The Enchanted Castle

her name at all, but Cathy, or Catty, or Puss Cat, when her brothers were pleased with her, and Scratch Cat when they were not pleased. And they were at school in a little town in the West o

ong, in a house where playing was natural and conversation possible, and where the Hampshire forests and fields were full of interesting things to do and see. Their Cousin Betty was to be there too, and there were plans. Betty's school broke up before theirs, and so she got to the Hampshire home first, and the moment she got there she began to have measles, so that my three couldn't go home at all. You may imagine their feelings. The thought of seven weeks a

en it would be convenient for them to come; "and, besides, our school's not half so ugly as yours. We do have

jam jars, marigolds chiefly, because there was nothing much else in the back garden. There were geraniums

she had unpacked and arranged the boys' clothes in the painted chests of drawers, feeling very grown-up and carefu

dn't," sa

rse," said Kathleen, a li

g," said Ger

t what the insides of schools really are like,

rs game-bandits, or something like that. It wouldn't be bad if we

contradicting every one. "And, besides, your precious

said Gerald. "I'll go and

d the thumb of scorn at him,

e and hands was to our hero but the work of a moment,"

d could always make himself look interesting at a moment's notice, a very useful accomplishment in dealing with strange grown-ups. It was done by opening his grey eyes rather wide, allowin

elle, in shrill French

e said rather

said Gerald, in whose mouth, it se

mewhat softened. "What

ow do you do," said Gerald, "because

washed hand, still dam

polite little

ver. "I am so sorry for you. It must be dread

elle in her turn. "I am sure yo

e others would be as near angels as chil

," he said

for you?" asked the F

inking it would be less trouble for you if we were to go out into the woods all day to-morrow

smiled; they had a trick of doing this when his lips were quite serious

want to be free of surveillance, how you say-overwat

rald, "but it isn't all pretence either. We don'

ECEIVER!"

! Your parents, they per

said Gerald

on than the parents. I will for

ald. "Mademoiselle

she repeat

nd you shan't repent it. Is there anything we can do

iselle, laughing more than ever. "Go then

*

luck?" the o

ld be. The ingenuous youth won the regard of the foreign govern

ever was. She's too s

ecause you don't know how to mana

g you are though, ar

Dipsoplomatist-that's what I am. Anyhow, we've got our day,

acle spread several hours before, and now harder and drier than any other food you can think of. Gera

e mouth-of a dryness! Is it

ible, but it is not polite for boy

no more dried bread and tre

leen whispered admiringl

up to see what you're after. You'll see, I shall d

which he found hidden among the marigolds. He tied it up with black cotton and laid it on Mad

-"sort of bribing people to let you do as you like

want grown-ups to be nice to you the least you can do is to be nice to them and think of little things to please them. I never thin

ng away the moral question, "we'v

y h

shone fresh from last night's rain, but the road was dry, and in the sunshine the very dust of it sparkled like diamonds

?" asked Kathleen as the

told me his father said when he was a boy there used to be a little cave under the bank in a lane near the

een, "and to blow them very hard all

o throw away on horns ..."

he horns were bought in a tiny shop with a bulging window ful

e houses of the most respectable people, echoed to the sound of horns b

ch was very hot and dusty, so they agreed

as inside the bottle," said Jimmy, "and we can

ce where the road, as Gerald

next time they took a turning it was a left-hand one, so as to be quite fair, Jimmy sa

said Kathlee

ushy. The adventurers had long since ceased to blow their horns. It was

down a bit and have some of our dinner. We migh

ate the ripe red gooseberries th

ed back against the bushes, and the bushes gave way so that he almost fell over backward. Someth

suddenly; "there's something hollow in there-

e," said Jimmy; "but

ps it will be," said Kathle

said; "it's just a hole full of emptiness." The other two pulled back the bushes

er. "I wish you wouldn't.

atch. "It is a cave!" he cried, and put his knee on the mossy s

ess pause

right?" a

tter come feet first-th

nd went-feet first, as advised.

e my eye out. Put your feet down, girl, not up.

the arms. She felt rustling dry leaves under her boots, and stood ready to

ave," said

the hole of entrance with his shoulders, "dazzled at

esn't dazzle

ot a candle,"

tless leader, whose eyes had grown used to the dark while the clumsy f

IRST, LIKE ONE DIVIN

story while he acted it, but they did sometimes wish that he didn

faithful followers till one and all had g

ll right," said

nly to be a book and becoming a boy, "th

the cave, and a brighter greyness cut off sharply by a dark line, s

meant, though what he said was "'Shun!" as becomes

on which you will advance cautiously in open order, following you

wouldn't!" s

her hand in the dark; "he only means, take

her hand, an

thought you'd like me to hold i

could see that they were in a rough stone cave, that went straight o

remarked Gerald. "No

se earth and stones that were the floor of the cave.

rew a long breath as she c

y sail," said J

e ferns and long grasses. Trees growing on the top of the bank arched across, and the sunlight came through in changing patches of brightness, turning the gully to a roofed corridor of goldy-green. The p

side of a railway

nchanted castle," said Kath

ld Captain, reproving the sill

!" said Jimm

ance with caution and in silence, because after all there might be somebo

ed Kathleen

aps," said G

ngland, anyway," said Jimmy. "They call b

" was Gerald'

aves the path was firm and stony to their s

steps down,

ce-house,"

t's," sai

faltering hopes of his abject minions by saying that he was j

immy, "you can go on by you

TO THE ENCHANTED CA

be Captain to-morrow, so you'd better hold your jaw now, and beg

ver their heads. Gerald struck a match when the last step was found to have

, "will take us ba

Gerald. "We've com

o went very slowly for fear, as he expla

like it!" wh

leaned their arms on the broad, flat balustrade and gazed. Immediately below them was a lake-just like a lake in "The Beauties of Italy"-a lake with swans and an island and weeping willows; beyond it were green slopes dotted with groves of trees, and amid the trees gleamed the white limbs of statues. Against a little hill to the left was a round white building with pillars, and to the ri

t school--"

anted castle,"

any castle,

to where, beyond a belt of lime-trees, white

bout," said Kathleen, "and yet it's

machines," J

ld be an enchanted castle-ce

castle," said Gera

t any." Jimmy wa

e's nothing in the world but what y

ve steam-engines," Jimmy insisted, "and newspap

magic when you come to

!" Jimmy's con

agic because people didn't believ

garden, and that's an enchanted castle, and I'm jolly well going to explore. The dauntless knight then led the way, leaving his ignorant squires to follow or not, j

ook, and did not seem startled at all. And after a long stretch of turf they passed under the heaped-up heavy masses of lime-trees and came into a rose-garden, b

he'll ask what we're doing here. And then what wil

D GARDEN AND THAT'S

our way, and it will be

l they were almost afraid of the sound of their feet in the great silent place. Beyond the rose garden

aze we shall find the secret enchantment. Draw your swords, my

they

idden well. Again and again they found themselves at the black yew arch that opened on the rose

, "where's the dinner?" And then in a stricken silence they all remembered that the basket with the dinner had been left at the entrance of the cave. Their thoughts dwelt fondly on

"now this minute, and get our

at the maze. I hate givin

hungry!"

y so before?" aske

n't be

ou don't get hungry all i

thin little line, that you would hardly have noticed unless you ha

d it up. One end of it was tied to a th

a clue-that's what it is. What price cold mutton now? I've alwa

rdener put it th

thimble on it? Look! there

re

venturers be adventurers; and anyhow, I expect some one

ent. And it was a clue, and it led them right into the middle of th

very finger. The hand was, naturally, attached to an arm, and that had many bracelets on it, sparkling with red and blue and green stones. The arm wore a sleeve of pink and gold brocaded silk, faded a little here and there but still extremely imposing, and the sleeve was part of a

s," said Gerald, now really

like the pictures of Marie Antoinette's ladies in the history book. She has slept for a hu

THE GRASS AND BY THE SUN-DIAL,

nd partly because they really were not at all sure that it was not a Princess who lay there as still as the sunshine. Every stage of the adventure-t

in a whisper; "if she isn't beautiful w

ourself,"

bidden to touch the

, silly," sai

ht enough." She very gently lifted the edge of the veil and turned it back. The Princess's face was small and white between l

g all these years in all this sun!" Her m

ovely!" Kath

Gerald was und

Kathleen firmly,

am," said Ger

got to wake

is hands in the pockets of his knickerbock

long dresses,"

frock her feet come. She wouldn't be any

en. "Jerry, don't be sil

ald, kicking his lef

her awake,

erald's unhesit

ome one'

as not the minute she woke

leen, "but I don't suppose it ud m

n't. The Princess stil

esay you'll do. Jump back qu

he's such a little

. I'm not a coward, like Some People. Only if I do, I'm

BREATHLESS, AWAI

meantime, Jimmy had planted a loud, cheerful-sounding kiss on the Prince

her arms, yawned a little, covering her mouth with a small brown hand, and s

ges have grown! Which of you is my Prince that ar

for she did not look as though

Princess, and held out her ha

, "you aren't really

crown!" She pulled aside the spangled veil, and showed beneath it

" said

must have known about my being here, or you'd ne

say," he said, "do you really

ere's the place where I pricked my finger with th

lly is an ench

upid you are!" She stood up, and her pink bro

s would be too l

to sleep," said the Princess; "it m

e a Princess at all,"

" said the Princess. "It doesn't so much matter what

, "and I'll show you all my lovely jewe

with very plain h

Princess's ton

most awfu

I!" cried t

hing to eat si

u've had nothing to eat for hours and hours and hours. But think of me! I

ing," said Jimmy sadly. He saw no

Time simply stood still for a hundred years. Come along, and one of you must car