Half-Past Bedtime

went to the same school and sometimes smiled at each other in church. Her father and mother were always climbing mountai

ause she was always sitting about eating marzipan. But some people said that she couldn't help her tummy, and had to eat a lot to

d side of Bellington Square. The colour of this house was a yellowish cream, and it had two pillars in front of the

paid for a gardener to shave the grass every day. One of the reasons why the people in the Square were so rich was that they had so few children; and the children that they did have had to be very careful not to make foot-marks on the grass. Gwendolen's aunt sometimes went there when s

um. Some people like harmoniums, and have them in their houses, and play hymns on them on Sunday afternoons. But this was a harmonium that went on wheels, with a man to push it, and a woman walking beside him. After he had pushed it for a few yards he would sit down and play a tune on it, while the woman walked up and down, looking at people's windows and trying to catch their eye.

nobody about, and so the people went on playing. Gwendolen watched them for a while through the railings, and the butler at Number Ten gave the woman a si

ed pebbles. When she smiled it was as if she had pinned it on, and as if the smile didn't really belong to her. The man had pale eyes, like those of ferrets in a hutch, and he watch

en," it said

r seen in her life. It belonged to a small brown monkey wearing a red jac

eak to you," he said.

d the woman. But the woman was looking at

matter?" sai

g on to the g

ket," he said,

ed up his jacket. There were th

cried; "how did

e said. "They're

may have been greedy, but she had a so

he said. "But when di

y shivere

ed. "I've lived with them so long

you run away?"

me on this string an

thought fo

he said, "do sa

ing up the steps to one of the houses. The man was watching

she said. "I don't know

nkey. "I could take y

frowned

e said, "that my aunt'

said the monkey. "What

thought fo

toast,"

nicer," said the monkey

ime. In another minute the man and the woman would be moving on. Close beside her, in a little green box, she

said. "I'll see

mself through the railings. With a beating heart Gwendolen cut the s

ve you got he

eople," said Gwendolen

said the monk

endolen. She lifted the monkey's jacket.

said; "but th

n. "He's been learni

nto Gwendolen's aunt's face. He saw deep

," he said, "they'll kill me.

to her before. If she took the monkey away, people would call her a

you live?"

it's the loveliest

you come he

began to tr

," he said, "from m

e take him back there? He says it's ev

nt sto

" she said. "It's his wife and

denly stopped, and the

steps. The monkey gave a little cry and jumped into Gwendolen's aunt's arms. Then they

s aunt. "We'll have to run

rden, and their own house was opposite the gate. The man

at them," said

as fast as ever she could, and almost kept up with her aunt. The man and t

ve got to the island; because we shall really

up their own front steps, they saw the man and the woman coming into sight round t

nts are out," said

had never seen her looking so young. As soon as they were

inutes," she said. "Run upstair

vid. Meanwhile her aunt ran into the study, opened her cash-box, and took out a hundred pound

aid her aunt, "thro

were repeated-rat-a-tat-tat. They heard angry voices shouting throug

e said; "now for

o a street behind. Here there was a cab-stand, and Gwend

time," she said, "to

ts in. But the guard waited for them, and they just managed it. The engine whistled, the porter slammed the door, and the next moment they were off. The

d Gwendolen. "

top for an hour, and then Gwendolen's au

and find my old friend Captain Jeremy. When I was young he w

e Captain's cottage the stars were shining and the Captain was in his garden. Deep below them they could see the ocean, dark as br

endolen's aunt's name-"fancy seein

en liked him because he looked so kind. They told

ce," he said. "I know

e they?" ask

gerous people I know. Luckily my ship is all ready

en married. So he had only to lock up hi

aid, "in a couple of months'

and as they drew near the equator a great yellow moon shone on them all night. It was so hot that she hardly wore any clothes, and used to go barefooted just like the sailors; and she grew so brown and so graceful that she scarcely

as the ship drew nearer she saw that the cloud was really an island. She called to the monke

, "my beautiful island, with

again, with the happy monkey dancing beside them. Captain Jeremy and the sailors stayed by the boat, but Gwendolen and her aunt and the monkey began to explore the island. There were flowers everywhere, not planted in rows like the flowers in Bellington Square, but growing where they liked, and rejoicing in their freedom and praising God with their beautiful c

ale red blossoms dripping with juice; and this juice tasted

he was hugging in his arms another little monkey that had dashed to meet him. It was his wife, and just behind her there wer

on their way to try and catch Gwendolen and her aunt. It was now October, and by the time that they arrived home Gwendolen would have been away from school for a term and a half. So they said good-bye to the monkey and his family, and set sail from the island. Gwendolen cried a little, and so did her aunt; but on the way home an odd t

or, s

s the

you

ole da

the

d t

's the

s the

s the h

s the

s the

e the

or, s

me

's b

waters

the

his

's a

" he

TTLE I

rt and