The Enchanted Castle

n decided that Mabel and her aunt must have been mistaken in supposing that there was a stone at all. But he did not deny the warning letter. It was Gerald who we

ed fellow-townsman with detective instincts which outrival those of Messrs. Lecoq

ing it, "he doesn't stick

s us had told all these whoppers; because if it hadn't been

ou know, after all, the chap had to say so

glad y

-day? The faithful Mabel approaches; she will want her ring. And you and Jimmy want it too. Oh, I kn

l yourself 'our hero,'" said Ji

you mine," said

nnoyingly. "Keep baby brother in a

ut without us?" Kat

aste

arket

Ger

the mar

es for

, get your boots on, an

come," said Jim

d a despairing

t you're my little brother! If ever I treat you like one of the other chaps, and rot y

your baby brothers,"

call you it again. Come on, my hero and heroin

ery, vegetables, drapery, sweets, toys, tools, mirrors, and all sorts of other interesting merchandise were spread out on trestle tables, piled on carts whose horses w

Nature looked smiling and gay." There were a few bunches of flowers

is sweet,"

roses," sai

erald, sniffing among the bunches of tightly

nd a bunch of red ones like the cheeks of the doll that Kathleen never played with. They took the carnations hom

he door of the drawing-room, where

on the table was an open colour-box of un-English appearance, and a box of that slate-coloured liquid so f

id Gerald, laying the flowe

race you-no?" And before Gerald could explain that he was too old

urriedly, to hide his annoyanc

had time to wonder what yesterday would look like in a pictur

WITH LITTLE QUI

e others come and see?" The others came, including Mabel, who st

clever," said Ge

en one must pass one's life at teach

irly beastly,"

demoiselle asked Mabel, adding

litely. "No, I'm not from the

e very much. Gerald anxiously hoped in

s very extraordinary. Is it possible that y

ily," said Mabel;

ou-how you say?-co

"I'm nothing grand at all. I'm L

Lord Yalding

bel, "I've ne

en never to

ved there. But he'

ot there?" Made

money he could leave away from Lord Yalding to Lord Yalding's second cousin, and poor Lord Yalding had only just enough to keep the old place in repair, and t

n-in tail?" ask

ep interest of the French governess; "and when once they've put your house in one of their tales y

money?" Mademoiselle asked; and Kathleen and Jimmy stood amazed at the s

s uncle didn't want him to, a barmaid or a ballet lady or something, and he wouldn

ay he is n

convent; I expect she's

cked

y at the pink and gilt roses of the wall-paper, "shut u

he doors. Sometimes people cannot get out, especially when they are very young and their relations have placed them there for their welfare

re are millions of convents, you know, and he had no idea where t

ut it seems that one knows all

all," said

nk he will f

sister of charity will soothe his pillow, and just when he's dying she'll reveal herself and say: 'My own lost l

heer astonishment. "You do the prop

of a book. I can tell you lots more f

ittle jump, as though she had

and in her honour we will make a little feast. My beautiful flowers-put them to the wa

he children, she left th

e was young,"

when they're no younger than her. I've seen lots of weddings too, wit

" asked

darling to think of cakes for

the meanest pittance, just enough to sustain life, and here she is spending her little all on us. Suppo

red. "Aunt Emily says grown-ups never real

ld answered, "how often

Princess clothes anyhow-we said we would,

o that there'll be a fortunate interrup

he things are sa

e on, Jimmy; let's help lay the table. W

y w

udden thought, "that the burglars didn't g

t them, except me-and you, and you're sworn to secrecy." This, you will remember, had been done almost at the beg

ecret like that to

ome out at the trial. Lawyers make you tell everyth

said Gerald, kicking the l

tr

warning from a confederate, for the admirable preparations to arrest them as they r

pity!" s

got any old clue," said Gerald,

he clue; I meant

ald, standing up and leaving the piano leg alone. He looked stra

ow how detectives can. I went over a prison once, with father; and after I'd given the tip to Johnso

e of you," said Mabel kind

an's door-the one that I knew wher

u put on it exactly?" Mabel

re burgling I shall split and you may rely on that from a friend.' I know it was wrong, but I couldn'

's because you've got a

the burning boy expression and becoming in a flash entirely hi

morning. It told you how in Home Drivel-and she's as black as ink too, and the blouse is

ectedly, "it won't make even

doing anything to it-have

hours; I was fourteen hours invisible, and Eliza only s

d you are at sums!"

's got to be something different this time. And then afterwards-it can't be minus

bel; "you make m

. Look at your aunt, and Cathy never turning a hair at me going burgling. We haven't got to the botto

y r

rangely merry, for a governess. She served out the cakes and tarts with a liberal hand, made wreaths of the flowers for all their heads-she was not eating much herself-drank the health of Mabel, as the guest of the day, i

. Mademoiselle told them stories of her own school-days when she was "a quite little girl with two tight tresses-so," and when they could not understand the tresses, called for paper and pencil and drew the loveliest little picture of herself

heatre," said Gerald tact

as the English theatres

acting-the th

es-I l

ly. "We'll act a play for you-

" Cathy whispered, "and sh

; "and please, Mademoiselle, m

demoiselle; "amuse yours

"that we want to amuse. Because we lo

ver have thought of saying such a thing on their own account. Yet

the old French governess? Impossible

st not so very," she added brightly,

le, laughing; and Mabel went. The othe

LOVELIEST BL

ey have the sheepskin hearth-rugs? Might they have tea in the garden, because they had almost got the stage ready in the dining-room, and Eliza wanted to set tea? Could Mademoiselle lend them any coloured clothes-scarves or dressing-gowns, or anything bright? Yes, Mademoiselle could, and did-silk things, surprisingly lovely for a governess to have. Had Mademoiselle any rouge? Th

ave not the false hair, nor the rouge. And

d them in

s wear your hair like that! May we have the peacock fans, please, off the mantelpiec

efs and some large sheets of expensive drawing-paper out of the school

azing at the paper mask he had just painted, "that she was such a brick in d

get at it-you drop the soap, your buttons come off, an eyelash gets into your eye, you have used your last clean handkerchief, your collar is frayed at the edge and cuts your neck, and at the very last moment your suspender breaks, and there is no string. On such a day as this you are naturally late for breakfast, and every one thinks you did it on purpose. And the day goes on and on, getting worse and worse-you mislay your exercise-book,

a rockery that made a steady floor for the tea-table-was most delightful, though the thoughts of four out of the fiv

ming doors, interesting silences,

ellow gaslight of the dining-room. The giggling Eliza held the door open before her, and followed her in. The shutters had been closed-streaks of daylight showed above and below them. The green-and-black tablecloths of the

N OF THESE CHAIRS WERE OCCUPIE

half a dozen of these chairs were occupied. And by the queerest people, too-an old woman with a poke bonnet tied under her chin with a red handkerchief, a lady in a

of the tablecloths, "you have then invited other

rah" answered her from behind the

" cried Mabel; "turn the gas up. I

irs, knocking off the hat of one of the visitors as sh

st to her, stooped to look more closely, half

ied, "they a

rs were the wooden cross-pieces that Mademoiselle used for keeping her jackets in shape; their hands were gloves stuffed out with handkerchiefs; and their faces were the paper masks painted in the afternoon by the untutored brush of Gerald, tied on to the round heads made of the ends of stuffed bolster-cases. The faces were really rather dreadful. Gerald had done his best, but even after his best

beginning to clap. And to the sound of that clapping the curtain went up-or, rather, apart. A

lits cut in it and a candle behind, represented, quite transparently, the domestic hearth; a round hat-tin of Eliza's, supported on a stool with a night-light under it, could not have been mistaken, save by wilful malice, for anything but a copper. A waste-paper basket w

on't they?" whispered Mabel. "Go on, Jimmy,-don't for

view to his probable growth during the two years which it was intended to last him, a Turkish towel

dad, but I lost all my ships, and now I live in a poor house that is all to bits; you

stled in, elegant in Mademoiselle's pink dressi

er way up. It'll save us going out in the rain to fetch water. Com

a violet skirt of Eliza's, a blue blouse of her own, and a cap of knotted handkerchiefs. A white nightdress girt

there is of charming, Mademoiselle said; and Eliza was so much amused th

ncess clothes, was a resplendent Beauty; and Gerald a Beast who wore the drawing-room hearthrugs with an air of indescribable distinction. If Jimmy was not a talkative merchant, he made it up with a stoutness practically unlimited, and Kathleen surprised and delighted even herself by the quickness with which she changed f

ht let us have

t, or go putting it on. You might go out all together and never be seen again, or you might get seven times as

n, bustling in, once

quickly, for if you remain long absent from your faithful beast he will assuredly perish," he pressed a ring into her hand and added: "This is a magic ring that w

k the ring, and

to warm applause fro

ss's dress with real soap and water was considered a miracle of good acting. Even the merchant rose to something more than mere pillows, and the cu

n of the boot boy, which together with four red geraniums from the landing, the pampas-grass from the drawing-room fireplace, and the

of the tea-urn, "I wish those creatures we made wer

g the baize and the towel-horse. "Brutes! It makes

of the garden, the pampas-grass shrubbery, the indiarubber plant bushes, the geranium-trees and the urn fountain. B

d of two were turned towards the stage, and seven out of the nine were painted, pointed paper faces. And every hand and every face was alive. The applause grew louder as Mabel glided forward, and as she paused and looked at the audience her unstudied pose of horror and a

voice that wasn't Mabel's or the Beauty's. "Jerry-th

at flat padded applause marked the swish of cloths on

they asked

Gerald to the pink, perspiring

I've done it?" retort

I do," sa

on. We must go and pull the things to pi

a wishing ring. I knew something different was going to happen. Get my knife out of my pocket-this string's in a

faces and staring eyes. "Not me!" was the brief rejoinder of Jimm

s thumb-nail on the stiffest blade of his knife, a thick rus

g out-on their umbrella and broomstick legs. Y

row night if we don't stop them," cried Geral

D WAS LAID

e abject properties from which the brief life had gone out for ever. But the hall was crowded with live things, strange things-all horribly short as broomsticks and umbrellas are short. A limp hand gesticulated. A pointed white face with red

fore Gerald could collect himself sufficiently to understand that this horror-alive, and

mmend me to a