The Enchanted Castle

ross-bar that a jacket is slung on by careful ladies. The hand raised in interrogation was not a hand at all; it was a glove lumpily stuffed with pocket-handkerchiefs; and the arm at

time for him to rise to the occasion. And at the thought he inwardly sank more

could do; and the painted, pointed paper face

me me oo a

Gerald repeated stup

reiterated the

, of course, whatever happens, and politeness came natural t

d have managed, by just being alive, to become perfectly respectable, apparently about fifty years old, and obviously well off, known and respected in his own

k 'em

own. It's-" he wildly plunged-"it's a County Council law. Only deaf people allowed to keep hotels. It'

-Wugly; and Gerald was not surprised to fin

ng round. The lady in the poke bonnet said-Gerald found he was getting quite cle

hotel, a

ng itself unhidden and unavailing in G

always hung on the school hat-stand to discourage possible burglars by deluding them into the idea that there was a gentleman-of-the-house, and that he

han the others, owing, as Gerald found afterwards, to the fact that her mouth had been drawn open, and the flap cut from t

nderstood her to say, "is where

e moving," he added; "you see, the performance is over, and they w

respectable Ugly-Wugly, and s

one; and Gerald assures me that her

, and get you a lodging, if you'd only wait a few moments in the-in the yard. It's quite a superior sort of yard," he went on, as a wave of surprised disdain pass

d gathered that the greenness of the pump and the enamelled char

e. He won't feed out of any hand but mine." Gerald did not mind what he said. The only people one is allowed to tell lies to are the Ugly-Wuglies; they are all clot

o the yard, Gerald led the way, and the Ugly-Wuglies trooped after him. Some of them had boots, but

y? My uncle is so very mad. If he were to see-see any strangers-I m

nervously, "it would be better for us

rs. It's the new law the Liberals have just made," he added convincingly, "and you'd get the sort of

ble Ugly-Wugly, and added something that

very. For the things did look rather horrid. In that light it was hard to believe that they were really only clothes and pillows and sticks-with no insides. As he went up the steps he heard them talking among themselves

eings could be. You think, perhaps, that Ugly-Wuglies are nothing to be frightened of. That's only because you have never seen one come alive. You just make one-any old suit of your father's, and a hat that he isn't

d by anything unless he touches that thing. But Gerald knew well enough how the others must be feeling. That was why he stopped for

hoy!" he cried in a loud, cheerful voi

m door opened

gently at the door with his shoulder. "Look

ed Kathleen in hushe

rse. Don't b

ared faces and the disarranged chai

u unwished them? We hear

kind and jolly. It's the most ripping lark. Don't let on to Mademoiselle and Eliza. I'll square them. Then Kathleen and Jimmy must go to bed, and I'll see M

athleen dismall

"Now, you just listen to what I say to Mademoisel

to leave me alone directly we get out, and go off w

y-the first thing one of them did was to ask me to recommend it to a good hotel! I

to say that, Gera

n clinging to each other in an agony of terror. Now they clung again. And Jimmy, who was sitting on t

derstand. I heard them say I was a gentlemanly lad as I was coming away. They woul

k you; if you don't see me home you aren't,

ll have no end of a lar

er-whatever-did-you-bolt-like-that-for knock at Mademoiselle's door, the reassuring "It's only me-Gerald, you know," the pause, the opening of the door, and

he's telling the

only telling them as much of the t

witheringly, "you'd have been a be

retorted, "I shouldn't be scared ou

es floated down the staircase; "we didn't think about yo

, "he's been telling her

was," said

ck," said Mademoiselle; "and h

it-with strings, you k

too," Kathle

HE'S TELLING THE

rick so remarkable," said Mademoisel

" from Kathleen aside to Jimmy.) "We were so sorry you wer

dy dining-room and saw that the figures had indeed vanished, "i

me, and kind as it was of Mademoiselle to ask her to stay the night, it could not be, on account of the frenzied and anxious affection of Mabel's

k that was not hers; and she and Gerald went out by the fron

the arm and led her briskly to the corner of the side str

want to know is-are you

l, but mechanically, for sh

might be frightened, and give the whole show away. If you're an idiot, say so, and I'll go back a

, glaring round her with the wild gaze of the tr

I'm inclined to let you. I wouldn't do as much for my own brother, I can tell you.

ou are! I don't need to be thr

note, "I know you're brave. I believe in you. That's why I've arranged it like this. I'm certain y

was to throw away a priceless reputation

coming with them remember they're as harmless as serpents-I mea

er, but stopped at h

u say you were goi

eft. "I clean forgot! I meant to ask you-isn't there any lodge or anything in the Castle grounds where I could put them for the night? The charm will break, yo

t moment the yard-door opened and an Ugly-Wugly pu

opposite direction with an opposite motive. It was all she could do, but she

the near presence of an extremely insane uncle, the Ug

h; and even at that thrilling crisis Gerald wondered how she could, since the toes o

h making that took. Think of it-to stand there, firm and quiet, and wait for those hollow, unbelievable things to come up to her, clattering on the pavement with their st

and over again: "They're not true-they can't be true. It's only a dream-they aren't really true. The

rincess in the play, you know. Be a man!

ether she would be merely a shrieking and running little mad girl. For the respectable Ugly-Wugly shook her limply by the hand ("He can

th me!" in a gushing, girlish way, and in

High Street as if, as Gerald

heard, Gerald would have had time to turn back and head them off. He felt now that he could not resist a flush of pride in Mabel's courage as he heard her polite rejoinders to the still more po

sed the road hurriedly; and when, next day, he told what he had seen, his wife

STRANGE P

sked if she was an idiot. Well, she wasn't. But she soon would be, she felt. Yet she went on answering the courteous vowel-tal

s on the white road were much more horrible than their more solid selves. Mabel

ell would last. The ring seemed to work in sevens. Would these things have seven hours' life-or fourteen-or twenty-one? His mind lost itself in the intricacies

d-of

the iron gates with incredible hands; "it's so very late.

t the ladies with one voice affirmed that they loved adventu

lantern which he had snatched as his pilgrims came out of the yard; the shrinking Mabel followed, and then the Ugly-Wuglies, with hollow rattlings of their wooden limbs against the stone, cr

h!" of surprised admiration broke from more than one painted paper lip; and the respectabl

was such a go as this, even here!"), when he saw the statue of Hermes leap from its pedestal and run towards him and his company with all the lively curiosity of a street boy eager to be in at a street fight. He saw, too, that he was the only one who perceived that white advancing presence. And he knew that it

-hatted Ugly-Wugly was saying; "the grounds

door," said Mabel suddenly. "The fr

et cap, who had hardly spoken, muttered something ab

storic beast had come down to bathe and drink. The water flashed white diamonds in the moonlight, and Gerald alo

, that diversified the landscape of that garden. Mabel passed behind the statue of the goddess, fumbled a little, and then Gerald's lantern, flashing like a se

ed a little. The back of her n

e lantern," said the suburban Ugly

hind to close the

," said the wreathed one with effusion; a

ld be the one responsible for

ed; and the Ugly-Wuglies, for the last time kind and reasona

he elderly Ugly-Wugly; "you're the natural leader. Go strai

hispered back. "It goes on fo

smallest Ugly-Wugly sud

y; "don't mind him-quite a self-made man," and squeez

it into their empty heads that this could not be the back way to any really respectable hotel, or whether a convincing sudden instinct warned them that they were being tricked, Mabel and Gerald never knew. But they knew that the Ugly-Wuglies were no longer friendly and commonplace, that a fierce change had come over them. Cries of "No, No!" "We won't go on!" "Make him lead!" broke the dreamy stillness of the perfect night. There were screams from ladies' voices, the hoarse, determined shouts of strong Ugly-Wuglies roused to resi

y known in imagination became real to him, and he saw, in the sort of flash that shows drown

d, and setting his heel against the

ed Mabel, and tried to use her heel

out, they mustn'

h fury and mouth-rooflessness would have made unintelligible to any

ll its consonants comforting, clean-cut, and ringing, and abr

e only just reached the newcomer. "

, it closed, its spring clicked, and the furious, surging, threatening mass of Ugly-Wuglies was shut in, and Gerald and Mabel-oh, incredible relief!-were shut out. Mabel threw herself on the mar

eeper, Gerald decided later-looked dow

may have said, "a couple of little duffer

bly tell you,"

" said the newcomer amiably. "Come out into

ikely a romantic past. But at the same time he saw that such a man would be far less easy to "square" with an unconvincing tale t

nd, and thus led both children out from under the shadow of Flora's dome into the bright white moonlight that carpeted Flora's steps. Here he sat down, a child on

y brave, and I have no doubt that all heroines, from Joan

o use. If I made up a st

ment, anyhow," said the stranger.

uth," said Gerald, "yo

clean-shaven, and had large eyes that s

. "You'd either think we were mad, and get us shut up, or else-o

nger musingly, "whether y

them," Gerald hotly began, a

, loosing Mabel's hand to put his arm round her, "remember that I saw and heard them. And with all

s on his knees and h

ing, let me just put the thing from my point of view. I think you hardly

ere a gamekeeper

ger's shoulder. "Hero in disgui

unds of an agitated scuffle, accompanied by frenzied appeals for assistance. Carried away by the enthusiasm of the moment, I do assist and shut up goodness kno

le enough," Ge

," said th

is-- No," he added after a pause, "t

aid Velveteens. "Let me go-I'll und

he first time. "Never mind if he belie

leman's word of honour-because, of course, I can see you're that, bailiff or not-will you promise that you w

or anything and shoved the other side into that hole, don't you think you'd better let them ou

ey're not children-not much! Shall I just

of course," sa

nd a ring, and I said it would make me invisible. I said it in play. And it did. I was

ng time he went on, for the st

, or something with a seven in it, they'll just be old coats again. They came alive at half-past nin

er in a quite new tone of exasperati

Of course you don't. Nobody could. But

anger stared in Gerald's eyes t

n't look

ordinarily sensible boy; don't you think yo

n who said 'Guy Fawkes, swelp me!' and you, you saw them mo

ything but information. Co

ald, as the stranger turned into the

s niece." She was holding on to his hand all the way. At the se

e bailiff, as they went down

rald to the doo

"I know what you're going to do. Yo

g!" said t

till daylight and let us be t

," answered the stranger. "By George!

wned, "but so would yo

*

g, about the adventures of last night and of Mabel's bravery. It was not ten, but half-past twelve; for Eliza, backe

dear," said Cathy warmly. "You oug

if you put it here,

ave been afrai

sured him, "everything l

; "he was such a dear, Cathy-a perfect

NTED PAPER FA

. "I believe you just dreamed him, l

to believe that this was the place where only in last night's moonli

uggested Kathleen, "and beg

id Gerald; "perhaps they

was still as the sweet morning itself. It was as they turned away that they saw the man they had come to meet. He was on t

colour, and on his forehead there was a cut; its edges were blue, an

as a big glossy-leaved rhododendron bush, from which a painted pointed paper face peered out-very white