第6章

TheshopmanshowedGipmagictrainsthatranwithoutsteamorclockwork，justasyousetthesignals，andthensomevery，veryvaluableboxesofsoldiersthatallcamealivedirectlyyoutookoffthelidandsaid。Imyselfhaven’taveryquickearanditwasatongue-

twistingsound，butGip——hehashismother’sear——gotitinnotime。

“Bravo！“saidtheshopman，puttingthemenbackintotheboxunceremoniouslyandhandingittoGip。“Now，“saidtheshopman，andinamomentGiphadmadethemallaliveagain。

“You’lltakethatbox？“askedtheshopman。

“We’lltakethatbox，“saidI，“unlessyouchargeitsfullvalue。

InwhichcaseitwouldneedaTrustMagnate——“

“Dearheart！NO！“andtheshopmansweptthelittlemenbackagain，shutthelid，wavedtheboxintheair，andthereitwas，inbrownpaper，tiedupand——WITHGIP’SFULLNAMEANDADDRESSONTHEPAPER！

Theshopmanlaughedatmyamazement。

“Thisisthegenuinemagic，“hesaid。“Therealthing。“

“It’salittletoogenuineformytaste，“Isaidagain。

AfterthathefelltoshowingGiptricks，oddtricks，andstillodderthewaytheyweredone。Heexplainedthem，heturnedtheminsideout，andtherewasthedearlittlechapnoddinghisbusybitofaheadinthesagestmanner。

IdidnotattendaswellasImight。“Hey，presto！“saidtheMagicShopman，andthenwouldcometheclear，small“Hey，presto！“

oftheboy。ButIwasdistractedbyotherthings。Itwasbeingborneinuponmejusthowtremendouslyrumthisplacewas；itwas，sotospeak，inundatedbyasenseofrumness。Therewassomethingalittlerumaboutthefixtureseven，abouttheceiling，aboutthefloor，aboutthecasuallydistributedchairs。IhadaqueerfeelingthatwheneverIwasn’tlookingatthemstraighttheywentaskew，andmovedabout，andplayedanoiselesspuss-in-the-cornerbehindmyback。

Andthecornicehadaserpentinedesignwithmasks——masksaltogethertooexpressiveforproperplaster。

Thenabruptlymyattentionwascaughtbyoneoftheodd-lookingassistants。Hewassomewayoffandevidentlyunawareofmypresence——

Isawasortofthree-quarterlengthofhimoverapileoftoysandthroughanarch——and，youknow，hewasleaningagainstapillarinanidlesortofwaydoingthemosthorridthingswithhisfeatures！

Theparticularhorridthinghedidwaswithhisnose。Hediditjustasthoughhewasidleandwantedtoamusehimself。Firstofallitwasashort，blobbynose，andthensuddenlyheshotitoutlikeatelescope，andthenoutitflewandbecamethinnerandthinneruntilitwaslikealong，red，flexiblewhip。Likeathinginanightmareitwas！Heflourisheditaboutandflungitforthasafly-fisherflingshisline。

MyinstantthoughtwasthatGipmustn’tseehim。Iturnedabout，andtherewasGipquitepreoccupiedwiththeshopman，andthinkingnoevil。Theywerewhisperingtogetherandlookingatme。Gipwasstandingonalittlestool，andtheshopmanwasholdingasortofbigdruminhishand。

“Hideandseek，dadda！“criedGip。“You’reHe！“

AndbeforeIcoulddoanythingtopreventit，theshopmanhadclappedthebigdrumoverhim。Isawwhatwasupdirectly。“Takethatoff，“

Icried，“thisinstant！You’llfrightentheboy。Takeitoff！“

Theshopmanwiththeunequalearsdidsowithoutaword，andheldthebigcylindertowardsmetoshowitsemptiness。Andthelittlestoolwasvacant！Inthatinstantmyboyhadutterlydisappeared？……

Youknow，perhaps，thatsinistersomethingthatcomeslikeahandoutoftheunseenandgripsyourheartabout。Youknowittakesyourcommonselfawayandleavesyoutenseanddeliberate，neitherslownorhasty，neitherangrynorafraid。Soitwaswithme。

Icameuptothisgrinningshopmanandkickedhisstoolaside。

“Stopthisfolly！“Isaid。“Whereismyboy？“

“Yousee，“hesaid，stilldisplayingthedrum’sinterior，“thereisnodeception——“

Iputoutmyhandtogriphim，andheeludedmebyadexterousmovement。Isnatchedagain，andheturnedfrommeandpushedopenadoortoescape。“Stop！“Isaid，andhelaughed，receding。Ileaptafterhim——intoutterdarkness。

THUD！

“Lor’blessmy’eart！Ididn’tseeyoucoming，sir！“

IwasinRegentStreet，andIhadcollidedwithadecent-lookingworkingman；andayardaway，perhaps，andlookingalittleperplexedwithhimself，wasGip。Therewassomesortofapology，andthenGiphadturnedandcometomewithabrightlittlesmile，asthoughforamomenthehadmissedme。

Andhewascarryingfourparcelsinhisarm！

Hesecuredimmediatepossessionofmyfinger。

ForthesecondIwasratherataloss。Istaredroundtoseethedoorofthemagicshop，and，behold，itwasnotthere！

Therewasnodoor，noshop，nothing，onlythecommonpilasterbetweentheshopwheretheysellpicturesandthewindowwiththechicks！……

Ididtheonlythingpossibleinthatmentaltumult；Iwalkedstraighttothekerbstoneandheldupmyumbrellaforacab。

“’Ansoms，“saidGip，inanoteofculminatingexultation。

Ihelpedhimin，recalledmyaddresswithaneffort，andgotinalso。

Somethingunusualproclaimeditselfinmytail-coatpocket，andIfeltanddiscoveredaglassball。WithapetulantexpressionIflungitintothestreet。

Gipsaidnothing。

Foraspaceneitherofusspoke。

“Dada！“saidGip，atlast，“thatWASapropershop！“

Icameroundwiththattotheproblemofjusthowthewholethinghadseemedtohim。Helookedcompletelyundamaged——sofar，good；

hewasneitherscarednorunhinged，hewassimplytremendouslysatisfiedwiththeafternoon’sentertainment，andthereinhisarmswerethefourparcels。

Confoundit！whatcouldbeinthem？

“Um！“Isaid。“Littleboyscan’tgotoshopslikethateveryday。“

Hereceivedthiswithhisusualstoicism，andforamomentIwassorryIwashisfatherandnothismother，andsocouldn’tsuddenlythere，corampublico，inourhansom，kisshim。Afterall，Ithought，thethingwasn’tsoverybad。

ButitwasonlywhenweopenedtheparcelsthatIreallybegantobereassured。Threeofthemcontainedboxesofsoldiers，quiteordinaryleadsoldiers，butofsogoodaqualityastomakeGipaltogetherforgetthatoriginallytheseparcelshadbeenMagicTricksoftheonlygenuinesort，andthefourthcontainedakitten，alittlelivingwhitekitten，inexcellenthealthandappetiteandtemper。

Isawthisunpackingwithasortofprovisionalrelief。Ihungaboutinthenurseryforquiteanunconscionabletime……

Thathappenedsixmonthsago。AndnowIambeginningtobelieveitisallright。Thekittenhadonlythemagicnaturaltoallkittens，andthesoldiersseemassteadyacompanyasanycolonelcoulddesire。AndGip——？

TheintelligentparentwillunderstandthatIhavetogocautiouslywithGip。

ButIwentsofarasthisoneday。Isaid，“Howwouldyoulikeyoursoldierstocomealive，Gip，andmarchaboutbythemselves？“

“Minedo，“saidGip。“IjusthavetosayawordIknowbeforeIopenthelid。“

“Thentheymarchaboutalone？“

“Oh，QUITE，dadda。Ishouldn’tlikethemiftheydidn’tdothat。“

Idisplayednounbecomingsurprise，andsincethenIhavetakenoccasiontodropinuponhimonceortwice，unannounced，whenthesoldierswereabout，butsofarIhaveneverdiscoveredthemperforminginanythinglikeamagicalmanner。

It’ssodifficulttotell。

There’salsoaquestionoffinance。Ihaveanincurablehabitofpayingbills。IhavebeenupanddownRegentStreetseveraltimes，lookingforthatshop。Iaminclinedtothink，indeed，thatinthatmatterhonourissatisfied，andthat，sinceGip’snameandaddressareknowntothem，Imayverywellleaveittothesepeople，whoevertheymaybe，tosendintheirbillintheirowntime。