstersandsoftfoldedrugs。Itwasterriblenottobeabletogoout。Theymovedthesettletothewindow，andfromtherePetercouldseethesmokeofthetrainswindingalongthevalley。Buthecouldnotseethetrains。 AtfirstBobbiefounditquitehardtobeasnicetohimasshewantedtobe，forfearheshouldthinkherpriggish。Butthatsoonworeoff，andbothsheandPhylliswere，asheobserved，jollygoodsorts。Mothersatwithhimwhenhissisterswereout。Andthewords，\"he’snotacoward，\"madePeterdeterminednottomakeanyfussaboutthepaininhisfoot，thoughitwasratherbad，especiallyatnight。 Praisehelpspeopleverymuch，sometimes。 Therewerevisitors，too。Mrs。Perkscameuptoaskhowhewas，andsodidtheStationMaster，andseveralofthevillagepeople。Butthetimewentslowly，slowly。 \"Idowishtherewassomethingtoread，\"saidPeter。\"I’vereadallourbooksfiftytimesover。\" \"I’llgototheDoctor’s，\"saidPhyllis;\"he’ssuretohavesome。\" \"Onlyabouthowtobeill，andaboutpeople’snastyinsides，I expect，\"saidPeter。 \"PerkshasawholeheapofMagazinesthatcameoutoftrainswhenpeoplearetiredofthem，\"saidBobbie。\"I’llrundownandaskhim。\" Sothegirlswenttheirtwoways。 BobbiefoundPerksbusycleaninglamps。 \"Andhow’stheyounggent？\"saidhe。 \"Better，thanks，\"saidBobbie，\"buthe’smostfrightfullybored。I cametoaskifyou’dgotanyMagazinesyoucouldlendhim。\" \"There，now，\"saidPerks，regretfully，rubbinghisearwithablackandoilylumpofcottonwaste，\"whydidn’tIthinkofthat，now？I wastryingtothinkofsomethingas’udamusehimonlythismorning，andIcouldn’tthinkofanythingbetterthanaguinea—pig。AndayoungchapIknow’sgoingtofetchthatoverforhimthistea—time。\" \"Howlovely！Arealliveguinea！Hewillbepleased。Buthe’dliketheMagazinesaswell。\" \"That’sjustit，\"saidPerks。\"I’vejustsentthepickof’emtoSnigson’sboy——himwhat’sjustgettingoverthepewmonia。ButI’velotsofillustratedpapersleft。\" Heturnedtothepileofpapersinthecornerandtookupaheapsixinchesthick。 \"There！\"hesaid。\"I’lljustslipabitofstringandabitofpaperround’em。\" Hepulledanoldnewspaperfromthepileandspreaditonthetable，andmadeaneatparcelofit。 \"There，\"saidhe，\"there’slotsofpictures，andifhelikestomess’emaboutwithhispaint—box，orcolouredchalksorwhatnot，why，lethim。_I_don’twant’em。\" \"You’readear，\"saidBobbie，tooktheparcel，andstarted。Thepaperswereheavy，andwhenshehadtowaitatthelevel—crossingwhileatrainwentby，sherestedtheparcelonthetopofthegate。 Andidlyshelookedattheprintingonthepaperthattheparcelwaswrappedin。 Suddenlysheclutchedtheparceltighterandbentherheadoverit。 Itseemedlikesomehorribledream。Shereadon——thebottomofthecolumnwastornoff——shecouldreadnofarther。 Sheneverrememberedhowshegothome。Butshewentontiptoetoherroomandlockedthedoor。Thensheundidtheparcelandreadthatprintedcolumnagain，sittingontheedgeofherbed，herhandsandfeeticycoldandherfaceburning。Whenshehadreadalltherewas，shedrewalong，unevenbreath。 \"SonowIknow，\"shesaid。 Whatshehadreadwasheaded，’EndoftheTrial。Verdict。 Sentence。’ ThenameofthemanwhohadbeentriedwasthenameofherFather。 Theverdictwas’Guilty。’Andthesentencewas’Fiveyears’PenalServitude。’ \"Oh，Daddy，\"shewhispered，crushingthepaperhard，\"it’snottrue— —Idon’tbelieveit。Youneverdidit！Never，never，never！\" Therewasahammeringonthedoor。 \"Whatisit？\"saidBobbie。 \"It’sme，\"saidthevoiceofPhyllis;\"tea’sready，andaboy’sbroughtPeteraguinea—pig。Comealongdown。\" AndBobbiehadto。 ChapterXI。Thehoundintheredjersey。 Bobbieknewthesecretnow。Asheetofoldnewspaperwrappedroundaparcel——justalittlechancelikethat——hadgiventhesecrettoher。Andshehadtogodowntoteaandpretendthattherewasnothingthematter。Thepretencewasbravelymade，butitwasn’tverysuccessful。 Forwhenshecamein，everyonelookedupfromteaandsawherpink— liddedeyesandherpalefacewithredtear—blotchesonit。 \"Mydarling，\"criedMother，jumpingupfromthetea—tray，\"whateverISthematter？\" \"Myheadaches，rather，\"saidBobbie。Andindeeditdid。 \"Hasanythinggonewrong？\"Motherasked。 \"I’mallright，really，\"saidBobbie，andshetelegraphedtoherMotherfromherswolleneyesthisbrief，imploringmessage——\"NOT beforetheothers！\" Teawasnotacheerfulmeal。PeterwassodistressedbytheobviousfactthatsomethinghorridhadhappenedtoBobbiethathelimitedhisspeechtorepeating，\"Morebreadandbutter，please，\"atstartlinglyshortintervals。Phyllisstrokedhersister’shandunderthetabletoexpresssympathy，andknockedhercupoverasshedidit。FetchingaclothandwipingupthespiltmilkhelpedBobbiealittle。Butshethoughtthatteawouldneverend。Yetatlastitdidend，asallthingsdoatlast，andwhenMothertookoutthetray，Bobbiefollowedher。 \"She’sgonetoownup，\"saidPhyllistoPeter;\"Iwonderwhatshe’sdone。\" \"Brokensomething，Isuppose，\"saidPeter，\"butsheneedn’tbesosillyoverit。Motherneverrowsforaccidents。Listen！Yes，they’regoingupstairs。She’stakingMotheruptoshowher——thewater—jugwithstorksonit，Iexpectitis。\" Bobbie，inthekitchen，hadcaughtholdofMother’shandasshesetdownthetea—things。 \"Whatisit？\"Motherasked。 ButBobbieonlysaid，\"Comeupstairs，comeupwherenobodycanhearus。\" WhenshehadgotMotheraloneinherroomshelockedthedoorandthenstoodquitestill，andquitewithoutwords。 Allthroughteashehadbeenthinkingofwhattosay;shehaddecidedthat\"Iknowall，\"or\"Allisknowntome，\"or\"Theterriblesecretisasecretnolonger，\"wouldbetheproperthing。ButnowthatsheandherMotherandthatawfulsheetofnewspaperwerealoneintheroomtogether，shefoundthatshecouldsaynothing。 SuddenlyshewenttoMotherandputherarmsroundherandbegantocryagain。Andstillshecouldfindnowords，only，\"Oh，Mammy，oh，Mammy，oh，Mammy，\"overandoveragain。 Motherheldherverycloseandwaited。 SuddenlyBobbiebrokeawayfromherandwenttoherbed。Fromunderhermattressshepulledoutthepapershehadhiddenthere，andhelditout，pointingtoherFather’snamewithafingerthatshook。 \"Oh，Bobbie，\"Mothercried，whenonelittlequicklookhadshownherwhatitwas，\"youdon’tBELIEVEit？Youdon’tbelieveDaddydidit？\" \"NO，\"Bobbiealmostshouted。Shehadstoppedcrying。 \"That’sallright，\"saidMother。\"It’snottrue。Andthey’veshuthimupinprison，buthe’sdonenothingwrong。He’sgoodandnobleandhonourable，andhebelongstous。Wehavetothinkofthat，andbeproudofhim，andwait。\" AgainBobbieclungtoherMother，andagainonlyonewordcametoher，butnowthatwordwas\"Daddy，\"and\"Oh，Daddy，oh，Daddy，oh，Daddy！\"againandagain。 \"Whydidn’tyoutellme，Mammy？\"sheaskedpresently。 \"Areyougoingtotelltheothers？\"Motherasked。 \"No。\" \"Why？\" \"Because——\" \"Exactly，\"saidMother;\"soyouunderstandwhyIdidn’ttellyou。 Wetwomusthelpeachothertobebrave。\" \"Yes，\"saidBobbie;\"Mother，willitmakeyoumoreunhappyifyoutellmeallaboutit？Iwanttounderstand。\" Sothen，sittingcuddledupclosetoherMother，Bobbieheard\"allaboutit。\"Sheheardhowthosemen，whohadaskedtoseeFatheronthatrememberedlastnightwhentheEnginewasbeingmended，hadcometoarresthim，charginghimwithsellingStatesecretstotheRussians——withbeing，infact，aspyandatraitor。Sheheardaboutthetrial，andabouttheevidence——letters，foundinFather’sdeskattheoffice，lettersthatconvincedthejurythatFatherwasguilty。 \"Oh，howcouldtheylookathimandbelieveit！\"criedBobbie;\"andhowcouldANYonedosuchathing！\" \"SOMEONEdidit，\"saidMother，\"andalltheevidencewasagainstFather。Thoseletters——\" \"Yes。Howdidthelettersgetintohisdesk？\" \"Someoneputthemthere。Andthepersonwhoputthemtherewasthepersonwhowasreallyguilty。\" \"HEmustbefeelingprettyawfulallthistime，\"saidBobbie，thoughtfully。 \"Idon’tbelievehehadanyfeelings，\"Mothersaidhotly;\"hecouldn’thavedoneathinglikethatifhehad。\" \"Perhapshejustshovedthelettersintothedesktohidethemwhenhethoughthewasgoingtobefoundout。Whydon’tyoutellthelawyers，orsomeone，thatitmusthavebeenthatperson？Therewasn’tanyonethatwouldhavehurtFatheronpurpose，wasthere？\" \"Idon’tknow——Idon’tknow。ThemanunderhimwhogotDaddy’splacewhenhe——whentheawfulthinghappened——hewasalwaysjealousofyourFatherbecauseDaddywassocleverandeveryonethoughtsuchalotofhim。AndDaddyneverquitetrustedthatman。\" \"Couldn’tweexplainallthattosomeone？\" \"Nobodywilllisten，\"saidMother，verybitterly，\"nobodyatall。 DoyousupposeI’venottriedeverything？No，mydearest，there’snothingtobedone。Allwecando，youandIandDaddy，istobebrave，andpatient，and——\"shespokeverysoftly——\"topray，Bobbie，dear。\" \"Mother，you’vegotverythin，\"saidBobbie，abruptly。 \"Alittle，perhaps。\" \"Andoh，\"saidBobbie，\"Idothinkyou’rethebravestpersonintheworldaswellasthenicest！\" \"Wewon’ttalkofallthisanymore，willwe，dear？\"saidMother; \"wemustbearitandbebrave。And，darling，trynottothinkofit。Trytobecheerful，andtoamuseyourselfandtheothers。It’smucheasierformeifyoucanbealittlebithappyandenjoythings。Washyourpoorlittleroundface，andlet’sgooutintothegardenforabit。\" TheothertwowereverygentleandkindtoBobbie。Andtheydidnotaskherwhatwasthematter。ThiswasPeter’sidea，andhehaddrilledPhyllis，whowouldhaveaskedahundredquestionsifshehadbeenlefttoherself。 AweeklaterBobbiemanagedtogetawayalone。Andoncemoreshewrotealetter。Andoncemoreitwastotheoldgentleman。 \"MydearFriend，\"shesaid，\"youseewhatisinthispaper。Itisnottrue。Fatherneverdidit。MothersayssomeoneputthepapersinFather’sdesk，andshesaysthemanunderhimthatgotFather’splaceafterwardswasjealousofFather，andFathersuspectedhimalongtime。Butnobodylistenstoawordshesays，butyouaresogoodandclever，andyoufoundoutabouttheRussiangentleman’swifedirectly。Can’tyoufindoutwhodidthetreasonbecausehewasn’tFatheruponmyhonour;heisanEnglishmananduncapabletodosuchthings，andthentheywouldletFatheroutofprison。Itisdreadful，andMotherisgettingsothin。Shetoldusoncetoprayforallprisonersandcaptives。Iseenow。Oh，dohelpme——thereisonlyjustMotherandmeknow，andwecan’tdoanything。PeterandPhildon’tknow。I’llprayforyoutwiceeverydayaslongasI liveifyou’llonlytry——justtrytofindout。ThinkifitwasYOUR Daddy，whatyouwouldfeel。Oh，do，do，DOhelpme。Withlove\"IremainYouraffectionatelylittlefriend\"Roberta。 P。S。MotherwouldsendherkindregardsifsheknewIamwriting—— butitisnousetellingherIam，incaseyoucan’tdoanything。 ButIknowyouwill。Bobbiewithbestlove。\" ShecuttheaccountofherFather’strialoutofthenewspaperwithMother’sbigcutting—outscissors，andputitintheenvelopewithherletter。 Thenshetookitdowntothestation，goingoutthebackwayandroundbytheroad，sothattheothersshouldnotseeherandoffertocomewithher，andshegavethelettertotheStationMastertogivetotheoldgentlemannextmorning。 \"WhereHAVEyoubeen？\"shoutedPeter，fromthetopoftheyardwallwhereheandPhylliswere。 \"Tothestation，ofcourse，\"saidBobbie;\"giveusahand，Pete。\" Shesetherfootonthelockoftheyarddoor。Peterreacheddownahand。 \"Whatonearth？\"sheaskedasshereachedthewall—top——forPhyllisandPeterwereverymuddy。Alumpofwetclaylaybetweenthemonthewall，theyhadeachaslipofslateinaverydirtyhand，andbehindPeter，outofthereachofaccidents，wereseveralstrangeroundedobjectsratherlikeveryfatsausages，hollow，butclosedupatoneend。 \"It’snests，\"saidPeter，\"swallows’nests。We’regoingtodrythemintheovenandhangthemupwithstringundertheeavesofthecoach—house。\" \"Yes，\"saidPhyllis;\"andthenwe’regoingtosaveupallthewoolandhairwecanget，andinthespringwe’lllinethem，andthenhowpleasedtheswallowswillbe！\" \"I’veoftenthoughtpeopledon’tdonearlyenoughfordumbanimals，\" saidPeterwithanairofvirtue。\"Idothinkpeoplemighthavethoughtofmakingnestsforpoorlittleswallowsbeforethis。\" \"Oh，\"saidBobbie，vaguely，\"ifeverybodythoughtofeverything，there’dbenothingleftforanybodyelsetothinkabout。\" \"Lookatthenests——aren’ttheypretty？\"saidPhyllis，reachingacrossPetertograspanest。 \"Lookout，Phil，yougoat，\"saidherbrother。Butitwastoolate; herstronglittlefingershadcrushedthenest。 \"Therenow，\"saidPeter。 \"Nevermind，\"saidBobbie。 \"ItISoneofmyown，\"saidPhyllis，\"soyouneedn’tjaw，Peter。 Yes，we’veputourinitialnamesontheoneswe’vedone，sothattheswallowswillknowwhothey’vegottobesogratefultoandfondof。\" \"Swallowscan’tread，silly，\"saidPeter。 \"Sillyyourself，\"retortedPhyllis;\"howdoyouknow？\" \"Whothoughtofmakingthenests，anyhow？\"shoutedPeter。 \"Idid，\"screamedPhyllis。 \"Nya，\"rejoinedPeter，\"youonlythoughtofmakinghayonesandstickingthemintheivyforthesparrows，andthey’dhavebeensoppingLONGbeforeegg—layingtime。Itwasmesaidclayandswallows。\" \"Idon’tcarewhatyousaid。\" \"Look，\"saidBobbie，\"I’vemadethenestallrightagain。Givemethebitofsticktomarkyourinitialnameonit。Buthowcanyou？ YourletterandPeter’sarethesame。P。forPeter，P。forPhyllis。\" \"IputF。forPhyllis，\"saidthechildofthatname。\"That’showitsounds。Theswallowswouldn’tspellPhylliswithaP。，I’mcertain— sure。\" \"Theycan’tspellatall，\"Peterwasstillinsisting。 \"ThenwhydoyouseethemalwaysonChristmascardsandvalentineswithlettersroundtheirnecks？Howwouldtheyknowwheretogoiftheycouldn’tread？\" \"That’sonlyinpictures。Youneversawonereallywithlettersrounditsneck。\" \"Well，Ihaveapigeon，then;atleastDaddytoldmetheydid。Onlyitwasundertheirwingsandnotroundtheirnecks，butitcomestothesamething，and——\" \"Isay，\"interruptedBobbie，\"there’stobeapaperchaseto—morrow。\" \"Who？\"Peterasked。 \"GrammarSchool。Perksthinkstheharewillgoalongbythelineatfirst。Wemightgoalongthecutting。Youcanseealongwayfromthere。\" Thepaperchasewasfoundtobeamoreamusingsubjectofconversationthanthereadingpowersofswallows。Bobbiehadhopeditmightbe。AndnextmorningMotherletthemtaketheirlunchandgooutforthedaytoseethepaperchase。 \"Ifwegotothecutting，\"saidPeter，\"weshallseetheworkmen，evenifwemissthepaperchase。\" Ofcourseithadtakensometimetogetthelineclearfromtherocksandearthandtreesthathadfallenonitwhenthegreatlandsliphappened。Thatwastheoccasion，youwillremember，whenthethreechildrensavedthetrainfrombeingwreckedbywavingsixlittlered—flannel—petticoatflags。Itisalwaysinterestingtowatchpeopleworking，especiallywhentheyworkwithsuchinterestingthingsasspadesandpicksandshovelsandplanksandbarrows，whentheyhavecinderyredfiresinironpotswithroundholesinthem，andredlampshangingneartheworksatnight。Ofcoursethechildrenwereneveroutatnight;butonce，atdusk，whenPeterhadgotoutofhisbedroomskylightontotheroof，hehadseentheredlampshiningfarawayattheedgeofthecutting。Thechildrenhadoftenbeendowntowatchthework，andthisdaytheinterestofpicksandspades，andbarrowsbeingwheeledalongplanks，completelyputthepaperchaseoutoftheirheads，sothattheyquitejumpedwhenavoicejustbehindthempanted，\"Letmepass，please。\"Itwasthehare——abig—boned，loose—limbedboy，withdarkhairlyingflatonaverydampforehead。Thebagoftornpaperunderhisarmwasfastenedacrossoneshoulderbyastrap。Thechildrenstoodback。Thehareranalongtheline，andtheworkmenleanedontheirpickstowatchhim。Heranonsteadilyanddisappearedintothemouthofthetunnel。 \"That’sagainsttheby—laws，\"saidtheforeman。 \"Whyworry？\"saidtheoldestworkman;\"liveandletlive’swhatI alwayssay。Ain’tyouneverbeenyoungyourself，Mr。Bates？\" \"Ioughttoreporthim，\"saidtheforeman。 \"Whyspoilsport’swhatIalwayssay。\" \"Passengersareforbiddentocrossthelineonanypretence，\" murmuredtheforeman，doubtfully。 \"Heain’tnopassenger，\"saidoneoftheworkmen。 \"Nor’eain’tcrossedtheline，notwherewecouldsee’imdoit，\" saidanother。 \"Noryet’eain’tmadenopretences，\"saidathird。 \"And，\"saidtheoldestworkman，\"’e’soutersightnow。Whattheeyedon’tseethe’artneedn’ttakenonoticeof’swhatIalwayssay。\" Andnow，followingthetrackoftheharebythelittlewhiteblotsofscatteredpaper，camethehounds。Therewerethirtyofthem，andtheyallcamedownthesteep，ladder—likestepsbyonesandtwosandthreesandsixesandsevens。BobbieandPhyllisandPetercountedthemastheypassed。Theforemostoneshesitatedamomentatthefootoftheladder，thentheireyescaughtthegleamofscatteredwhitenessalongthelineandtheyturnedtowardsthetunnel，and，byonesandtwosandthreesandsixesandsevens，disappearedinthedarkmouthofit。Thelastone，inaredjersey，seemedtobeextinguishedbythedarknesslikeacandlethatisblownout。 \"Theydon’tknowwhatthey’reinfor，\"saidtheforeman;\"itisn’tsoeasyrunninginthedark。Thetunneltakestwoorthreeturns。\" \"They’lltakealongtimetogetthrough，youthink？\"Peterasked。 \"Anhourormore，Ishouldn’twonder。\" \"Thenlet’scutacrossthetopandseethemcomeoutattheotherend，\"saidPeter;\"weshallgettherelongbeforetheydo。\" Thecounselseemedgood，andtheywent。 Theyclimbedthesteepstepsfromwhichtheyhadpickedthewildcherryblossomforthegraveofthelittlewildrabbit，andreachingthetopofthecutting，settheirfacestowardsthehillthroughwhichthetunnelwascut。Itwasstiffwork。 \"It’slikeAlps，\"saidBobbie，breathlessly。 \"OrAndes，\"saidPeter。 \"It’slikeHimmywhat’sitsnames？\"gaspedPhyllis。\"MountEverlasting。Dolet’sstop。\" \"Sticktoit，\"pantedPeter;\"you’llgetyoursecondwindinaminute。\" Phyllisconsentedtosticktoit——andontheywent，runningwhentheturfwassmoothandtheslopeeasy，climbingoverstones，helpingthemselvesuprocksbythebranchesoftrees，creepingthroughnarrowopeningsbetweentreetrunksandrocks，andsoonandon，upandup，tillatlasttheystoodontheverytopofthehillwheretheyhadsooftenwishedtobe。 \"Halt！\"criedPeter，andthrewhimselfflatonthegrass。Fortheverytopofthehillwasasmooth，turfedtable—land，dottedwithmossyrocksandlittlemountain—ashtrees。 Thegirlsalsothrewthemselvesdownflat。 \"Plentyoftime，\"Peterpanted;\"therest’salldownhill。\" Whentheywererestedenoughtositupandlookroundthem，Bobbiecried：—— \"Oh，look！\" \"Whatat？\"saidPhyllis。 \"Theview，\"saidBobbie。 \"Ihateviews，\"saidPhyllis，\"don’tyou，Peter？\" \"Let’sgeton，\"saidPeter。 \"Butthisisn’tlikeaviewtheytakeyoutoincarriageswhenyou’reattheseaside，allseaandsandandbarehills。It’slikethe’colouredcounties’inoneofMother’spoetrybooks。\" \"It’snotsodusty，\"saidPeter;\"lookattheAqueductstraddlingslapacrossthevalleylikeagiantcentipede，andthenthetownsstickingtheirchurchspiresupoutofthetreeslikepensoutofaninkstand。_I_thinkit’smorelike\"TherecouldheseethebannersOftwelvefaircitiesshine。\" \"Iloveit，\"saidBobbie;\"it’sworththeclimb。\" \"Thepaperchaseisworththeclimb，\"saidPhyllis，\"ifwedon’tloseit。Let’sgeton。It’salldownhillnow。\" \"_I_saidthattenminutesago，\"saidPeter。 \"Well，I’VEsaiditnow，\"saidPhyllis;\"comeon。\" \"Loadsoftime，\"saidPeter。Andtherewas。Forwhentheyhadgotdowntoalevelwiththetopofthetunnel’smouth——theywereacoupleofhundredyardsoutoftheirreckoningandhadtocreepalongthefaceofthehill——therewasnosignofthehareorthehounds。 \"They’vegonelongago，ofcourse，\"saidPhyllis，astheyleanedonthebrickparapetabovethetunnel。 \"Idon’tthinkso，\"saidBobbie，\"buteveniftheyhad，it’srippinghere，andweshallseethetrainscomeoutofthetunnellikedragonsoutoflairs。We’veneverseenthatfromthetopsidebefore。\" \"Nomorewehave，\"saidPhyllis，partiallyappeased。 Itwasreallyamostexcitingplacetobein。Thetopofthetunnelseemedeversomuchfartherfromthelinethantheyhadexpected，anditwaslikebeingonabridge，butabridgeovergrownwithbushesandcreepersandgrassandwild—flowers。 \"IKNOWthepaperchasehasgonelongago，\"saidPhylliseverytwominutes，andshehardlyknewwhethershewaspleasedordisappointedwhenPeter，leaningovertheparapet，suddenlycried：—— \"Lookout。Herehecomes！\" Theyallleanedoverthesun—warmedbrickwallintimetoseethehare，goingveryslowly，comeoutfromtheshadowofthetunnel。 \"There，now，\"saidPeter，\"whatdidItellyou？Nowforthehounds！\" Verysooncamethehounds——byonesandtwosandthreesandsixesandsevens——andtheyalsoweregoingslowlyandseemedverytired。Twoorthreewholaggedfarbehindcameoutlongaftertheothers。 \"There，\"saidBobbie，\"that’sall——nowwhatshallwedo？\" \"Goalongintothetulgywoodoverthereandhavelunch，\"saidPhyllis;\"wecanseethemformilesfromuphere。\" \"Notyet，\"saidPeter。\"That’snotthelast。There’stheoneintheredjerseytocomeyet。Let’sseethelastofthemcomeout。\" Butthoughtheywaitedandwaitedandwaited，theboyintheredjerseydidnotappear。 \"Oh，let’shavelunch，\"saidPhyllis;\"I’vegotapaininmyfrontwithbeingsohungry。Youmusthavemissedseeingthered—jerseyedonewhenhecameoutwiththeothers——\" ButBobbieandPeteragreedthathehadnotcomeoutwiththeothers。 \"Let’sgetdowntothetunnelmouth，\"saidPeter;\"thenperhapsweshallseehimcomingalongfromtheinside。Iexpecthefeltspun— chuck，andrestedinoneofthemanholes。Youstayuphereandwatch，Bob，andwhenIsignalfrombelow，youcomedown。Wemightmissseeinghimonthewaydown，withallthesetrees。\" SotheothersclimbeddownandBobbiewaitedtilltheysignalledtoherfromthelinebelow。Andthenshe，too，scrambleddowntheroundaboutslipperypathamongrootsandmosstillshesteppedoutbetweentwodogwoodtreesandjoinedtheothersontheline。Andstilltherewasnosignofthehoundwiththeredjersey。 \"Oh，do，DOlet’shavesomethingtoeat，\"wailedPhyllis。\"Ishalldieifyoudon’t，andthenyou’llbesorry。\" \"Giveherthesandwiches，forgoodness’sake，andstophersillymouth，\"saidPeter，notquiteunkindly。\"Lookhere，\"headded，turningtoBobbie，\"perhapswe’dbetterhaveoneeach，too。Wemayneedallourstrength。Notmorethanone，though。There’snotime。\" \"What？\"askedBobbie，hermouthalreadyfull，forshewasjustashungryasPhyllis。 \"Don’tyousee，\"repliedPeter，impressively，\"thatred—jerseyedhoundhashadanaccident——that’swhatitis。Perhapsevenaswespeakhe’slyingwithhisheadonthemetals，anunresistingpreytoanypassingexpress——\" \"Oh，don’ttrytotalklikeabook，\"criedBobbie，boltingwhatwasleftofhersandwich;\"comeon。Phil，keepclosebehindme，andifatraincomes，standflatagainstthetunnelwallandholdyourpetticoatsclosetoyou。\" \"Givemeonemoresandwich，\"pleadedPhyllis，\"andIwill。\" \"I’mgoingfirst，\"saidPeter;\"itwasmyidea，\"andhewent。 Ofcourseyouknowwhatgoingintoatunnelislike？Theenginegivesascreamandthensuddenlythenoiseoftherunning，rattlingtrainchangesandgrowsdifferentandmuchlouder。Grown—uppeoplepullupthewindowsandholdthembythestrap。Therailwaycarriagesuddenlygrowslikenight——withlamps，ofcourse，unlessyouareinaslowlocaltrain，inwhichcaselampsarenotalwaysprovided。Thenbyandbythedarknessoutsidethecarriagewindowistouchedbypuffsofcloudywhiteness，thenyouseeabluelightonthewallsofthetunnel，thenthesoundofthemovingtrainchangesoncemore，andyouareoutinthegoodopenairagain，andgrown—upsletthestrapsgo。Thewindows，alldimwiththeyellowbreathofthetunnel，rattledownintotheirplaces，andyouseeoncemorethedipandcatchofthetelegraphwiresbesidetheline，andthestraight—cuthawthornhedgeswiththetinybabytreesgrowingupoutofthemeverythirtyyards。 Allthis，ofcourse，iswhatatunnelmeanswhenyouareinatrain。 Buteverythingisquitedifferentwhenyouwalkintoatunnelonyourownfeet，andtreadonshifting，slidingstonesandgravelonapaththatcurvesdownwardsfromtheshiningmetalstothewall。 Thenyouseeslimy，oozytricklesofwaterrunningdowntheinsideofthetunnel，andyounoticethatthebricksarenotredorbrown，astheyareatthetunnel’smouth，butdull，sticky，sicklygreen。 Yourvoice，whenyouspeak，isquitechangedfromwhatitwasoutinthesunshine，anditisalongtimebeforethetunnelisquitedark。 ItwasnotyetquitedarkinthetunnelwhenPhylliscaughtatBobbie’sskirt，rippingouthalfayardofgathers，butnoonenoticedthisatthetime。 \"Iwanttogoback，\"shesaid，\"Idon’tlikeit。It’llbepitchdarkinaminute。IWON’Tgooninthedark。Idon’tcarewhatyousay，IWON’T。\" \"Don’tbeasillycuckoo，\"saidPeter;\"I’vegotacandleendandmatches，and——what’sthat？\" \"That\"wasalow，hummingsoundontherailwayline，atremblingofthewiresbesideit，abuzzing，hummingsoundthatgrewlouderandlouderastheylistened。 \"It’satrain，\"saidBobbie。