登陆注册
15704800000052

第52章

'That will do,' said the children's mother. 'I am not pleased with you, Martha, but you have spoken the truth, and that counts for something.'

When Martha had gone, the children clung round their mother.

'Oh, mummy darling,' cried Anthea, 'it isn't Beale's fault, it isn't really! He's a great dear; he is, truly and honourably, and as honest as the day. Don't let the police take him, mummy! oh, don't, don't, don't!'

It was truly awful. Here was an innocent man accused of robbery through that silly wish of Jane's, and it was absolutely useless to tell the truth. All longed to, but they thought of the straws in the hair and the shrieks of the other frantic maniacs, and they could not do it.

'Is there a cart hereabouts?' asked mother feverishly. 'A trap of any sort? I must drive in to Rochester and tell the police at once.'

All the children sobbed, 'There's a cart at the farm, but, oh, don't go! - don't go! - oh, don't go! - wait till daddy comes home!'

Mother took not the faintest notice. When she had set her mind on a thing she always went straight through with it; she was rather like Anthea in this respect.

'Look here, Cyril,' she said, sticking on her hat with long sharp violet-headed pins, 'I leave you in charge. Stay in the dressing-room. You can pretend to be swimming boats in the bath, or something. Say I gave you leave. But stay there, with the landing door open; I've locked the other. And don't let anyone go into my room. Remember, no one knows the jewels are there except me, and all of you, and the wicked thieves who put them there.

Robert, you stay in the garden and watch the windows. If anyone tries to get in you must run and tell the two farm men that I'll send up to wait in the kitchen. I'll tell them there are dangerous characters about - that's true enough. Now, remember, I trust you both. But I don't think they'll try it till after dark, so you're quite safe. Good-bye, darlings.'

And she locked her bedroom door and went off with the key in her pocket.

The children could not help admiring the dashing and decided way in which she had acted. They thought how useful she would have been in organizing escape from some of the tight places in which they had found themselves of late in consequence of their ill-timed wishes.

'She's a born general,' said Cyril - 'but I don't know what's going to happen to us. Even if the girls were to hunt for that beastly Sammyadd and find it, and get it to take the jewels away again, mother would only think we hadn't looked out properly and let the burglars sneak in and nick them - or else the police will think WE'VE got them - or else that she's been fooling them. Oh, it's a pretty decent average ghastly mess this time, and no mistake!'

He savagely made a paper boat and began to float it in the bath, as he had been told to do.

Robert went into the garden and sat down on the worn yellow grass, with his miserable head between his helpless hands.

Anthea and Jane whispered together in the passage downstairs, where the coconut matting was - with the hole in it that you always caught your foot in if you were not careful. Martha's voice could be heard in the kitchen - grumbling loud and long.

'It's simply quite too dreadfully awful,' said Anthea. 'How do you know all the diamonds are there, too? If they aren't, the police will think mother and father have got them, and that they've only given up some of them for a kind of desperate blind. And they'll be put in prison, and we shall be branded outcasts, the children of felons. And it won't be at all nice for father and mother either,' she added, by a candid afterthought.

'But what can WE do?' asked Jane.

'Nothing - at least we might look for the Psammead again. It's a very, very hot day. He may have come out to warm that whisker of his.'

'He won't give us any more beastly wishes to-day,' said Jane flatly. 'He gets crosser and crosser every time we see him. Ibelieve he hates having to give wishes.'

Anthea had been shaking her head gloomily - now she stopped shaking it so suddenly that it really looked as though she were pricking up her ears.

'What is it?' asked Jane. 'Oh, have you thought of something?'

'Our one chance,' cried Anthea dramatically; 'the last lone-lorn forlorn hope. Come on.'

At a brisk trot she led the way to the sand-pit. Oh, joy! - there was the Psammead, basking in a golden sandy hollow and preening its whiskers happily in the glowing afternoon sun. The moment it saw them it whisked round and began to burrow - it evidently preferred its own company to theirs. But Anthea was too quick for it. She caught it by its furry shoulders gently but firmly, and held it.

'Here - none of that!' said the Psammead. 'Leave go of me, will you?'

But Anthea held him fast.

'Dear kind darling Sammyadd,' she said breathlessly.

'Oh yes - it's all very well,' it said; 'you want another wish, Iexpect. But I can't keep on slaving from morning till night giving people their wishes. I must have SOME time to myself.'

'Do you hate giving wishes?' asked Anthea gently, and her voice trembled with excitement.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 遗忘顺德吗

    遗忘顺德吗

    如果要说将顺德遗忘,那是不可能的。因为主人公们在顺德谋生,大都陷入了一种尴尬和痛苦的境地——鄙陋的环境、污浊的人际关系、小市民的情调及衷爱小资生活的人们便组成了顺德的方方面面。所以给人的感受,还是将现存秩序中陷入迷惘的梦幻做一次遗忘。
  • 鬼无渊

    鬼无渊

    自天地诞生,万物灵聚,弱肉强食。万千大道,或盛或衰。无数年来,强者之多,数不胜数。无数大道兴起,无数大道毁灭,历经多少沧桑,最终形成天,地,修罗,地狱,人,鬼六道……
  • 继魂决

    继魂决

    只有不停歇的修炼,才能继承永恒的力量,力量对于我来说,只为复仇,只为守护。
  • 庭愿深深

    庭愿深深

    “庭院深深深几许,杨柳堆烟,帘幕无重数。玉勒雕鞍游冶处,楼高不见章台路。”还未等许愿念完这首词,一旁慵懒状坐着的孟庭微蹙着眉打断道:“这首词你不要再用在任何作品上了,很烂的词。”许愿怒道:“你竟然说醉翁先生的词烂!况且这首词意境这么美,这么凄凉,这么……”孟庭沉默了一会,轻笑:“这首词开头两个字他还需要再斟酌斟酌。庭院?庭院……庭愿……庭愿!许愿了然,但嘴上不服输。”这是在给你警示,看你敢不敢……”孟庭低头轻笑,抱起对了一个人重量的许愿,深吻。”我敢不敢,夫人不是知道的么?嗯?“
  • 曾疯狂的我们

    曾疯狂的我们

    每个人都有不同的旅程,在不同的时间,不同的地点,遇到你们真好!!!时过境迁不曾你们还记得那时曾疯狂的我们。
  • 盖世侠尊

    盖世侠尊

    你想穿越到另一个世界吗?你想成为万人敬仰的大侠吗?你想体验腾云驾雾、翱翔于九天的感觉吗?你想......我知道你的答案是肯定的,那就别在犹豫了,快来神武大陆开始你惊险刺激的新生吧!
  • 时光咏月

    时光咏月

    把我所有的快乐都给你,希望你从今往后,可以一直都快乐。呐,小家伙,现在我的所有主角都是你。你,可高兴?对不起,是我忘了要一直快乐。
  • 异世灵

    异世灵

    不同命运的人都会有如何的结局,慢慢的走下去。为了宿命而活?不!为了——所有人……
  • TFBOYS爱着她

    TFBOYS爱着她

    在一天,他们相识,最后相知相爱,可是爱情的道路充满了荆棘,背叛,误会,最后他们会不会克服困难呢?本作者的第三本小说啦,是《tfboys之甜甜的浪漫爱恋》的第二部,剧情不一样哦。
  • 待我成尘,终见你笑

    待我成尘,终见你笑

    待我成尘时,你将见我微笑。这句话是鲁迅先生说的,偶然间看见这句话,突然忆起少年时喜欢的那个男孩,他除了学习不太好之外,其他的,都还好。用她的话讲叫做:不错嘛!和我的小方一样优秀!可最终,我们都没能和自己爱的人一辈子。