The Enchanted Castle

ts and sticks. They had rushed out upon him, and had done this. He lay there insensible-was it a golf-club or a hockey-stick that had made that horrible cut on his foreh

st thing needed by the unconscious, even be

is hands, and then down the green slope to the

anything,"

boys tur

come after u

s?" Gerald snapped

glies," Jimm

aid?" Gera

d returned to Flora's Temple, carrying it carefully in both hands. When he saw how quickly it ran through the straw he pulled his handkerchi

salts," said Kathleen, half

be good,"

your a

, bu

wouldn't hurt you. He must have insulted them or something.

invalid to Kathleen; so Mabel did it, cast one glaring glance ro

nt over the still

is he?" asked

ting. Mabel and I felt it in his wrist, where

sty," Gera

ly a shadow fell on the marble beside them and a fourth voice spoke-

onable young

t of the Ugly-Wuglies, the respectable one. Jimmy

l wearing the ring. "Hold your tongues! I

over the bailiff. Even that prostrate form, being human, seemed some little protection. But Gerald, strong in the fearlessness that the ring gave to its wearer, looked full into the face of the Ugly-Wugly-and started. For though the face was almost the same as the face he had himself painted on the school drawing-paper, i

asked with an effort at ca

e others must have missed the way last night

asked Ger

van scene by daylight, and the hotel people didn't seem to know how to direct me to it-I found the others all at this door, very angry. They'd been here all nig

remem

see him. The others dispersed, and I myself

o be in tears and Kathleen

d the respectable Ugly-Wugly kindly. Ji

ng finger. Jimmy's voice stopped short in the middle of a howl. And Gerald in a cold flash realised wha

nd the othe

-Wugly, "that they have gone to ba

nted s

id Gerald. "I'll go on d

ht before. On a stone seat well in the sun sat the two lady Ugly-Wuglies, and Kathleen approached them gingerly. Valour is easier in the sunshine than at night, as we all know. When she and Jimmy cam

and that old gentleman, he's real. He only

at hung in the hall o

OK THEM T

. Let's get back to th

cause," said he, "I think the poor bailiff's coming round, and it might upset him to see stra

mmy had the ring,

odendrons. Mabel came back with the sa

ver--" She knelt down at once and held the bottle under the sufferer's nos

's up

r head," said Ge

-bottle," he said

ildren were at all sure what the utmost rigour of the law might be in a case where people, no matter how young, made Ugly-Wuglies, and brough

aid Mabel

g," said

e found you like

d-stained handkerchief. "I say, I did give my head a bang. And you'

oliteness oblig

ore I fainted, or whatever it was-but I've dreamed the most extr

s?" asked Mabe

mpossible things-but

elief. It was indeed, as they

l right?" they all aske

urse there isn't. I don't know how to thank you," he added, looking at them with what the girls called his beautiful, kind eyes

bailiff, aren't

knew. Instead, they found out which way he was going, and went the other way a

of the bailiff grow smaller across the hot green of the grass slope, "ha

hers h

up the ring in an envelope so that its teeth'll be drawn and it'll be powerless to have unforeseen larks with us. Th

told him th

s you never thought before-how

xiety and distress, and the thoughts they thought were

all right," said

ht: he's got the

rotten," said Mabel, but Gerald urg

gly-Wugly's real-don't make any mistake about that. And he got made real inside that passage. If we c

d; and Mabel, more candid, said bluntly: "

oad daylight,"

light in there," said Mab

is coat off," said she-"he is only coa

d. "You don't know what h

aily and the white statues and the green trees and the fountains

. And then apples, and 'Robinson Crusoe' or the 'Swiss Family,' or any book you like that's got no mag

ifference," said Mabel, and tri

just look at the sun," Ge

he Ugly-Wugly had been told to wait, and as they went Gerald said: "He's real"-"The sun's shining"-"It'll all

s had time to begin to hang back Jimmy came blinking out into the sunlight. The boughs closed b

asked the girls

htfully rich, and he's got to get up to town to the Stocks or something-where they change pape

nges," said Gerald. "I've had enough. Sho

on leaves, "and a garden with a tennis-court and a lake and a carriage and pair, and

m the shortest way out is through that hotel that he thinks he found last night.

in there," said Kathlee

the ring magics don't-anyway, it

bushes; "he's building a public library for the people where he lives, a

hat corner," said Jimmy. "He's simply rolling in money. He doesn't know what to do with it. He's been building a horse-trough and drinking fountain with a bust of hi

ould not have stopped it if they had. All they could see was Jimmy, their own Jimmy, whom they had larked with and quarrelled with and made it up with ever since they could remember, Jimmy continuously and horribly growing old. The whole thing was over in a few seconds. Yet in those few seconds they saw him grow to a youth, a young man, a middle-aged man; and then, with a sort of shivering shock, unspeakably horrible and definite, he seemed to settle down into an elderly ge

n't!" cried Ma

ectly beastly," and Kathle

-had-been-Jimmy; "and you, boy, can't you

know us!" wa

u?" said That-which-

n't!" Kathl

hat-which-- "but surely that ne

immy!" Kathleen sobb

here, Jimmy, y-you aren't kidding, are you?

t will perhaps be shorter to call this elderly stout person who was Jimmy grown rich by some si

said: "Oh, Mr. James, or whatever you call yourself, do give

t firmly. "You appear to

?" Gerald asked in the flat t

That. "Will you tell me, or won't you,

Gerald, "

quite plainly furious, "perhaps you'll tel

ied Kathleen. "You'r

wever, I see a gentleman ahead who is perhaps sane. In fact, I seem to recognise him

cried, "and Cathy, your own Cathy Puss

fly towards the Ugly-Wugly. Two hats were raised, a few words were exchanged, and two elderly figures walked side by side down the green pine

e he is," said Gerald; "he'll have

S WERE

t it?-he'll find himself somewhere awful-perhaps in

the Ugly-Wuglies

e coats and things. Hide them, anywhere you like, and we'll carry

y on the verge of tears: "you wouldn't think everythin

e and tell her Jimmy and I have gone off in the train with a gentleman-say he looked like an un

thleen; "you don't seem to be able to g

e as true as anything else in this magic rot we've got mixed

now is I wish

ieve any of it's real: it can't be; it's too thick. Tell Mademoiselle Jimmy and I will be back to tea. If we don't happen to be I can't help it. I can

e left lookin

mply got to. I used to want to be a heroine. It's

shall we hide the clothes when we

'll hide them inside the great

-in his stone,"

't," Mabel told her confident

apples and books to-

ute we get home. We'll have a dolls' tea-party. That'

strong tea party, then,"

*

juring at the fair. His noiseless tennis-shoes bear him to the station, where, unobserved, he listens at the ticket office to the voice of That-which-was-James. "One first London," it says; and Gerald, waiting till That and the Ugly-Wugly have strolled on to the platform, politely conversing of politics

THE CLOTHES A

n his third-class carriage, "how railway t

et th

*

-sticks, broom-handles. They carry them, panting and damp, for the mid-day sun is pitiless, up the hill to where the stone dinosaurus looms immense among a forest of larches. The din

een; "its tail goes down into the

and jumps out at you," says Mabel

ttle thing is enough to take a grown-up's attention off. A figure passes the window just as they a

suddenly, pointing, too, which

and she says, "Sky!" (Ciel!) and asks no more awkward questions about the boys. Lunch-very late-is a silent meal. After lunch Mademoiselle goes out, in a hat with many pink roses, c

do wish I knew where the boys we

*

t strong enough to drown care in-was being poured out by the trembling hand of Kathleen, Gerald was lurking-there really is no other word for it-on the staircase of Aldermanbury Buildings, Old Broad Street. On the floor below him was a door bearing the legend "Mr. U. W. Ugli, Stock and Share Broker. And at the Stock Exchange," and on the floor above was another door, on which w

ld to do? Wha

advanced to age and wealth by a tricky wishing ring. If you think it's a possible thing, try it, that's all. Nor could he knock at the door of Mr. U. W. Ugli, Stock and Share Broker (and at the Stock Exchange), and inform his

rapidly growing to seem the most important difficulty of all. It is quite possible to starve to death on the staircase of a London buildin

r mat came whistling up the stairs.

me a tanner's worth of buns," said Gerald, with t

d with at least equal promptness. Gera

d, using words from the drapers w

rinned ad

t," he said; "ain'

ut along, there's a good chap. I've got to wai

rked the boy, shouldering it. "I been up to the co

sixpence and took the buns. When the boy, a minute later, emerged from the door of M

asked, pointing the question wi

boy; "up to his eyes in

bout the one on

-all in bins like against the wall at the corn-chandler's. Jimminy, I wouldn't mind 'alf an hour in there,

d responded, and

y with unasked information, "as these two is all for cutting each ot

y-Wugly. If he could get them away would all memory of them fade-in this boy's mind, for instance, in the minds of all the people who did business wit

he asked the other boy.

ing back to the off

n!" said

just agoing to say it didn't matter. I know

accomplishment, at once so useful

ll give you fi

s the boy's na

u'll h

e ah

te inquiry,"

ou don't

erald asked impatiently, beginning on another bu

the boy with f

owing re

e boy; "'all forgotten

if you could go in and give him a message from

nd see old Ugli. He'd give his ears to have the old boy out of the way

down the last bun on his knee expr

think about my five

the cough of a clerk in That's office, and the clickety

ose up and fi

id. "I'll chance it.

leared his throat, and knocked at the door

se, and his waiting was rewarded. He went down a few steps, round the bend of the stairs, and heard the voice

up. But remember, it's a pure accident, and you don't know me. I can't hav

hat ring. He'll follow it anywhere. I know he

li kindly; "that's all I

Ugly-Wugly and Jimmy, hardly less horrible in the eyes of Gerald, passed down the stairs where, in the dusk of the lower landing, two boys were m

ed boy whispered admiringl

id Gerald reckle

. I must be

eally old at all-he's my young brother suddenly turned into what you see.

e boy admitted; "but I say-yo

was turned like th

as magic," said the boy.

said Gerald

d the boy; "you do

hall just wish we were all in a certain place. And

ea

elf with time, like a spring uncoiling. But it'll give you a brand-

aren't you?" said t

d see," Gera

going into this swe

appalled at the

ut as long as we behave. You co

was because he was the only person Gerald knew in London, to speak to-except That-wh

as crowded-busy men were hastily bolting the food hurriedly brought by busy waitresses. There was a clink of

ns. Then at the next table he heard the words, "Ah, yes, curious old family heirloom," the ring was drawn off the finger of That, and Mr. U.

U. W. Ugli and skidded along the floor. Gerald pounced on it like a greyhound on a har

e inside that door behi

safe place he

ce of well-known City Man." What the door-mat-headed boy did or thought I don't know either. No more does Gerald. But he would like to know, whereas I don't care tuppence. The world went on all right, anyhow, whatever he thought or did. The lights and the sounds and the scents of Pym

ACE: "I WISH JIMMY AND I WERE INSIDE

l Time, like a spring uncoiling, should bring the reversal of the spell-make all things as they were and as they ought to be. But he fought in vain for words. There were none. Nor were they needed. For through the deep darkness came a voice-and it was not the voice of that City man who had been Jimmy, but th

a moment when nothi

he thick silence, and the thick scent of old

a dream now. It's that beastly ring again. I had to wi

in a way that in the daylight of life he

Flora statue," said Gerald, a

k, with an irritation not strong enough to make him loosen his

el more giddy than the lightning flight from Cheapside to Ya

gh all the time he knew that the ri

did

carefully to Jimmy, through the

led-in the case of one Ugly-Wugly at least-to "a good hotel." And the

some matches!

almost whimpered. "It was light there, and I

om, "was just going to have

kness, and the earthy sc

es, "to be buried alive. And now I know! Oh!" his voice suddenly rose

hile you could have

, "it's just a dream, Jimmy, old chap. We'll just hold on, and call out now an

the silence and the darknes