The Enchanted Castle

out and the ring had not been found, "the noble detective hero of our tale remarked that he woul

e get to Mabel," said

't Gerald gas as we go along? I don't suppose anything

the tryst without success, as far as this one is concerned. 'Fish, fish, other fish-other f

away, remarking, "Wh

d went on

lips of Jo

e land of

ish, ot

h I

hnson, com

ked Kathleen, "be

rose. "Want of sleep or intoxication-of suc

me island where

e keyhole that's

enough, was Eliza, stooping without. She flicked feebly

eners never hear,"

ey passed out, and up the High Street, to sit on the churchyard wall and dangle

ry, don't be a goat! I'm simpl

his voice and his words, so that when he told of the statues that came alive, and the great beast that was alive through all its stone,

tter pudding. Gerald told the story with the greatest enjoyment and such fulness of detail that the church clock chimed half-past eleven as h

ard of a cart shed her

dn't come. And I got a lift. Has anything more happened?

ay all that wheeze i

rry. He's just got to where he threw the stone i

. "You've got visible again

odded an

its warning work, Gerald de Sherlock Holmes sped back, wrapped in invisibility, to the spot where by the light of their dark-lanterns the burglars were still-still

l no

dn't see me-so deeming themselves unobserved they passed in silent Indian file along

which

ssed stealthily among the rhododendrons and across the park, and"-his voice dropped and he looked straight before him at the pinky convolvulus netting a heap of stones beyond the white dust of the road-"the stone things

Mabel had to have th

said, "and I've been in the gardens

," said Ger

at I mean to say is I shouldn't wonder if they're only visible when

od, and I'm sur

ugh; but what I should like to know is how and why. I say, come on, I've got to catch J

id Mabel. "You can talk as we go.

ed Gerald,

ey'd moved off down the road so that they shouldn't hear me rattling the stones, and I had to tear to catch them up. I took my shoes off-I expect my stockings are done

topped and the

wn back-yard washing at a be

what'll you give me if I put you up

a clout 'longside your head if you was

n I'll tell you all about it. And when you've caught the burglars and g

es'll excuse the towel. But I bet you do want something

ll in the cottage now, and the door was shut. "I want you never to let on wh

you're kidding you'd best send the l

WHAT'LL YOU GIVE ME IF I PUT YOU UP

y one to know it was me. I found it out at dead of night, in a place where I wasn't supposed to be; and there'd be

afterwards, to mind what silly names he was ca

as at Yalding Towers. No-it doesn't matter how I got there or what I got there for-and there was a window open and

sent for the police?" Johnson was leani

em think it was you, if you like.

hnson, "in the a

ck enough. But I was there-a lone

u d

r stuff from Houghton Court's in the same place, a

p so quickly that his Windsor arm-chair fell over

he spot before the appointed time you'll find t

iceman picked up his chair an

one o'clock to-night. They'll get the things out at half-past twelve and take them along in a boa

oubtful still-"so help me! you couldn't

chance of your lifetime, Johnson! A quid for me, and a

d Johnson. "I agree. But if you

leen put in impatiently. "He's

id Gerald, "and I'll find anot

you being out all n

Mabel brightly. "Don't you be so unbelievin

other men. You could make a nice little ambush in the wood-yard-it's close there.

ce, you ought," said Johnson admir

s of yourself-I don't suppose it

ld in haste. "Hold your

said

he sacks are tied with string to the posts under the water. You just stalk by in your dignified beauty and make a n

han once, and then remarked that he was on, an

h the town, and through its narrow, unsavoury streets to the towing-path by the timber yard. Here they ran along the trunks of the big trees, peeped into the saw-pit, and-th

s on the see-saw's end. "I believe I like thi

rry, don't keep sniffing s

thought of some other signal." Sniff! "No, nor I shouldn't want to now if I hadn't got not to. That's what's so rum. The mo

ine air of unconcern,

ildren, over heaps of logs, under the jutting ends of piled planks, and just as the policeman's heavy boots trod the towing-path Gerald

he said i

Johnson. "Got a

otstep a mile off. How do you ever get near enough to any one to arrest them?" He skipped off the landing-stage, whispered as he pa

ner," said Kathleen, when Eliza ope

n' just you hurry over your dinners. It's my afternoon out,

tning," Gerald promised. "Set a

and potatoes and rice-pudding, perhaps the dullest

hot water had disappeared up the stairs toget

ND OF A LITTLE LANDING

"When we find it Cathy and I ought to

el's pale face turned pal

ry," began Kathleen, and then the

properly," Mabel protested

ur quills up, fair lady. Perhaps vanishing itself is just what it do

ss. "You see, if it's lost it's my fault. It's almost the same as st

Mabel, jumping up. "We were r

, they explored the corners, and found dust and flue, but no ring. They looked, and they looked. Everywhere they looked. J

ousemaid must have stolen it. That'

door banged and they knew that Eliza had gone forth in all

you leave me alone? Perhaps you others looking distract

coal-burners withdrew," said Gerald. And they closed th

was a dazzling day, and Jimmy had just remembered that Gerald's pockets were full of the money earned at the fair, and that not

te ten minutes, before they heard the bedro

found it,"

u know?" J

been found that people have gone to look for by the sound of their feet as they return. Mabel

ny one from having to be polite about how sorry they were,

er to open the door, because, as Gerald said, if it was the baker they could buy a cak

his eyes as nearly round as human eyes can be. He wore a suit of a bright mustard colour, a blue necktie, and a goldish watch-chain across his waistcoat. His body was thrown back and his right arm stretched out towards the door, and his ex

me!" said t

u!" It was the voice of Eliz

ld of you?" a

" replied the u

erwards explained, for she now knew well enough that

voice, and it feels like her bones, but someth

d Eliza's voice. "E's my gentleman fr

ldn't wonder,

urself a man; you look me in th

aid the wretched

sky, "I should go indoors and be quiet, not stand

bout her," whispered J

an friend. "Here, you leave me be. It's my ey

ldren, shoving them aside with her invisible elbows. Gerald caught her by the arm with one hand, felt for her ear with the

BACK AGAINST

was told, and stood invisible and silent, save for a sort of bl

his balance, and stood looking at the childre

ed feebly. "What's up

afraid we can't tell you

ke?" he asked, taking off his hat an

" said

ything that wasn't good m

y said your fiancée had hold of your

ore I

can we,"

then come along here making a penny

t," said Gera

d victim almost screamed,

ut I'll give you a bit of advice. You go home and lie down a bit

I hav

abel; "the sun's v

I can say. I've never been taken like this before, miss. I'm not subject to it-do

abel. "She can't come out

l you, miss? It might set her against me if she though

l Eliza anyth

overlook t

said Kathleen. "You go home and lie down.

int of her finger-bones on my hand while I'm saying it. And you won't let it get ro

ilence fell as he went slowly round the water-butt and the gr

"Give me up to break my

ash, and a round wet d

aid Jimmy; but it w

be took by a strange police-not Johnson as keeps company with my own cousin"-splash. "But I do thank you for one thing. You didn't tell Elf as I'd stol

that became visible as they rolled off the invisible nose

talking," he said.

said," said Eliz

lf," Gerald, went on.

able to such occasions, but it is extremely difficult to do the right thing with an invisible housemaid in strong hysterics and her best clothes. That was why the best hat was found, later on, to be completely ruined, and why the best blue dress was never quite itself again

deep sob and said, "Don't burn me

ed to her very carefully and quite kindly that she really was invisible, and tha

g-glass from its nail over the kitchen sink, and convinced her that she was really invisible, "for ever an

, "but you've got to go through with it-like m

I think," s

e can, and not tell a

he police,"

emoiselle's tea re

rs," sa

out. We'll have a picnic and we'll take

see it going down inside my chest. It wouldn't be what I should call nice of me to have

oiselle-who came home tired and a little sad, it seemed-waited fo

s aren't allow

walk behind to conceal your shadow. My aunt! take your hat off. It makes your shadow loo

een's hand, showed how little of the sprinkled wate

za, and there was a sil

s is all a dream. It's just the kind of thing you might dr

I wake u

r eyes and take you through a very small door, and don't you

s it was Mabel's hand was scraped between the cold rock and a passionate boot-heel. Nor will I tell you all that she said as they led her along the fern-bordered gully and through the arch into the wonderland of Italian

ll over-nothing but nicenes

have our tea," sai

ough it count how many buns she had eaten, made an excellent meal. So did the others. If you want really to enjoy your tea, h

ows black, and the lake where the swans were mirrored upside down, under the Temple of Ph

just like a picture-postcard,

e getting hom

be a savage and live in that white hut if

of Dionysus," said M

fir-trees on the top of the slope, and the w

place to live in even a

an! What they make houses for without no walls to 'em? Who'd

ha

down the steps. Why, it's

re, after sunset," said Geral

rised or alarmed. "There's another of 'em. Look

t's Mercury,"

atue that's got wings on it

s," said Jimmy. "What a

s that followed hither and thither the quick movements of unseen statues. "Don't you see? The statues come alive when the sun

o touch one and

with 'im. I do call that pretty. It's like cupids as you see on wedding-cakes. And here's another of 'em, a little chap with long ears and a baby deer gallopin

SAID ELIZA IN A RAPT VOICE.

ey could see the statues gleam white and motionless. But Eliza saw other things. She watched in silence presently, and they watche

he dear little boy with the deer-he's

er screams grew fainter and there wa

tened. Just like I was. Run! she'll send every one in the town m

they could not hear her footsteps and had to wait for the sound of leath

ibly through the waxing moonlight, seeing s

as the loud pursuers followed Eliza's clatter acros

ned the corner of their own street, and h

to be fumbling with the locked back-doo

t breath to say. "Pull at the ri

er collar crooked, her dress twisted and disordered, who suddenly held out a hand-a hand that the

*

as waiting for her when she opened the door with pail and hea

wet flannel along the to

COMING DOWN, HER COLLAR CROOKED, HER DRESS TWIST

gentleman friend. "I laid down most

pertickler,

*

as gone; "but it'll be a lesson to me not to m

said he as he went-"sun, I suppose-like our Army in In