The Story of the Amulet

e every day of the week. And when you do see them, no matter how many other wonders you may have seen in your time, such sights

anyone; he spent a good deal of what little breath he had in telling Anthea about a wonderful d

believe it, she s

ht-transference. He had now seen

y new excursions through the Amulet. Robert voiced the mood of the others when

or of the flood and the violent exercise it had had to take in obedience to

out among strange people who might at any moment utte

Museums at South Kensington, Madame Tussaud's Exhibition of Waxworks, or the Botanical Gardens at Kew. You can go to Kew by river steamer-and this is the way that the children would have gone if they had gone at all. Only they never did

ty the advances of the seagulls who are always so anxious to play games with it. The pelican thinks, very properly, tha

a little. Cyril, who always wanted to understand all

Robert asked him what he was so grumpy about.

mulet I don't want t

'and I haven't finished my inside thinking a

teamer,' said Robert;

said Cyril, 'BE

s, rather,'

rrel, if it hurts you s

id Cyril, 'or els

e if they're anything like the ones on the island where we u

asant tide of recollections, and 'Do you rem

as the flood of reminiscence ebbed

that,' sa

e any more,' sai

plied; and just then they heard the Little B

chink between her swollen lids, how very blue her eyes were. It was her dress that was black, and it was too big and too long for her, and she wore a spe

hea, jumping up. 'Wh

e little girl's arm. I

the little girl. 'I ain'

hea asked. 'Has someo

id the little girl fierc

ling at Anthea's sleeve. 'She

s only dreadfully unhappy. W

he child repeated; 'YOU a

id Anthea; and Jane added, '

iumph. Then she opened her swollen eyes widely, stamped her foot in fury, and ran away. She ran no f

e girl and put her arms as tight as she

rim of the large sailor hat, now very crooked indeed. 'Tell Anthe

istance. One or two pas

of the time; the rest of the time

Anthea bec

ork, and there wasn't any, and then he died; and her name is Imogen, and she's nine come next November. And now her mother's dead, and she's to stay tonight with Mrs Shrobsall-th

rned gentleman,' s

d back to Fitzroy Street as fast as it could, the little girl holding t

ed to be. They were quite at home in his room now; it really seemed to welcome them. Even the mummy-case app

was nine come next November, while the o

eman listened wit

en heard about rich people who wanted children most awfully-though I know I

Robert hopefully said. 'They're always

she was only rude at first because we looked jolly and

understand that very well. As you say, there must be some home where s

the explanation was t

mead who, roused from sleep by her voice, had shaken itself free of sand, and was coming crookedl

ack child. 'Is it a cat or

heard the learne

be glad to have her,' and instantly she felt the Ps

r skirt, and holding Imogen by the hand,

ogether,' she cried. '

And Anthea was only able to take part in it by holding in her teeth the

the learned gentleman

sation which one almost always feels when transported from one place to another by

green grass. Above them, instead of the dusky ceiling of the Fitzroy Street floor, was a pale blue sky. And where the walls had been and the painted mummy-case, were tall dark green trees, oaks and ashes, and in

ix people hand in hand in a wood. That sounds simple, but then you must remember that they did not know WHERE the wood was,

hat they were in a time a very long while ago. As for little Imo

?' Cyril aske

n,' said t

asked Anth

you want to know?' it added, sticking its head out of the bag formed by Anthea's blue linen frock, and turning its

e female human being whom you have picked up-gracious knows how. In Megatherium days properly brought-up children didn't talk to shabby str

y, looking round on the tall gloom o

owns?' said the Psammead in irritated tones. 'You've got your country into suc

oing, you know,'

hing,' said the Psammead still more crossly, 'when e

ead the coat on the ground and, putting the Psammead on it,

does begin to look like rain, I can cover

crowded round to hear the answer to this

talk neither! I though

what you do!' And it drew head and ears

looked at

man hopefully; 'something is sure to happen

nough, som

orest was broken by the laughter o

and see,'

Jane, who hung back; 'if you don't go with the ti

like a silly person's idea of a path. They went alon

t. There were a number of houses-huts perhaps you wou

d Egyptian town,'

was,

Bush. That is to say, they were dancing round in a ring, holding hands. On a grassy bank several w

e woman with long, fair braided hair sat a little apart from the others, and there was a lo

girls is her own littl

d London child pulle

hink lovely, when she 'ad time to comb it out. Mother wouldn't never a-beat me if she

e sad-eyed woman saw her. She stood up, her thin face lighted up with a rad

the word was more like that

e naked children paused in their play,

s the cleared space. She and her mother clung together-so closely, s

d round. 'It IS my Im

e back to me. Tell me, my darling, how did you escap

w nothink,'

who crowded round, 'the terror o

E?' said the fa

h black-clothed arms to

er, I know YOU

ey say?' the learned ge

nted the child,' said the Psammead.

the m

e,' said th

eally? Her ch

ut each one fills the empty place

'this is a good dream. I wish th

d the wish. So Imogen's future was assu

ts,' began the learned gentleman-but the

her; and this I well believe, looking on your faces. Your garb is strange, but faces I can

id it wasn't wo

nd kindnesses lavished on the children and t

not a bit of rubbish to be hustled about the streets and hidden away in the Workhouse.

luence on me,' said the learned gentleman. 'I

stars where the Britons had spread a heap Of dr

r Imogen, and had a jolly good time. I vote

ng?' asked J

ind brother. 'Don't you see that if this is the year

liked Caesar,

t that's different from bei

might persuade him

e CAESAR,' R

ne could stop him, said, 'I only w

n advantage of the loose wording of the learned gentleman's wish, for it was not the same time of day as that on which the wish had been uttered among the dried ferns. It was sunset, and the great man sat on a chair outside his tent gazing over

suddenly appeared out of nothing, Caesar never showed by the faintest movement of an eyelid, by the least tightening of that firm mouth, t

illed like music. 'Since when has C

gentleman heard-in rather a strange accent, but quite intelligibly-the lips of Caes

dream,

ated Caesar. 'W

d the learn

sort of magic. We come out of

conquering Britain,' said Anthea; 'it's a p

barians, yet such I deem you to be.' 'We're not,' said Jane with angry eagerness; 'we're not barbarians at all. We come from the country where the sun never sets, and we

e,' said Robert in

n silence. Then he called a soldier and

mp. Few children are privileged to see the camp of Caesar. Th

id a thing that thing was so, and the

easy enough to turn them inside out. But it was not easy, even for him, t

thing was a dream, and refused to talk much,

rmation about railways, electric lights, b

t with swords?' a

s and guns

d to know wh

ne, 'and they go bang, a

t are gu

them hard t

in his pocket,' she said.

at it with the greatest interest. It was a two-shilling pistol, th

hether you have spoken the truth. I had just decided that Britain was not worth the b

w a little girl there named Imogen. And it's no use your making guns because you can't fire them without gunpowder, and that won't be invented fo

girl-child say

's going to be,' Anthea interrupted, 'h

aid Caesar, with a whimsical look. 'Rat

s if you like,' said Cyril, '

Caesar. 'That's

do wish you'd give up this idea of conquering

has decided me to go, if it's only to find out what B

the guards begin detaining. We

was pushed through and the others more quickly than ever before passed through the ar

he was sitting before his tent in the glow of the sunset, looking out over the violet waters of the English Channe

to decide what was not before determined. Tomorrow the ships that have been brought round from the Liger

red legions will not suffice. For the dream I dreamed was the most wonderful that ever to

w things are now, he'd never have invaded Britai

pouring out; 'it was all se

ut time being only a thingummy of thought is very

tly, 'the present's the pres

ays,' sa

present was the future. Now

a could n

d to see more of th

ing,' said Anthea. 'We left her happy in the Past. I've often seen about

ly, putting its head out of its bag and taking

bered this aft