Sinister Street, vol. 1

stories high, very trim and covered with cotoneaster. On either side of the door were two windows and above it in a level row five more windows: the roof was thatched. On the left of the hous

ed tea-cake and chocolate cake and macaroons, with bread-and-butter as an afterthought of duty. He enjoyed drinking his tea out of a thin teacup and he liked the silver and the satin tea-cosy and the yellow Persian cat purring on the hearthrug and the bullfinch flitting from perch to perch of his bright cage. He noticed with pleasure that the pictures on the wall were full of interest and detail, and was particularly impressed by two very long steel engravings of the Death of Nelson and the Meeting of Wellington and Blücher on the field of Waterloo. The only flaw in his pleasure was the difficulty of addressing Miss May Carthew and Miss Joan Carthew, and he wished that his own real Miss Ca

ched the gardener stirring up some strange stuff for the pig that grunted impatiently. He watched the pleasant Carthew cook shelling peas in the slanting sunlight by the kitchen door. The air was very peaceful, full of soft sounds of lowing cow

Michael asked. His bedroom window

in the wall, which when open showed a green glowing oblo

by the stream on which was actually moored a punt, a joy for to-morrow, since, explained Nancy, Maud had said they were not to go on the river this afternoon. How wonderful it was, Michael thought, to hear his dearest Miss Carthew called Maud. Never was spoken so sweet a name as Maud. He would say it to himself in bed that night, and in the morning he would wake with Maud calling to him from sleep. Then he and Nancy turned from the tempting stream and walked up a pleached alley of withies woven and interarched. Over them September roses bloomed with fawn and ivory and copper and salmon-pink buds and blossoms. At the end of the pleached alley was a mulberry tree with a seat round its trunk and a thick lawn that ran right up to the house itself. On the lawn Nancy and Michael played quoits and bowls and chased Ambrose the spaniel, until the sun sent still more slanting shadows acro

ing the shadows on the ceiling, Nancy's

dress," she cr

to wait for Nancy who had called him before she had dressed herself. Nancy and

the bones, the dried flowers, the photographs, the autographs, in fact everything that was most absorbing to look at. With Mrs. Carthew he took sedate walks into the village, and held the flowers while she decorated the altar in church, and sat with her while she talked to bed-ridden old women. With Nancy on one memorable day he crossed the river and disembarked on the other side and walked through the field of cows, through the m

" asked Michael, stag

n always get the

e were woods and streams and spires and fields and villages and smoke from farms. There were blue distances on every side and great white clouds moving across the sky. The winds battled against the tower and sang in Michael's ears and ruffled

he said, "i

ather decent,

almost all of En

shire and I forget the other three. We toboggan do

Michael. "I'd like to have this tower fo

ly," said Na

ng and laughing, were running at full speed down the hill towards Cobble Place, while the

go to bed immediately after supper, for he actually sat grandly in the drawing-room, one of a semicircle round the autumnal fire of logs crackling and leaping with blue flames. He sat silent, listening to the pitter-pat of Mrs. Carthew's Patience and watching the halma board waiting for May to encounter Joan, while in a low voice Nancy read to him one of Fifty-two Stories of Adventure for Girls. Bed-time came at the end of

ped. "With us-wit

arthew

"And will Stella have lesson

ing," said

r rather bad at lessons,

ss Carthew might leave in de

e stupid at first,

romontories got inextricably mixed in his mind and when Miss Cart

her the piano no

m not clever eno

ou tea

l be a great pianist one day,

redulously. "But I don't like

Great musicians thi

One day, so he had been led to suppose, he would also like fat and cabbage and going to bed. At present such a condition of mind was incomprehens

w walked round the garden together, while Mrs. Carthew talked

a week, so my daughter tells me

rroborate

indeed, and then you'll either go on liking it very much or you'll hate it. If you go on liking it-I mean when you're quite old-sixteen or seventeen-you'll

Carthew spoken of in this manner and felt shy at the p

't answer questions either. That's worse than asking. But after all, now I'm giving advice, and worst of anything is l

arthew to various outfitters and try on coats and suits and generally be equipped for school. The afternoons he spent in Carlington Road, trying to pick up information about St. James' Preparatory School from the boys already there. One of these boys was Rodber, the son of a doctor, and

il-cart? I saw your sister being wheeled in one this morning.

he area steps, rang the bell half a dozen times and tapped contin

the matter

but ran upstairs, until breath

ins. Do let me. Rodber's the boy I told you about who's at school. Oh, do let

no

n getting it up the steps, Michael stood proudly by the mail-cart which was of the dogcart p

fairly decent o

atly relieved b

'll be a new kid, one or two tips about school. Look here,

t," Michael ear

k like that when chaps speak to you

g one, when any obstruction caused the signals to be up. Michael's arm ached excruciatingly when Rodber's train got entangled with Garrod's train and Macalister's train had to be kept from running into them. Moreover, the signalman's life had none of the glories of controlling other people; a signalman on th

quickly by and one evening Rodber said cas

-morrow in the br

would see Rodber in the 'break' to-morrow. He asked Miss Carthew when he got home what a 'break' was, and she told him it was a large wagonette sometimes driven by four horses. Michael was very much puzzl

r to come with him. He thought for a moment, and wished tha

ou to choose, Michael

e you to come," sa

; but many wore the cap of St. James' Preparatory School, and these Michael eyed with curiosity as well as awe. He spoke very little during the walk and felt all the way a sinking of the heart. When actually he reached the gate of Randell House, t

in with me,"

s Carthew approvingly.

with an effort he joined the stream of boy

r-haired foxy-faced man in a

w b

el no

lease. Mr. Randell wi

superior and was glad he had resisted the temptation to ask Miss Carthew to come in with him. He noticed how curiously the other boys eyed this lady a