第4章
"There’sthe3。14up，"saidPerks。"Youlielowtillshe’sthrough，andthenwe’llgoupalongtomyplace，andseeifthere’sanyofthemstrawberriesripewhatItoldyouabout。"
"Ifthereareanyripe，andyouDOgivethemtome，"saidPhyllis，"youwon’tmindifIgivethemtothepoorRussian，willyou？"
Perksnarrowedhiseyesandthenraisedhiseyebrows。
"Soitwasthemstrawberriesyoucomedownforthisafternoon，eh？"
saidhe。
ThiswasanawkwardmomentforPhyllis。Tosay"yes"wouldseemrudeandgreedy，andunkindtoPerks。Butsheknewifshesaid"no，"shewouldnotbepleasedwithherselfafterwards。So——
"Yes，"shesaid，"itwas。"
"Welldone！"saidthePorter;"speakthetruthandshamethe——"
"Butwe’dhavecomedowntheverynextdayifwe’dknownyouhadn’theardthestory，"Phyllisaddedhastily。
"Ibelieveyou，Missie，"saidPerks，andsprangacrossthelinesixfeetinfrontoftheadvancingtrain。
Thegirlshatedtoseehimdothis，butPeterlikedit。Itwassoexciting。
TheRussiangentlemanwassodelightedwiththestrawberriesthatthethreerackedtheirbrainstofindsomeothersurpriseforhim。
Butalltherackingdidnotbringoutanyideamorenovelthanwildcherries。Andthisideaoccurredtothemnextmorning。Theyhadseentheblossomonthetreesinthespring，andtheyknewwheretolookforwildcherriesnowthatcherrytimewashere。Thetreesgrewallupandalongtherockyfaceofthecliffoutofwhichthemouthofthetunnelopened。Therewereallsortsoftreesthere，birchesandbeechesandbabyoaksandhazels，andamongthemthecherryblossomhadshonelikesnowandsilver。
ThemouthofthetunnelwassomewayfromThreeChimneys，soMotherletthemtaketheirlunchwiththeminabasket。Andthebasketwoulddotobringthecherriesbackiniftheyfoundany。Shealsolentthemhersilverwatchsothattheyshouldnotbelatefortea。
Peter’sWaterburyhadtakenitintoitsheadnottogosincethedaywhenPeterdroppeditintothewater—butt。Andtheystarted。Whentheygottothetopofthecutting，theyleanedoverthefenceandlookeddowntowheretherailwaylineslayatthebottomofwhat，asPhyllissaid，wasexactlylikeamountaingorge。
"Ifitwasn’tfortherailwayatthebottom，itwouldbeasthoughthefootofmanhadneverbeenthere，wouldn’tit？"
Thesidesofthecuttingwereofgreystone，veryroughlyhewn。
Indeed，thetoppartofthecuttinghadbeenalittlenaturalglenthathadbeencutdeepertobringitdowntothelevelofthetunnel’smouth。Amongtherocks，grassandflowersgrew，andseedsdroppedbybirdsinthecranniesofthestonehadtakenrootandgrownintobushesandtreesthatoverhungthecutting。Nearthetunnelwasaflightofstepsleadingdowntotheline——justwoodenbarsroughlyfixedintotheearth——averysteepandnarrowway，morelikealadderthanastair。
"We’dbettergetdown，"saidPeter;"I’msurethecherrieswouldbequiteeasytogetatfromthesideofthesteps。Yourememberitwastherewepickedthecherryblossomsthatweputontherabbit’sgrave。"
Sotheywentalongthefencetowardsthelittleswinggatethatisatthetopofthesesteps。AndtheywerealmostatthegatewhenBobbiesaid：——
"Hush。Stop！What’sthat？"
"That"wasaveryoddnoiseindeed——asoftnoise，butquiteplainlytobeheardthroughthesoundofthewindintreebranches，andthehumandwhirofthetelegraphwires。Itwasasortofrustling，whisperingsound。Astheylisteneditstopped，andthenitbeganagain。
Andthistimeitdidnotstop，butitgrewlouderandmorerustlingandrumbling。
"Look"——criedPeter，suddenly——"thetreeoverthere！"
Thetreehepointedatwasoneofthosethathaveroughgreyleavesandwhiteflowers。Theberries，whentheycome，arebrightscarlet，butifyoupickthem，theydisappointyoubyturningblackbeforeyougetthemhome。And，asPeterpointed，thetreewasmoving——notjustthewaytreesoughttomovewhenthewindblowsthroughthem，butallinonepiece，asthoughitwerealivecreatureandwerewalkingdownthesideofthecutting。
"It’smoving！"criedBobbie。"Oh，look！andsoaretheothers。
It’slikethewoodsinMacbeth。"
"It’smagic，"saidPhyllis，breathlessly。"Ialwaysknewthisrailwaywasenchanted。"
Itreallydidseemalittlelikemagic。Forallthetreesforabouttwentyyardsoftheoppositebankseemedtobeslowlywalkingdowntowardstherailwayline，thetreewiththegreyleavesbringinguptherearlikesomeoldshepherddrivingaflockofgreensheep。
"Whatisit？Oh，whatisit？"saidPhyllis;"it’smuchtoomagicforme。Idon’tlikeit。Let’sgohome。"
ButBobbieandPeterclungfasttotherailandwatchedbreathlessly。AndPhyllismadenomovementtowardsgoinghomebyherself。
Thetreesmovedonandon。Somestonesandlooseearthfelldownandrattledontherailwaymetalsfarbelow。
"It’sALLcomingdown，"Petertriedtosay，buthefoundtherewashardlyanyvoicetosayitwith。And，indeed，justashespoke，thegreatrock，onthetopofwhichthewalkingtreeswere，leanedslowlyforward。Thetrees，ceasingtowalk，stoodstillandshivered。Leaningwiththerock，theyseemedtohesitateamoment，andthenrockandtreesandgrassandbushes，witharushingsound，slippedrightawayfromthefaceofthecuttingandfellonthelinewithablunderingcrashthatcouldhavebeenheardhalfamileoff。
Acloudofdustroseup。
"Oh，"saidPeter，inawestrucktones，"isn’titexactlylikewhencoalscomein？——iftherewasn’tanyrooftothecellarandyoucouldseedown。"
"Lookwhatagreatmoundit’smade！"saidBobbie。
"Yes，"saidPeter，slowly。Hewasstillleaningonthefence。
"Yes，"hesaidagain，stillmoreslowly。
Thenhestoodupright。
"The11。29downhasn’tgonebyyet。Wemustletthemknowatthestation，orthere’llbeamostfrightfulaccident。"
"Let’srun，"saidBobbie，andbegan。
ButPetercried，"Comeback！"andlookedatMother’swatch。Hewasverypromptandbusinesslike，andhisfacelookedwhiterthantheyhadeverseenit。
"Notime，"hesaid;"it’stwomilesaway，andit’spasteleven。"
"Couldn’twe，"suggestedPhyllis，breathlessly，"couldn’tweclimbupatelegraphpostanddosomethingtothewires？"
"Wedon’tknowhow，"saidPeter。
"Theydoitinwar，"saidPhyllis;"IknowI’veheardofit。"
"TheyonlyCUTthem，silly，"saidPeter，"andthatdoesn’tdoanygood。Andwecouldn’tcutthemevenifwegotup，andwecouldn’tgetup。Ifwehadanythingred，wecouldgetdownonthelineandwaveit。"
"Butthetrainwouldn’tseeustillitgotroundthecorner，andthenitcouldseethemoundjustaswellasus，"saidPhyllis;
"better，becauseit’smuchbiggerthanus。"
"Ifweonlyhadsomethingred，"Peterrepeated，"wecouldgoroundthecornerandwavetothetrain。"
"Wemightwave，anyway。"
"They’donlythinkitwasjustUS，asusual。We’vewavedsooftenbefore。Anyway，let’sgetdown。"
Theygotdownthesteepstairs。Bobbiewaspaleandshivering。
Peter’sfacelookedthinnerthanusual。Phylliswasred—facedanddampwithanxiety。
"Oh，howhotIam！"shesaid;"andIthoughtitwasgoingtobecold;Iwishwehadn’tputonour——"shestoppedshort，andthenendedinquiteadifferenttone——"ourflannelpetticoats。"
Bobbieturnedatthebottomofthestairs。
"Oh，yes，"shecried;"THEY’REred！Let’stakethemoff。"
Theydid，andwiththepetticoatsrolledupundertheirarms，ranalongtherailway，skirtingthenewlyfallenmoundofstonesandrockandearth，andbent，crushed，twistedtrees。Theyranattheirbestpace。Peterled，butthegirlswerenotfarbehind。Theyreachedthecornerthathidthemoundfromthestraightlineofrailwaythatranhalfamilewithoutcurveorcorner。
"Now，"saidPeter，takingholdofthelargestflannelpetticoat。
"You’renot"——Phyllisfaltered——"you’renotgoingtoTEARthem？"
"Shutup，"saidPeter，withbriefsternness。
"Oh，yes，"saidBobbie，"tearthemintolittlebitsifyoulike。
Don’tyousee，Phil，ifwecan’tstopthetrain，there’llbearealliveaccident，withpeopleKILLED。Oh，horrible！Here，Peter，you’llnevertearitthroughtheband！"
Shetooktheredflannelpetticoatfromhimandtoreitoffaninchfromtheband。Thenshetoretheotherinthesameway。
"There！"saidPeter，tearinginhisturn。Hedividedeachpetticoatintothreepieces。"Now，we’vegotsixflags。"Helookedatthewatchagain。"Andwe’vegotsevenminutes。Wemusthaveflagstaffs。"
Theknivesgiventoboysare，forsomeoddreason，seldomofthekindofsteelthatkeepssharp。Theyoungsaplingshadtobebrokenoff。Twocameupbytheroots。Theleaveswerestrippedfromthem。
"Wemustcutholesintheflags，andrunthesticksthroughtheholes，"saidPeter。Andtheholeswerecut。Theknifewassharpenoughtocutflannelwith。Twooftheflagsweresetupinheapsofloosestonesbetweenthesleepersofthedownline。ThenPhyllisandRobertatookeachaflag，andstoodreadytowaveitassoonasthetraincameinsight。
"Ishallhavetheothertwomyself，"saidPeter，"becauseitwasmyideatowavesomethingred。"
"They’reourpetticoats，though，"Phylliswasbeginning，butBobbieinterrupted——
"Oh，whatdoesitmatterwhowaveswhat，ifwecanonlysavethetrain？"
PerhapsPeterhadnotrightlycalculatedthenumberofminutesitwouldtakethe11。29togetfromthestationtotheplacewheretheywere，orperhapsthetrainwaslate。Anyway，itseemedaverylongtimethattheywaited。
Phyllisgrewimpatient。"Iexpectthewatchiswrong，andthetrain’sgoneby，"saidshe。
Peterrelaxedtheheroicattitudehehadchosentoshowoffhistwoflags。AndBobbiebegantofeelsickwithsuspense。
Itseemedtoherthattheyhadbeenstandingthereforhoursandhours，holdingthosesillylittleredflannelflagsthatnoonewouldevernotice。Thetrainwouldn’tcare。Itwouldgorushingbythemandtearroundthecornerandgocrashingintothatawfulmound。Andeveryonewouldbekilled。Herhandsgrewverycoldandtrembledsothatshecouldhardlyholdtheflag。Andthencamethedistantrumbleandhumofthemetals，andapuffofwhitesteamshowedfarawayalongthestretchofline。
"Standfirm，"saidPeter，"andwavelikemad！Whenitgetstothatbigfurzebushstepback，butgoonwaving！Don’tstandONtheline，Bobbie！"
Thetraincamerattlingalongvery，veryfast。
"Theydon’tseeus！Theywon’tseeus！It’sallnogood！"criedBobbie。
Thetwolittleflagsonthelineswayedasthenearingtrainshookandloosenedtheheapsofloosestonesthatheldthemup。Oneofthemslowlyleanedoverandfellontheline。Bobbiejumpedforwardandcaughtitup，andwavedit;herhandsdidnottremblenow。
Itseemedthatthetraincameonasfastasever。Itwasverynearnow。
"Keepofftheline，yousillycuckoo！"saidPeter，fiercely。
"It’snogood，"Bobbiesaidagain。
"Standback！"criedPeter，suddenly，andhedraggedPhyllisbackbythearm。
ButBobbiecried，"Notyet，notyet！"andwavedhertwoflagsrightovertheline。Thefrontoftheenginelookedblackandenormous。
It’svoicewasloudandharsh。
"Oh，stop，stop，stop！"criedBobbie。Nooneheardher。AtleastPeterandPhyllisdidn’t，fortheoncomingrushofthetraincoveredthesoundofhervoicewithamountainofsound。Butafterwardssheusedtowonderwhethertheengineitselfhadnotheardher。Itseemedalmostasthoughithad——foritslackenedswiftly，slackenedandstopped，nottwentyyardsfromtheplacewhereBobbie’stwoflagswavedovertheline。Shesawthegreatblackenginestopdead，butsomehowshecouldnotstopwavingtheflags。AndwhenthedriverandthefiremanhadgotofftheengineandPeterandPhyllishadgonetomeetthemandpourouttheirexcitedtaleoftheawfulmoundjustroundthecorner，Bobbiestillwavedtheflagsbutmoreandmorefeeblyandjerkily。
Whentheothersturnedtowardshershewaslyingacrossthelinewithherhandsflungforwardandstillgrippingthesticksofthelittleredflannelflags。
Theengine—driverpickedherup，carriedhertothetrain，andlaidheronthecushionsofafirst—classcarriage。
"Gonerightoffinafaint，"hesaid，"poorlittlewoman。Andnowonder。I’lljust’avealookatthis’eremoundofyours，andthenwe’llrunyoubacktothestationandgetherseento。"
ItwashorribletoseeBobbielyingsowhiteandquiet，withherlipsblue，andparted。
"Ibelievethat’swhatpeoplelooklikewhenthey’redead，"
whisperedPhyllis。
"DON’T！"saidPeter，sharply。
TheysatbyBobbieonthebluecushions，andthetrainranback。
BeforeitreachedtheirstationBobbiehadsighedandopenedhereyes，androlledherselfoverandbeguntocry。Thischeeredtheotherswonderfully。Theyhadseenhercrybefore，buttheyhadneverseenherfaint，noranyoneelse，forthematterofthat。Theyhadnotknownwhattodowhenshewasfainting，butnowshewasonlycryingtheycouldthumpheronthebackandtellhernotto，justastheyalwaysdid。Andpresently，whenshestoppedcrying，theywereabletolaughatherforbeingsuchacowardastofaint。
Whenthestationwasreached，thethreeweretheheroesofanagitatedmeetingontheplatform。
Thepraisestheygotfortheir"promptaction，"their"commonsense，"their"ingenuity，"wereenoughtohaveturnedanybody’shead。Phyllisenjoyedherselfthoroughly。Shehadneverbeenarealheroinebefore，andthefeelingwasdelicious。Peter’searsgotveryred。Yethe，too，enjoyedhimself。OnlyBobbiewishedtheyallwouldn’t。Shewantedtogetaway。
"You’llhearfromtheCompanyaboutthis，Iexpect，"saidtheStationMaster。
Bobbiewishedshemightneverhearofitagain。ShepulledatPeter’sjacket。
"Oh，comeaway，comeaway！Iwanttogohome，"shesaid。
Sotheywent。AndastheywentStationMasterandPorterandguardsanddriverandfiremanandpassengerssentupacheer。
"Oh，listen，"criedPhyllis;"that’sforUS！"
"Yes，"saidPeter。"Isay，IamgladIthoughtaboutsomethingred，andwavingit。"
"HowluckyweDIDputonourredflannelpetticoats！"saidPhyllis。
Bobbiesaidnothing。Shewasthinkingofthehorriblemound，andthetrustfultrainrushingtowardsit。
"AnditwasUSthatsavedthem，"saidPeter。
"Howdreadfuliftheyhadallbeenkilled！"saidPhyllis;"wouldn’tit，Bobbie？"
"Wenevergotanycherries，afterall，"saidBobbie。
Theothersthoughtherratherheartless。
ChapterVII。Forvalour。
Ihopeyoudon’tmindmytellingyouagooddealaboutRoberta。ThefactisIamgrowingveryfondofher。ThemoreIobserveherthemoreIloveher。AndInoticeallsortsofthingsaboutherthatI
like。
Forinstance，shewasquiteoddlyanxioustomakeotherpeoplehappy。Andshecouldkeepasecret，atolerablyrareaccomplishment。Alsoshehadthepowerofsilentsympathy。Thatsoundsratherdull，Iknow，butit’snotsodullasitsounds。Itjustmeansthatapersonisabletoknowthatyouareunhappy，andtoloveyouextraonthataccount，withoutbotheringyoubytellingyouallthetimehowsorrysheisforyou。ThatwaswhatBobbiewaslike。SheknewthatMotherwasunhappy——andthatMotherhadnottoldherthereason。SoshejustlovedMothermoreandneversaidasinglewordthatcouldletMotherknowhowearnestlyherlittlegirlwonderedwhatMotherwasunhappyabout。Thisneedspractice。Itisnotsoeasyasyoumightthink。
Whateverhappened——andallsortsofnice，pleasantordinarythingshappened——suchaspicnics，games，andbunsfortea，Bobbiealwayshadthesethoughtsatthebackofhermind。"Mother’sunhappy。
Why？Idon’tknow。Shedoesn’twantmetoknow。Iwon’ttrytofindout。ButsheISunhappy。Why？Idon’tknow。Shedoesn’t——"
andsoon，repeatingandrepeatinglikeatunethatyoudon’tknowthestoppingpartof。
TheRussiangentlemanstilltookupagooddealofeverybody’sthoughts。AlltheeditorsandsecretariesofSocietiesandMembersofParliamenthadansweredMother’slettersaspolitelyastheyknewhow;butnoneofthemcouldtellwherethewifeandchildrenofMr。
Szezcpanskywouldbelikelytobe。（DidItellyouthattheRussian’sveryRussiannamewasthat？）
Bobbiehadanotherqualitywhichyouwillheardifferentlydescribedbydifferentpeople。Someofthemcallitinterferinginotherpeople’sbusiness——andsomecallit"helpinglamedogsoverstiles，"
andsomecallit"loving—kindness。"Itjustmeanstryingtohelppeople。
SherackedherbrainstothinkofsomewayofhelpingtheRussiangentlemantofindhiswifeandchildren。HehadlearnedafewwordsofEnglishnow。Hecouldsay"Goodmorning，"and"Goodnight，"and"Please，"and"Thankyou，"and"Pretty，"whenthechildrenbroughthimflowers，and"Ver’good，"whentheyaskedhimhowhehadslept。
Thewayhesmiledwhenhe"saidhisEnglish，"was，Bobbiefelt，"justtoosweetforanything。"Sheusedtothinkofhisfacebecauseshefancieditwouldhelphertosomewayofhelpinghim。
Butitdidnot。YethisbeingtherecheeredherbecauseshesawthatitmadeMotherhappier。
"Shelikestohavesomeonetobegoodto，evenbesideus，"saidBobbie。"AndIknowshehatedtolethimhaveFather’sclothes。
ButIsupposeit’hurtnice，’orshewouldn’thave。"
FormanyandmanyanightafterthedaywhensheandPeterandPhyllishadsavedthetrainfromwreckbywavingtheirlittleredflannelflags，Bobbieusedtowakescreamingandshivering，seeingagainthathorriblemound，andthepoor，deartrustfulenginerushingontowardsit——justthinkingthatitwasdoingitsswiftduty，andthateverythingwasclearandsafe。AndthenawarmthrillofpleasureusedtorunthroughherattheremembranceofhowsheandPeterandPhyllisandtheredflannelpetticoatshadreallysavedeverybody。
Onemorningalettercame。ItwasaddressedtoPeterandBobbieandPhyllis。Theyopeneditwithenthusiasticcuriosity，fortheydidnotoftengetletters。
Thelettersaid：——
"DearSir，andLadies，——Itisproposedtomakeasmallpresentationtoyou，incommemorationofyourpromptandcourageousactioninwarningthetrainonthe———inst。，andthusavertingwhatmust，humanlyspeaking，havebeenaterribleaccident。Thepresentationwilltakeplaceatthe———Stationatthreeo’clockonthe30thinst。，ifthistimeandplacewillbeconvenienttoyou。
"Yoursfaithfully，"JabezInglewood。
"Secretary，GreatNorthernandSouthernRailwayCo。"
Thereneverhadbeenaproudermomentinthelivesofthethreechildren。TheyrushedtoMotherwiththeletter，andshealsofeltproudandsaidso，andthismadethechildrenhappierthanever。
"Butifthepresentationismoney，youmustsay，’Thankyou，butwe’drathernottakeit，’"saidMother。"I’llwashyourIndianmuslinsatonce，"sheadded。"Youmustlooktidyonanoccasionlikethis。"
"PhilandIcanwashthem，"saidBobbie，"ifyou’llironthem，Mother。"
Washingisratherfun。Iwonderwhetheryou’veeverdoneit？Thisparticularwashingtookplaceinthebackkitchen，whichhadastonefloorandaverybigstonesinkunderitswindow。
"Let’sputthebathonthesink，"saidPhyllis;"thenwecanpretendwe’reout—of—doorswasherwomenlikeMothersawinFrance。"
"Buttheywerewashinginthecoldriver，"saidPeter，hishandsinhispockets，"notinhotwater。"
"ThisisaHOTriver，then，"saidPhyllis;"lendahandwiththebath，there’sadear。"
"Ishouldliketoseeadeerlendingahand，"saidPeter，buthelenthis。
"Nowtorubandscrubandscrubandrub，"saidPhyllis，hoppingjoyouslyaboutasBobbiecarefullycarriedtheheavykettlefromthekitchenfire。
"Oh，no！"saidBobbie，greatlyshocked;"youdon’trubmuslin。Youputtheboiledsoapinthehotwaterandmakeitallfrothy—lathery—
—andthenyoushakethemuslinandsqueezeit，eversogently，andallthedirtcomesout。It’sonlyclumsythingsliketableclothsandsheetsthathavetoberubbed。"
ThelilacandtheGloiredeDijonrosesoutsidethewindowswayedinthesoftbreeze。
"It’sanicedryingday——that’sonething，"saidBobbie，feelingverygrownup。"Oh，IdowonderwhatwonderfulfeelingsweshallhavewhenweWEARtheIndianmuslindresses！"
"Yes，sodoI，"saidPhyllis，shakingandsqueezingthemuslininquiteaprofessionalmanner。
"NOWwesqueezeoutthesoapywater。NO——wemustn’ttwistthem——andthenrinsethem。I’llholdthemwhileyouandPeteremptythebathandgetcleanwater。"
"Apresentation！Thatmeanspresents，"saidPeter，ashissisters，havingdulywashedthepegsandwipedtheline，hungupthedressestodry。"Whateverwillitbe？"
"Itmightbeanything，"saidPhyllis;"whatI’vealwayswantedisaBabyelephant——butIsupposetheywouldn’tknowthat。"
"Supposeitwasgoldmodelsofsteam—engines？"saidBobbie。
"Orabigmodelofthesceneofthepreventedaccident，"suggestedPeter，"withalittlemodeltrain，anddollsdressedlikeusandtheengine—driverandfiremanandpassengers。"
"DoyouLIKE，"saidBobbie，doubtfully，dryingherhandsontheroughtowelthathungonarolleratthebackofthescullerydoor，"doyouLIKEusbeingrewardedforsavingatrain？"
"Yes，Ido，"saidPeter，downrightly;"anddon’tyoutrytocomeitoverusthatyoudon’tlikeit，too。BecauseIknowyoudo。"
"Yes，"saidBobbie，doubtfully，"IknowIdo。Butoughtn’twetobesatisfiedwithjusthavingdoneit，andnotaskforanythingmore？"
"Whodidaskforanythingmore，silly？"saidherbrother;"VictoriaCrosssoldiersdon’tASKforit;butthey’regladenoughtogetitallthesame。Perhapsit’llbemedals。Then，whenI’mveryoldindeed，Ishallshowthemtomygrandchildrenandsay，’Weonlydidourduty，’andthey’llbeawfullyproudofme。"
"Youhavetobemarried，"warnedPhyllis，"oryoudon’thaveanygrandchildren。"
"IsupposeIshallHAVEtobemarriedsomeday，"saidPeter，"butitwillbeanawfulbotherhavingherroundallthetime。I’dliketomarryaladywhohadtrances，andonlywokeuponceortwiceayear。"
"Justtosayyouwerethelightofherlifeandthengotosleepagain。Yes。Thatwouldn’tbebad，"saidBobbie。
"When_I_getmarried，"saidPhyllis，"Ishallwanthimtowantmetobeawakeallthetime，sothatIcanhearhimsayhowniceIam。"
"Ithinkitwouldbenice，"saidBobbie，"tomarrysomeoneverypoor，andthenyou’ddoalltheworkandhe’dloveyoumostfrightfully，andseethebluewoodsmokecurlingupamongthetreesfromthedomestichearthashecamehomefromworkeverynight。I
say——we’vegottoanswerthatletterandsaythatthetimeandplaceWILLbeconvenienttous。There’sthesoap，Peter。WE’REbothascleanasclean。Thatpinkboxofwritingpaperyouhadonyourbirthday，Phil。"
Ittooksometimetoarrangewhatshouldbesaid。Motherhadgonebacktoherwriting，andseveralsheetsofpinkpaperwithscallopedgiltedgesandgreenfour—leavedshamrocksinthecornerwerespoiledbeforethethreehaddecidedwhattosay。Theneachmadeacopyandsigneditwithitsownname。
Thethreefoldletterran：——
"DearMr。JabezInglewood，——Thankyouverymuch。Wedidnotwanttoberewardedbutonlytosavethetrain，butwearegladyouthinksoandthankyouverymuch。Thetimeandplaceyousaywillbequiteconvenienttous。Thankyouverymuch。
"Youraffecatelittlefriend，"
Thencamethename，andafterit：——
"P。S。Thankyouverymuch。"
"Washingismucheasierthanironing，"saidBobbie，takingthecleandrydressesofftheline。"Idolovetoseethingscomeclean。Oh—
—Idon’tknowhowweshallwaittillit’stimetoknowwhatpresentationthey’regoingtopresent！"
Whenatlast——itseemedaverylongtimeafter——itwasTHEday，thethreechildrenwentdowntothestationatthepropertime。Andeverythingthathappenedwassooddthatitseemedlikeadream。
TheStationMastercameouttomeetthem——inhisbestclothes，asPeternoticedatonce——andledthemintothewaitingroomwhereoncetheyhadplayedtheadvertisementgame。Itlookedquitedifferentnow。Acarpethadbeenputdown——andtherewerepotsofrosesonthemantelpieceandonthewindowledges——greenbranchesstuckup，likehollyandlaurelareatChristmas，overtheframedadvertisementofCook’sToursandtheBeautiesofDevonandtheParisLyonsRailway。TherewerequiteanumberofpeopletherebesidesthePorter——twoorthreeladiesinsmartdresses，andquiteacrowdofgentlemeninhighhatsandfrockcoats——besideseverybodywhobelongedtothestation。Theyrecognizedseveralpeoplewhohadbeeninthetrainonthered—flannel—petticoatday。Bestofalltheirownoldgentlemanwasthere，andhiscoatandhatandcollarseemedmorethaneverdifferentfromanyoneelse’s。Heshookhandswiththemandtheneverybodysatdownonchairs，andagentlemaninspectacles——theyfoundoutafterwardsthathewastheDistrictSuperintendent——beganquitealongspeech——verycleverindeed。Iamnotgoingtowritethespeechdown。First，becauseyouwouldthinkitdull;andsecondly，becauseitmadeallthechildrenblushso，andgetsohotabouttheearsthatIamquiteanxioustogetawayfromthispartofthesubject;andthirdly，becausethegentlemantooksomanywordstosaywhathehadtosaythatIreallyhaven’ttimetowritethemdown。Hesaidallsortsofnicethingsaboutthechildren’sbraveryandpresenceofmind，andwhenhehaddonehesatdown，andeveryonewhowasthereclappedandsaid，"Hear，hear。"
Andthentheoldgentlemangotupandsaidthings，too。Itwasverylikeaprize—giving。Andthenhecalledthechildrenonebyone，bytheirnames，andgaveeachofthemabeautifulgoldwatchandchain。
Andinsidethewatcheswereengravedafterthenameofthewatch’snewowner：——
"FromtheDirectorsoftheNorthernandSouthernRailwayingratefulrecognitionofthecourageousandpromptactionwhichavertedanaccidenton———1905。"
Thewatcheswerethemostbeautifulyoucanpossiblyimagine，andeachonehadablueleathercasetoliveinwhenitwasathome。
"Youmustmakeaspeechnowandthankeveryonefortheirkindness，"
whisperedtheStationMasterinPeter’searandpushedhimforward。
"Begin’LadiesandGentlemen，’"headded。
Eachofthechildrenhadalreadysaid"Thankyou，"quiteproperly。
"Oh，dear，"saidPeter，buthedidnotresistthepush。
"LadiesandGentlemen，"hesaidinaratherhuskyvoice。Thentherewasapause，andheheardhisheartbeatinginhisthroat。"LadiesandGentlemen，"hewentonwitharush，"it’smostawfullygoodofyou，andweshalltreasurethewatchesallourlives——butreallywedon’tdeserveitbecausewhatwedidwasn’tanything，really。Atleast，Imeanitwasawfullyexciting，andwhatImeantosay——thankyouallvery，verymuch。"
ThepeopleclappedPetermorethantheyhaddonetheDistrictSuperintendent，andtheneverybodyshookhandswiththem，andassoonaspolitenesswouldletthem，theygotaway，andtoreupthehilltoThreeChimneyswiththeirwatchesintheirhands。
Itwasawonderfulday——thekindofdaythatveryseldomhappenstoanybodyandtomostofusnotatall。
"Ididwanttotalktotheoldgentlemanaboutsomethingelse，"saidBobbie，"butitwassopublic——likebeinginchurch。"
"Whatdidyouwanttosay？"askedPhyllis。
"I’lltellyouwhenI’vethoughtaboutitmore，"saidBobbie。
Sowhenshehadthoughtalittlemoreshewrotealetter。
"Mydearestoldgentleman，"itsaid;"Iwantmostawfullytoaskyousomething。Ifyoucouldgetoutofthetrainandgobythenext，itwoulddo。Idonotwantyoutogivemeanything。Mothersaysweoughtnotto。Andbesides，wedonotwantanyTHINGS。OnlytotalktoyouaboutaPrisonerandCaptive。Yourlovinglittlefriend，"Bobbie。"
ShegottheStationMastertogivethelettertotheoldgentleman，andnextdaysheaskedPeterandPhyllistocomedowntothestationwithheratthetimewhenthetrainthatbroughttheoldgentlemanfromtownwouldbepassingthrough。
Sheexplainedherideatothem——andtheyapprovedthoroughly。
Theyhadallwashedtheirhandsandfaces，andbrushedtheirhair，andwerelookingastidyastheyknewhow。ButPhyllis，alwaysunlucky，hadupsetajugoflemonadedownthefrontofherdress。
Therewasnotimetochange——andthewindhappeningtoblowfromthecoalyard，herfrockwassoonpowderedwithgrey，whichstucktothestickylemonadestainsandmadeherlook，asPetersaid，"likeanylittlegutterchild。"
Itwasdecidedthatsheshouldkeepbehindtheothersasmuchaspossible。
"Perhapstheoldgentlemanwon’tnotice，"saidBobbie。"Theagedareoftenweakintheeyes。"
Therewasnosignofweakness，however，intheeyes，orinanyotherpartoftheoldgentleman，ashesteppedfromthetrainandlookedupanddowntheplatform。
Thethreechildren，nowthatitcametothepoint，suddenlyfeltthatrushofdeepshynesswhichmakesyourearsredandhot，yourhandswarmandwet，andthetipofyournosepinkandshiny。
"Oh，"saidPhyllis，"myheart’sthumpinglikeasteam—engine——rightundermysash，too。"
"Nonsense，"saidPeter，"people’sheartsaren’tundertheirsashes。"
"Idon’tcare——mineis，"saidPhyllis。
"Ifyou’regoingtotalklikeapoetry—book，"saidPeter，"myheart’sinmymouth。"
"Myheart’sinmyboots——ifyoucometothat，"saidRoberta;"butdocomeon——he’llthinkwe’reidiots。"
"Hewon’tbefarwrong，"saidPeter，gloomily。Andtheywentforwardtomeettheoldgentleman。
"Hullo，"hesaid，shakinghandswiththemallinturn。"Thisisaverygreatpleasure。"
"ItWASgoodofyoutogetout，"Bobbiesaid，perspiringandpolite。
HetookherarmanddrewherintothewaitingroomwheresheandtheothershadplayedtheadvertisementgamethedaytheyfoundtheRussian。PhyllisandPeterfollowed。"Well？"saidtheoldgentleman，givingBobbie’sarmakindlittleshakebeforeheletitgo。"Well？Whatisit？"
"Oh，please！"saidBobbie。
"Yes？"saidtheoldgentleman。
"WhatImeantosay——"saidBobbie。
"Well？"saidtheoldgentleman。
"It’sallveryniceandkind，"saidshe。
"But？"hesaid。
"IwishImightsaysomething，"shesaid。
"Sayit，"saidhe。
"Well，then，"saidBobbie——andoutcamethestoryoftheRussianwhohadwrittenthebeautifulbookaboutpoorpeople，andhadbeensenttoprisonandtoSiberiaforjustthat。
"Andwhatwewantmorethananythingintheworldistofindhiswifeandchildrenforhim，"saidBobbie，"butwedon’tknowhow。
Butyoumustbemosthorriblyclever，oryouwouldn’tbeaDirectionoftheRailway。AndifYOUknewhow——andwould？We’dratherhavethatthananythingelseintheworld。We’dgowithoutthewatches，even，ifyoucouldsellthemandfindhiswifewiththemoney。"
Andtheotherssaidso，too，thoughnotwithsomuchenthusiasm。
"Hum，"saidtheoldgentleman，pullingdownthewhitewaistcoatthathadthebiggiltbuttonsonit，"whatdidyousaythenamewas——
Fryingpansky？"
"No，no，"saidBobbieearnestly。"I’llwriteitdownforyou。Itdoesn’treallylookatalllikethatexceptwhenyousayit。Haveyouabitofpencilandthebackofanenvelope？"sheasked。
Theoldgentlemangotoutagoldpencil—caseandabeautiful，sweet—
smelling，greenRussianleathernote—bookandopeneditatanewpage。
"Here，"hesaid，"writehere。"
Shewrotedown"Szezcpansky，"andsaid：——
"That’showyouwriteit。YouCALLitShepansky。"
Theoldgentlemantookoutapairofgold—rimmedspectaclesandfittedthemonhisnose。Whenhehadreadthename，helookedquitedifferent。
"THATman？Blessmysoul！"hesaid。"Why，I’vereadhisbook！
It’stranslatedintoeveryEuropeanlanguage。Afinebook——anoblebook。Andsoyourmothertookhimin——likethegoodSamaritan。
Well，well。I’lltellyouwhat，youngsters——yourmothermustbeaverygoodwoman。"
"Ofcoursesheis，"saidPhyllis，inastonishment。
"Andyou’reaverygoodman，"saidBobbie，veryshy，butfirmlyresolvedtobepolite。
"Youflatterme，"saidtheoldgentleman，takingoffhishatwithaflourish。"AndnowamItotellyouwhatIthinkofyou？"
"Oh，pleasedon’t，"saidBobbie，hastily。
"Why？"askedtheoldgentleman。
"Idon’texactlyknow，"saidBobbie。"Only——ifit’shorrid，Idon’twantyouto;andifit’snice，I’dratheryoudidn’t。"
Theoldgentlemanlaughed。
"Well，then，"hesaid，"I’llonlyjustsaythatI’mverygladyoucametomeaboutthis——veryglad，indeed。AndIshouldn’tbesurprisedifIfoundoutsomethingverysoon。IknowagreatmanyRussiansinLondon，andeveryRussianknowsHISname。Nowtellmeallaboutyourselves。"
Heturnedtotheothers，buttherewasonlyoneother，andthatwasPeter。Phyllishaddisappeared。
"Tellmeallaboutyourself，"saidtheoldgentlemanagain。And，quitenaturally，Peterwasstrickendumb。
"Allright，we’llhaveanexamination，"saidtheoldgentleman;"youtwositonthetable，andI’llsitonthebenchandaskquestions。"
Hedid，andoutcametheirnamesandages——theirFather’snameandbusiness——howlongtheyhadlivedatThreeChimneysandagreatdealmore。
Thequestionswerebeginningtoturnonaherringandahalfforthreehalfpence，andapoundofleadandapoundoffeathers，whenthedoorofthewaitingroomwaskickedopenbyaboot;asthebootenteredeveryonecouldseethatitslacewascomingundone——andincamePhyllis，veryslowlyandcarefully。
Inonehandshecarriedalargetincan，andintheotherathicksliceofbreadandbutter。
"Afternoontea，"sheannouncedproudly，andheldthecanandthebreadandbutterouttotheoldgentleman，whotookthemandsaid：——
"Blessmysoul！"
"Yes，"saidPhyllis。
"It’sverythoughtfulofyou，"saidtheoldgentleman，"very。"
"Butyoumighthavegotacup，"saidBobbie，"andaplate。"
"Perksalwaysdrinksoutofthecan，"saidPhyllis，flushingred。
"Ithinkitwasveryniceofhimtogiveitmeatall——letalonecupsandplates，"sheadded。
"SodoI，"saidtheoldgentleman，andhedranksomeoftheteaandtastedthebreadandbutter。
Andthenitwastimeforthenexttrain，andhegotintoitwithmanygood—byesandkindlastwords。
"Well，"saidPeter，whentheywereleftontheplatform，andthetail—lightsofthetraindisappearedroundthecorner，"it’smybeliefthatwe’velightedacandleto—day——likeLatimer，youknow，whenhewasbeingburned——andthere’llbefireworksforourRussianbeforelong。"
Andsotherewere。
Itwasn’ttendaysaftertheinterviewinthewaitingroomthatthethreechildrenweresittingonthetopofthebiggestrockinthefieldbelowtheirhousewatchingthe5。15steamawayfromthestationalongthebottomofthevalley。Theysaw，too，thefewpeoplewhohadgotoutatthestationstragglinguptheroadtowardsthevillage——andtheysawonepersonleavetheroadandopenthegatethatledacrossthefieldstoThreeChimneysandtonowhereelse。
"Whoonearth！"saidPeter，scramblingdown。
"Let’sgoandsee，"saidPhyllis。
Sotheydid。Andwhentheygotnearenoughtoseewhothepersonwas，theysawitwastheiroldgentlemanhimself，hisbrassbuttonswinkingintheafternoonsunshine，andhiswhitewaistcoatlookingwhiterthaneveragainstthegreenofthefield。
"Hullo！"shoutedthechildren，wavingtheirhands。
"Hullo！"shoutedtheoldgentleman，wavinghishat。
Thenthethreestartedtorun——andwhentheygottohimtheyhardlyhadbreathlefttosay：——
"Howdoyoudo？"
"Goodnews，"saidhe。"I’vefoundyourRussianfriend’swifeandchild——andIcouldn’tresistthetemptationofgivingmyselfthepleasureoftellinghim。"
ButashelookedatBobbie’sfacehefeltthatheCOULDresistthattemptation。
"Here，"hesaidtoher，"yourunonandtellhim。Theothertwowillshowmetheway。"
Bobbieran。ButwhenshehadbreathlesslypantedoutthenewstotheRussianandMothersittinginthequietgarden——whenMother’sfacehadlightedupsobeautifully，andshehadsaidhalfadozenquickFrenchwordstotheExile——BobbiewishedthatshehadNOT
carriedthenews。FortheRussiansprangupwithacrythatmadeBobbie’sheartleapandthentremble——acryofloveandlongingsuchasshehadneverheard。ThenhetookMother’shandandkisseditgentlyandreverently——andthenhesankdowninhischairandcoveredhisfacewithhishandsandsobbed。Bobbiecreptaway。Shedidnotwanttoseetheothersjustthen。
ButshewasasgayasanybodywhentheendlessFrenchtalkingwasover，whenPeterhadtorndowntothevillageforbunsandcakes，andthegirlshadgotteareadyandtakenitoutintothegarden。
Theoldgentlemanwasmostmerryanddelightful。HeseemedtobeabletotalkinFrenchandEnglishalmostatthesamemoment，andMotherdidnearlyaswell。Itwasadelightfultime。Motherseemedasifshecouldnotmakeenoughfussabouttheoldgentleman，andshesaidyesatoncewhenheaskedifhemightpresentsome"goodies"tohislittlefriends。
Thewordwasnewtothechildren——buttheyguessedthatitmeantsweets，forthethreelargepinkandgreenboxes，tiedwithgreenribbon，whichhetookoutofhisbag，heldunheard—oflayersofbeautifulchocolates。
TheRussian’sfewbelongingswerepacked，andtheyallsawhimoffatthestation。
ThenMotherturnedtotheoldgentlemanandsaid：——
"Idon’tknowhowtothankyouforEVERYTHING。Ithasbeenarealpleasuretometoseeyou。Butweliveveryquietly。IamsosorrythatIcan’taskyoutocomeandseeusagain。"
Thechildrenthoughtthisveryhard。WhentheyHADmadeafriend——
andsuchafriend——theywoulddearlyhavelikedhimtocomeandseethemagain。
Whattheoldgentlemanthoughttheycouldn’ttell。Heonlysaid：——
"Iconsidermyselfveryfortunate，Madam，tohavebeenreceivedonceatyourhouse。"
"Ah，"saidMother，"IknowImustseemsurlyandungrateful——but——"
"Youcouldneverseemanythingbutamostcharmingandgraciouslady，"saidtheoldgentleman，withanotherofhisbows。
Andastheyturnedtogoupthehill，BobbiesawherMother’sface。
"Howtiredyoulook，Mammy，"shesaid;"leanonme。"
"It’smyplacetogiveMothermyarm，"saidPeter。"I’mtheheadmanofthefamilywhenFather’saway。"
Mothertookanarmofeach。
"Howawfullynice，"saidPhyllis，skippingjoyfully，"tothinkofthedearRussianembracinghislong—lostwife。Thebabymusthavegrownalotsincehesawit。"
"Yes，"saidMother。
"IwonderwhetherFatherwillthinkI’VEgrown，"Phylliswenton，skippingstillmoregaily。"Ihavegrownalready，haven’tI，Mother？"
"Yes，"saidMother，"oh，yes，"andBobbieandPeterfeltherhandstightenontheirarms。
"PooroldMammy，youAREtired，"saidPeter。
Bobbiesaid，"Comeon，Phil;I’llraceyoutothegate。"
Andshestartedtherace，thoughshehateddoingit。YOUknowwhyBobbiedidthat。MotheronlythoughtthatBobbiewastiredofwalkingslowly。EvenMothers，wholoveyoubetterthananyoneelseeverwill，don’talwaysunderstand。
ChapterVIII。Theamateurfiremen。
"That’salikelylittlebroochyou’vegoton，Miss，"saidPerksthePorter;"Idon’tknowaseverIseeathingmorelikeabuttercupwithoutitWASabuttercup。"
"Yes，"saidBobbie，gladandflushedbythisapproval。"Ialwaysthoughtitwasmorelikeabuttercupalmostthanevenarealone——
andINEVERthoughtitwouldcometobemine，myveryown——andthenMothergaveittomeformybirthday。"
"Oh，haveyouhadabirthday？"saidPerks;andheseemedquitesurprised，asthoughabirthdaywereathingonlygrantedtoafavouredfew。
"Yes，"saidBobbie;"when’syourbirthday，Mr。Perks？"ThechildrenweretakingteawithMr。PerksinthePorters’roomamongthelampsandtherailwayalmanacs。Theyhadbroughttheirowncupsandsomejamturnovers。Mr。Perksmadeteainabeercan，asusual，andeveryonefeltveryhappyandconfidential。
"Mybirthday？"saidPerks，tippingsomemoredarkbrownteaoutofthecanintoPeter’scup。"Igiveupkeepingofmybirthdayaforeyouwasborn。"
"ButyoumusthavebeenbornSOMETIME，youknow，"saidPhyllis，thoughtfully，"evenifitwastwentyyearsago——orthirtyorsixtyorseventy。"
"Notsolongasthat，Missie，"Perksgrinnedasheanswered。"Ifyoureallywanttoknow，itwasthirty—twoyearsago，comethefifteenthofthismonth。"
"Thenwhydon’tyoukeepit？"askedPhyllis。
"I’vegotsomethingelsetokeepbesidesbirthdays，"saidPerks，briefly。
"Oh！What？"askedPhyllis，eagerly。"Notsecrets？"
"No，"saidPerks，"thekidsandtheMissus。"
Itwasthistalkthatsetthechildrenthinking，and，presently，talking。Perkswas，onthewhole，thedearestfriendtheyhadmade。
NotsograndastheStationMaster，butmoreapproachable——lesspowerfulthantheoldgentleman，butmoreconfidential。
"Itseemshorridthatnobodykeepshisbirthday，"saidBobbie。
"Couldn’tWEdosomething？"
"Let’sgouptotheCanalbridgeandtalkitover，"saidPeter。"I
gotanewgutlinefromthepostmanthismorning。HegaveitmeforabunchofrosesthatIgavehimforhissweetheart。She’sill。"
"ThenIdothinkyoumighthavegivenhertherosesfornothing，"
saidBobbie，indignantly。
"Nyang，nyang！"saidPeter，disagreeably，andputhishandsinhispockets。
"Hedid，ofcourse，"saidPhyllis，inhaste;"directlyweheardshewasillwegottherosesreadyandwaitedbythegate。Itwaswhenyouweremakingthebrekker—toast。Andwhenhe’dsaid’Thankyou’
fortherosessomanytimes——muchmorethanheneedhave——hepulledoutthelineandgaveittoPeter。Itwasn’texchange。Itwasthegratefulheart。"
"Oh，IBEGyourpardon，Peter，"saidBobbie，"IAMsosorry。"
"Don’tmentionit，"saidPeter，grandly，"Iknewyouwouldbe。"
SothentheyallwentuptotheCanalbridge。Theideawastofishfromthebridge，butthelinewasnotquitelongenough。
"Nevermind，"saidBobbie。"Let’sjuststayhereandlookatthings。Everything’ssobeautiful。"
Itwas。Thesunwassettinginredsplendouroverthegreyandpurplehills，andthecanallaysmoothandshinyintheshadow——noripplebrokeitssurface。Itwaslikeagreysatinribbonbetweentheduskygreensilkofthemeadowsthatwereoneachsideofitsbanks。
"It’sallright，"saidPeter，"butsomehowIcanalwaysseehowprettythingsaremuchbetterwhenI’vesomethingtodo。Let’sgetdownontothetowpathandfishfromthere。"
PhyllisandBobbierememberedhowtheboysonthecanal—boatshadthrowncoalatthem，andtheysaidso。
"Oh，nonsense，"saidPeter。"Therearen’tanyboysherenow。Iftherewere，I’dfightthem。"
Peter’ssisterswerekindenoughnottoremindhimhowhehadNOT
foughttheboyswhencoalhadlastbeenthrown。Insteadtheysaid，"Allright，then，"andcautiouslyclimbeddownthesteepbanktothetowing—path。Thelinewascarefullybaited，andforhalfanhourtheyfishedpatientlyandinvain。Notasinglenibblecametonourishhopeintheirhearts。
Alleyeswereintentonthesluggishwatersthatearnestlypretendedtheyhadneverharbouredasingleminnowwhenaloudroughshoutmadethemstart。
"Hi！"saidtheshout，inmostdisagreeabletones，"getoutofthat，can’tyou？"
Anoldwhitehorsecomingalongthetowing—pathwaswithinhalfadozenyardsofthem。Theysprangtotheirfeetandhastilyclimbedupthebank。
"We’llslipdownagainwhenthey’vegoneby，"saidBobbie。
But，alas，thebarge，afterthemannerofbarges，stoppedunderthebridge。