第5章

\"She’sgoingtoanchor，\"saidPeter;\"justourluck！\" Thebargedidnotanchor，becauseananchorisnotpartofacanal— boat’sfurniture，butshewasmooredwithropesforeandaft——andtheropesweremadefasttothepalingsandtocrowbarsdrivenintotheground。 \"Whatyoustaringat？\"growledtheBargee，crossly。 \"Weweren’tstaring，\"saidBobbie;\"wewouldn’tbesorude。\" \"Rudebeblessed，\"saidtheman;\"getalongwithyou！\" \"Getalongyourself，\"saidPeter。Herememberedwhathehadsaidaboutfightingboys，and，besides，hefeltsafehalfwayupthebank。 \"We’veasmuchrighthereasanyoneelse。\" \"Oh，’AVEyou，indeed！\"saidtheman。\"We’llsoonseeaboutthat。\" Andhecameacrosshisdeckandbegantoclimbdownthesideofhisbarge。 \"Oh，comeaway，Peter，comeaway！\"saidBobbieandPhyllis，inagonisedunison。 \"Notme，\"saidPeter，\"butYOU’Dbetter。\" Thegirlsclimbedtothetopofthebankandstoodreadytoboltforhomeassoonastheysawtheirbrotheroutofdanger。Thewayhomelayalldownhill。Theyknewthattheyallranwell。TheBargeedidnotlookasifHEdid。Hewasred—faced，heavy，andbeefy。 Butassoonashisfootwasonthetowing—paththechildrensawthattheyhadmisjudgedhim。 HemadeonespringupthebankandcaughtPeterbytheleg，draggedhimdown——sethimonhisfeetwithashake——tookhimbytheear——andsaidsternly：—— \"Now，then，whatdoyoumeanbyit？Don’tyouknowthese’erewatersispreserved？Youain’tnorightcatchingfish’ere——nottosaynothingofyourpreciouscheek。\" Peterwasalwaysproudafterwardswhenherememberedthat，withtheBargee’sfuriousfingerstighteningonhisear，theBargee’scrimsoncountenanceclosetohisown，theBargee’shotbreathonhisneck，hehadthecouragetospeakthetruth。 \"IWASN’Tcatchingfish，\"saidPeter。 \"That’snotYOURfault，I’llbebound，\"saidtheman，givingPeter’searatwist——notahardone——butstillatwist。 Petercouldnotsaythatitwas。BobbieandPhyllishadbeenholdingontotherailingsaboveandskippingwithanxiety。NowsuddenlyBobbieslippedthroughtherailingsandrusheddownthebanktowardsPeter，soimpetuouslythatPhyllis，followingmoretemperately，feltcertainthathersister’sdescentwouldendinthewatersofthecanal。AndsoitwouldhavedoneiftheBargeehadn’tletgoofPeter’sear——andcaughtherinhisjerseyedarm。 \"Whoareyoua—shovingof？\"hesaid，settingheronherfeet。 \"Oh，\"saidBobbie，breathless，\"I’mnotshovinganybody。Atleast，notonpurpose。Pleasedon’tbecrosswithPeter。Ofcourse，ifit’syourcanal，we’resorryandwewon’tanymore。Butwedidn’tknowitwasyours。\" \"Goalongwithyou，\"saidtheBargee。 \"Yes，wewill;indeedwewill，\"saidBobbie，earnestly;\"butwedobegyourpardon——andreallywehaven’tcaughtasinglefish。I’dtellyoudirectlyifwehad，honourbrightIwould。\" SheheldoutherhandsandPhyllisturnedoutherlittleemptypockettoshowthatreallytheyhadn’tanyfishconcealedaboutthem。 \"Well，\"saidtheBargee，moregently，\"cutalong，then，anddon’tyoudoitagain，that’sall。\" Thechildrenhurriedupthebank。 \"Chuckusacoat，M’ria，\"shoutedtheman。Andared—hairedwomaninagreenplaidshawlcameoutfromthecabindoorwithababyinherarmsandthrewacoattohim。Heputiton，climbedthebank，andslouchedalongacrossthebridgetowardsthevillage。 \"You’llfindmeupatthe’RoseandCrown’whenyou’vegotthekidtosleep，\"hecalledtoherfromthebridge。 Whenhewasoutofsightthechildrenslowlyreturned。Peterinsistedonthis。 \"Thecanalmaybelongtohim，\"hesaid，\"thoughIdon’tbelieveitdoes。Butthebridgeiseverybody’s。DoctorForresttoldmeit’spublicproperty。I’mnotgoingtobebouncedoffthebridgebyhimoranyoneelse，soItellyou。\" Peter’searwasstillsoreandsowerehisfeelings。 Thegirlsfollowedhimasgallantsoldiersmightfollowtheleaderofaforlornhope。 \"Idowishyouwouldn’t，\"wasalltheysaid。 \"Gohomeifyou’reafraid，\"saidPeter;\"leavemealone。I’Mnotafraid。\" Thesoundoftheman’sfootstepsdiedawayalongthequietroad。 Thepeaceoftheeveningwasnotbrokenbythenotesofthesedge— warblersorbythevoiceofthewomaninthebarge，singingherbabytosleep。Itwasasadsongshesang。SomethingaboutBillBaileyandhowshewantedhimtocomehome。 Thechildrenstoodleaningtheirarmsontheparapetofthebridge; theyweregladtobequietforafewminutesbecauseallthreeheartswerebeatingmuchmorequickly。 \"I’mnotgoingtobedrivenawaybyanyoldbargeman，I’mnot，\"saidPeter，thickly。 \"Ofcoursenot，\"Phyllissaidsoothingly;\"youdidn’tgiveintohim！Sonowwemightgohome，don’tyouthink？\" \"NO，\"saidPeter。 Nothingmorewassaidtillthewomangotoffthebarge，climbedthebank，andcameacrossthebridge。 Shehesitated，lookingatthethreebacksofthechildren，thenshesaid，\"Ahem。\" Peterstayedashewas，butthegirlslookedround。 \"Youmustn’ttakenonoticeofmyBill，\"saidthewoman;\"’isbark’sworse’n’isbite。SomeofthekidsdownFarleywayisfairterrors。 Itwasthemput’isbackupcallingoutaboutwhoatethepuppy—pieunderMarlowbridge。\" \"WhoDID？\"askedPhyllis。 \"_I_dunno，\"saidthewoman。\"Nobodydon’tknow！Butsomehow，andIdon’tknowthewhynorthewhereforeofit，themwordsisp’isontoabarge—master。Don’tyoutakenonotice。’Ewon’tbebackfortwohoursgood。Youmightcatchapowero’fishaforethat。Thelight’sgoodan’all，\"sheadded。 \"Thankyou，\"saidBobbie。\"You’reverykind。Where’syourbaby？\" \"Asleepinthecabin，\"saidthewoman。\"’E’sallright。Neverwakesaforetwelve。Reg’larasachurchclock，’eis。\" \"I’msorry，\"saidBobbie;\"Iwouldhavelikedtoseehim，closeto。\" \"Andafineryouneverdidsee，Miss，thoughIsaysit。\"Thewoman’sfacebrightenedasshespoke。 \"Aren’tyouafraidtoleaveit？\"saidPeter。 \"Lor’loveyou，no，\"saidthewoman;\"who’dhurtalittlethinglike’im？Besides，Spot’sthere。Solong！\" Thewomanwentaway。 \"Shallwegohome？\"saidPhyllis。 \"Youcan。I’mgoingtofish，\"saidPeterbriefly。 \"IthoughtwecameupheretotalkaboutPerks’sbirthday，\"saidPhyllis。 \"Perks’sbirthday’llkeep。\" Sotheygotdownonthetowing—pathagainandPeterfished。Hedidnotcatchanything。 Itwasalmostquitedark，thegirlsweregettingtired，andasBobbiesaid，itwaspastbedtime，whensuddenlyPhylliscried，\"What’sthat？\" Andshepointedtothecanalboat。Smokewascomingfromthechimneyofthecabin，hadindeedbeencurlingsoftlyintothesofteveningairallthetime——butnowotherwreathsofsmokewererising，andthesewerefromthecabindoor。 \"It’sonfire——that’sall，\"saidPeter，calmly。\"Servehimright。\" \"Oh——howCANyou？\"criedPhyllis。\"Thinkofthepoordeardog。\" \"TheBABY！\"screamedBobbie。 Inaninstantallthreemadeforthebarge。 Hermooringropeswereslack，andthelittlebreeze，hardlystrongenoughtobefelt，hadyetbeenstrongenoughtodrifthersternagainstthebank。Bobbiewasfirst——thencamePeter，anditwasPeterwhoslippedandfell。Hewentintothecanaluptohisneck，andhisfeetcouldnotfeelthebottom，buthisarmwasontheedgeofthebarge。Phylliscaughtathishair。Ithurt，butithelpedhimtogetout。Nextminutehehadleapedontothebarge，Phyllisfollowing。 \"Notyou！\"heshoutedtoBobbie;\"ME，becauseI’mwet。\" HecaughtupwithBobbieatthecabindoor，andflungherasideveryroughlyindeed;iftheyhadbeenplaying，suchroughnesswouldhavemadeBobbieweepwithtearsofrageandpain。Now，thoughheflungherontotheedgeofthehold，sothatherkneeandherelbowweregrazedandbruised，sheonlycried：—— \"No——notyou——ME，\"andstruggledupagain。Butnotquicklyenough。 Peterhadalreadygonedowntwoofthecabinstepsintothecloudofthicksmoke。Hestopped，rememberedallhehadeverheardoffires，pulledhissoakedhandkerchiefoutofhisbreastpocketandtieditoverhismouth。Ashepulleditouthesaid：—— \"It’sallright，hardlyanyfireatall。\" Andthis，thoughhethoughtitwasalie，wasrathergoodofPeter。 ItwasmeanttokeepBobbiefromrushingafterhimintodanger。Ofcourseitdidn’t。 Thecabinglowedred。Aparaffinlampwasburningcalmlyinanorangemist。 \"Hi，\"saidPeter，liftingthehandkerchieffromhismouthforamoment。\"Hi，Baby——whereareyou？\"Hechoked。 \"Oh，letMEgo，\"criedBobbie，closebehindhim。Peterpushedherbackmoreroughlythanbefore，andwenton。 Nowwhatwouldhavehappenedifthebabyhadn’tcriedIdon’tknow—— butjustatthatmomentitDIDcry。Peterfelthiswaythroughthedarksmoke，foundsomethingsmallandsoftandwarmandalive，pickeditupandbackedout，nearlytumblingoverBobbiewhowasclosebehind。Adogsnappedathisleg——triedtobark，choked。 \"I’vegotthekid，\"saidPeter，tearingoffthehandkerchiefandstaggeringontothedeck。 Bobbiecaughtattheplacewherethebarkcamefrom，andherhandsmetonthefatbackofasmooth—haireddog。Itturnedandfasteneditsteethonherhand，butverygently，asmuchastosay：—— \"I’mboundtobarkandbiteifstrangerscomeintomymaster’scabin，butIknowyoumeanwell，soIwon’tREALLYbite。\" Bobbiedroppedthedog。 \"Allright，oldman。Gooddog，\"saidshe。\"Here——givemethebaby，Peter;you’resowetyou’llgiveitcold。\" Peterwasonlytoogladtohandoverthestrangelittlebundlethatsquirmedandwhimperedinhisarms。 \"Now，\"saidBobbie，quickly，\"yourunstraighttothe’RoseandCrown’andtellthem。PhilandIwillstayherewiththeprecious。 Hush，then，adear，aduck，adarling！GoNOW，Peter！Run！\" \"Ican’truninthesethings，\"saidPeter，firmly;\"they’reasheavyaslead。I’llwalk。\" \"ThenI’LLrun，\"saidBobbie。\"Getonthebank，Phil，andI’llhandyouthedear。\" Thebabywascarefullyhanded。Phyllissatdownonthebankandtriedtohushthebaby。Peterwrungthewaterfromhissleevesandknickerbockerlegsaswellashecould，anditwasBobbiewhoranlikethewindacrossthebridgeandupthelongwhitequiettwilightroadtowardsthe’RoseandCrown。’ Thereisaniceold—fashionedroomatthe’RoseandCrown;whereBargeesandtheirwivessitofaneveningdrinkingtheirsupperbeer，andtoastingtheirsuppercheeseataglowingbasketfulofcoalsthatsticksoutintotheroomunderagreathoodedchimneyandiswarmerandprettierandmorecomfortingthananyotherfireplace_I_eversaw。 Therewasapleasantpartyofbargepeopleroundthefire。Youmightnothavethoughtitpleasant，buttheydid;fortheywereallfriendsoracquaintances，andtheylikedthesamesortofthings，andtalkedthesamesortoftalk。Thisistherealsecretofpleasantsociety。TheBargeeBill，whomthechildrenhadfoundsodisagreeable，wasconsideredexcellentcompanybyhismates。Hewastellingataleofhisownwrongs——alwaysathrillingsubject。Itwashisbargehewasspeakingabout。 \"And’esentdownword’paintherinsidehout，’notnamin’nocolour，d’yesee？SoIgetsalottergreenpaintandIpaintsherstemtostern，andItellyershelookedA1。Then’Ecomesalongand’esays，’Wotyerpaint’erallonecolourfor？’’esays。AndI says，saysI，’CauseIthoughtshe’dlookfust—rate，’saysI，’andI thinksostill。’An’hesays，’DEWyer？Thenyecanjustpayforthebloomin’paintyerself，’sayshe。An’I’adto，too。\"Amurmurofsympathyranroundtheroom。BreakingnoisilyinonitcameBobbie。Sheburstopentheswingdoor——cryingbreathlessly：—— \"Bill！IwantBilltheBargeman。\" Therewasastupefiedsilence。Potsofbeerwereheldinmid—air，paralysedontheirwaytothirstymouths。 \"Oh，\"saidBobbie，seeingthebargewomanandmakingforher。\"Yourbargecabin’sonfire。Goquickly。\" Thewomanstartedtoherfeet，andputabigredhandtoherwaist，ontheleftside，whereyourheartseemstobewhenyouarefrightenedormiserable。 \"ReginaldHorace！\"shecriedinaterriblevoice;\"myReginaldHorace！\" \"Allright，\"saidBobbie，\"ifyoumeanthebaby;gothimoutsafe。 Dog，too。\"Shehadnobreathformore，except，\"Goon——it’sallalight。\" Thenshesankontheale—housebenchandtriedtogetthatbreathofreliefafterrunningwhichpeoplecallthe’secondwind。’Butshefeltasthoughshewouldneverbreatheagain。 BilltheBargeeroseslowlyandheavily。Buthiswifewasahundredyardsuptheroadbeforehehadquiteunderstoodwhatwasthematter。 Phyllis，shiveringbythecanalside，hadhardlyheardthequickapproachingfeetbeforethewomanhadflungherselfontherailing，rolleddownthebank，andsnatchedthebabyfromher。 \"Don’t，\"saidPhyllis，reproachfully;\"I’djustgothimtosleep。\" ****** Billcameuplatertalkinginalanguagewithwhichthechildrenwerewhollyunfamiliar。Heleapedontothebargeanddippeduppailsofwater。Peterhelpedhimandtheyputoutthefire。 Phyllis，thebargewoman，andthebaby——andpresentlyBobbie，too—— cuddledtogetherinaheaponthebank。 \"Lordhelpme，ifitwasmeleftanythingascouldcatchalight，\" saidthewomanagainandagain。 Butitwasn’tshe。ItwasBilltheBargeman，whohadknockedhispipeoutandtheredashhadfallenonthehearth—rugandsmoulderedthereandatlastbrokenintoflame。Thoughasternmanhewasjust。Hedidnotblamehiswifeforwhatwashisownfault，asmanybargemen，andothermen，too，wouldhavedone。 ****** MotherwashalfwildwithanxietywhenatlastthethreechildrenturnedupatThreeChimneys，allverywetbynow，forPeterseemedtohavecomeoffontheothers。Butwhenshehaddisentangledthetruthofwhathadhappenedfromtheirmixedandincoherentnarrative，sheownedthattheyhaddonequiteright，andcouldnotpossiblyhavedoneotherwise。Nordidsheputanyobstaclesinthewayoftheiracceptingthecordialinvitationwithwhichthebargemanhadpartedfromthem。 \"Yebehereatsevento—morrow，\"hehadsaid，\"andI’lltakeyoutheentiretriptoFarleyandback，soIwill，andnotapennytopay。 Nineteenlocks！\" Theydidnotknowwhatlockswere;buttheywereatthebridgeatseven，withbreadandcheeseandhalfasodacake，andquiteaquarterofalegofmuttoninabasket。 Itwasagloriousday。Theoldwhitehorsestrainedattheropes，thebargeglidedsmoothlyandsteadilythroughthestillwater。Theskywasblueoverhead。Mr。Billwasasniceasanyonecouldpossiblybe。NoonewouldhavethoughtthathecouldbethesamemanwhohadheldPeterbytheear。AsforMrs。Bill，shehadalwaysbeennice，asBobbiesaid，andsohadthebaby，andevenSpot，whomighthavebittenthemquitebadlyifhehadliked。 \"Itwassimplyripping，Mother，\"saidPeter，whentheyreachedhomeveryhappy，verytired，andverydirty，\"rightoverthatgloriousaqueduct。Andlocks——youdon’tknowwhatthey’relike。Yousinkintothegroundandthen，whenyoufeelyou’renevergoingtostopgoingdown，twogreatblackgatesopenslowly，slowly——yougoout，andthereyouareonthecanaljustlikeyouwerebefore。\" \"Iknow，\"saidMother，\"therearelocksontheThames。FatherandI usedtogoontheriveratMarlowbeforeweweremarried。\" \"Andthedear，darling，duckybaby，\"saidBobbie;\"itletmenurseitforagesandages——anditWASsogood。Mother，Iwishwehadababytoplaywith。\" \"Andeverybodywassonicetous，\"saidPhyllis，\"everybodywemet。 Andtheysaywemayfishwheneverwelike。AndBillisgoingtoshowusthewaynexttimehe’sintheseparts。Hesayswedon’tknowreally。\" \"HesaidYOUdidn’tknow，\"saidPeter;\"but，Mother，hesaidhe’dtellallthebargeesupanddownthecanalthatwewerethereal，rightsort，andtheyweretotreatuslikegoodpals，aswewere。\" \"SothenIsaid，\"Phyllisinterrupted，\"we’dalwayseachweararedribbonwhenwewentfishingbythecanal，sothey’dknowitwasUS，andwewerethereal，rightsort，andbenicetous！\" \"Soyou’vemadeanotherlotoffriends，\"saidMother;\"firsttherailwayandthenthecanal！\" \"Oh，yes，\"saidBobbie;\"Ithinkeveryoneintheworldisfriendsifyoucanonlygetthemtoseeyoudon’twanttobeUN—friends。\" \"Perhapsyou’reright，\"saidMother;andshesighed。\"Come，Chicks。 It’sbedtime。\" \"Yes，\"saidPhyllis。\"Ohdear——andwewentuptheretotalkaboutwhatwe’ddoforPerks’sbirthday。Andwehaven’ttalkedasinglethingaboutit！\" \"Nomorewehave，\"saidBobbie;\"butPeter’ssavedReginaldHorace’slife。Ithinkthat’saboutgoodenoughforoneevening。\" \"BobbiewouldhavesavedhimifIhadn’tknockedherdown;twiceI did，\"saidPeter，loyally。 \"SowouldI，\"saidPhyllis，\"ifI’dknownwhattodo。\" \"Yes，\"saidMother，\"you’vesavedalittlechild’slife。Idothinkthat’senoughforoneevening。Oh，mydarlings，thankGodYOU’RE allsafe！\" ChapterIX。TheprideofPerks。 Itwasbreakfast—time。Mother’sfacewasverybrightasshepouredthemilkandladledouttheporridge。 \"I’vesoldanotherstory，Chickies，\"shesaid;\"theoneabouttheKingoftheMussels，sothere’llbebunsfortea。Youcangoandgetthemassoonasthey’rebaked。Abouteleven，isn’tit？\" Peter，Phyllis，andBobbieexchangedglanceswitheachother，sixglancesinall。ThenBobbiesaid：—— \"Mother，wouldyoumindifwedidn’thavethebunsforteato—night，butonthefifteenth？That’snextThursday。\" \"_I_don’tmindwhenyouhavethem，dear，\"saidMother，\"butwhy？\" \"Becauseit’sPerks’sbirthday，\"saidBobbie;\"he’sthirty—two，andhesayshedoesn’tkeephisbirthdayanymore，becausehe’sgototherthingstokeep——notrabbitsorsecrets——butthekidsandthemissus。\" \"Youmeanhiswifeandchildren，\"saidMother。 \"Yes，\"saidPhyllis;\"it’sthesamething，isn’tit？\" \"Andwethoughtwe’dmakeanicebirthdayforhim。He’sbeensoawfullyjollydecenttous，youknow，Mother，\"saidPeter，\"andweagreedthatnextbun—daywe’daskyouifwecould。\" \"Butsupposetherehadn’tbeenabun—daybeforethefifteenth？\"saidMother。 \"Oh，then，wemeanttoaskyoutoletusanti——antipateit，andgowithoutwhenthebun—daycame。\" \"Anticipate，\"saidMother。\"Isee。Certainly。Itwouldbenicetoputhisnameonthebunswithpinksugar，wouldn’tit？\" \"Perks，\"saidPeter，\"it’snotaprettyname。\" \"Hisothername’sAlbert，\"saidPhyllis;\"Iaskedhimonce。\" \"WemightputA。P。，\"saidMother;\"I’llshowyouhowwhenthedaycomes。\" Thiswasallverywellasfarasitwent。ButevenfourteenhalfpennybunswithA。P。ontheminpinksugardonotofthemselvesmakeaverygrandcelebration。 \"Therearealwaysflowers，ofcourse，\"saidBobbie，later，whenareallyearnestcouncilwasbeingheldonthesubjectinthehay—loftwherethebrokenchaff—cuttingmachinewas，andtherowofholestodrophaythroughintothehay—racksoverthemangersofthestablesbelow。 \"He’sgotlotsofflowersofhisown，\"saidPeter。 \"Butit’salwaysnicetohavethemgivenyou，\"saidBobbie，\"howevermanyyou’vegotofyourown。Wecanuseflowersfortrimmingstothebirthday。Buttheremustbesomethingtotrimbesidesbuns。\" \"Let’sallbequietandthink，\"saidPhyllis;\"noone’stospeakuntilit’sthoughtofsomething。\" Sotheywereallquietandsoverystillthatabrownratthoughtthattherewasnooneintheloftandcameoutveryboldly。WhenBobbiesneezed，theratwasquiteshockedandhurriedaway，forhesawthatahay—loftwheresuchthingscouldhappenwasnoplaceforarespectablemiddle—agedratthatlikedaquietlife。 \"Hooray！\"criedPeter，suddenly，\"I’vegotit。\"Hejumpedupandkickedattheloosehay。 \"What？\"saidtheothers，eagerly。 \"Why，Perksissonicetoeverybody。Theremustbelotsofpeopleinthevillagewho’dliketohelptomakehimabirthday。Let’sgoroundandaskeverybody。\" \"Mothersaidweweren’ttoaskpeopleforthings，\"saidBobbie，doubtfully。 \"Forourselves，shemeant，silly，notforotherpeople。I’llasktheoldgentlemantoo。YouseeifIdon’t，\"saidPeter。 \"Let’saskMotherfirst，\"saidBobbie。 \"Oh，what’stheuseofbotheringMotherabouteverylittlething？\" saidPeter，\"especiallywhenshe’sbusy。Comeon。Let’sgodowntothevillagenowandbegin。\" Sotheywent。TheoldladyatthePost—officesaidshedidn’tseewhyPerksshouldhaveabirthdayanymorethananyoneelse。 \"No，\"saidBobbie，\"Ishouldlikeeveryonetohaveone。Onlyweknowwhenhisis。\" \"Mine’sto—morrow，\"saidtheoldlady，\"andmuchnoticeanyonewilltakeofit。Goalongwithyou。\" Sotheywent。 Andsomepeoplewerekind，andsomewerecrusty。Andsomewouldgiveandsomewouldnot。Itisratherdifficultworkaskingforthings，evenforotherpeople，asyouhavenodoubtfoundifyouhaveevertriedit。 Whenthechildrengothomeandcountedupwhathadbeengivenandwhathadbeenpromised，theyfeltthatforthefirstdayitwasnotsobad。Peterwrotedownthelistsofthethingsinthelittlepocket—bookwherehekeptthenumbersofhisengines。Thesewerethelists：—— GIVEN。 Atobaccopipefromthesweetshop。 Halfapoundofteafromthegrocer’s。 Awoollenscarfslightlyfadedfromthedraper’s，whichwastheothersideofthegrocer’s。 AstuffedsquirrelfromtheDoctor。 PROMISED。 Apieceofmeatfromthebutcher。 Sixfresheggsfromthewomanwholivedintheoldturnpikecottage。 Apieceofhoneycombandsixbootlacesfromthecobbler，andanironshovelfromtheblacksmith’s。 VeryearlynextmorningBobbiegotupandwokePhyllis。Thishadbeenagreedonbetweenthem。TheyhadnottoldPeterbecausetheythoughthewouldthinkitsilly。Buttheytoldhimafterwards，whenithadturnedoutallright。 Theycutabigbunchofroses，andputitinabasketwiththeneedle—bookthatPhyllishadmadeforBobbieonherbirthday，andaveryprettybluenecktieofPhyllis’s。Thentheywroteonapaper： ’ForMrs。Ransome，withourbestlove，becauseitisherbirthday，’ andtheyputthepaperinthebasket，andtheytookittothePost— office，andwentinandputitonthecounterandranawaybeforetheoldwomanatthePost—officehadtimetogetintohershop。 WhentheygothomePeterhadgrownconfidentialoverhelpingMothertogetthebreakfastandhadtoldhertheirplans。 \"There’snoharminit，\"saidMother，\"butitdependsHOWyoudoit。 Ionlyhopehewon’tbeoffendedandthinkit’sCHARITY。Poorpeopleareveryproud，youknow。\" \"Itisn’tbecausehe’spoor，\"saidPhyllis;\"it’sbecausewe’refondofhim。\" \"I’llfindsomethingsthatPhyllishasoutgrown，\"saidMother，\"ifyou’requitesureyoucangivethemtohimwithouthisbeingoffended。Ishouldliketodosomelittlethingforhimbecausehe’sbeensokindtoyou。Ican’tdomuchbecausewe’repoorourselves。Whatareyouwriting，Bobbie？\" \"Nothingparticular，\"saidBobbie，whohadsuddenlybeguntoscribble。\"I’msurehe’dlikethethings，Mother。\" ThemorningofthefifteenthwasspentveryhappilyingettingthebunsandwatchingMothermakeA。P。onthemwithpinksugar。Youknowhowit’sdone，ofcourse？Youbeatupwhitesofeggsandmixpowderedsugarwiththem，andputinafewdropsofcochineal。Andthenyoumakeaconeofclean，whitepaperwithalittleholeatthepointedend，andputthepinkegg—sugarinatthebigend。Itrunsslowlyoutatthepointedend，andyouwritetheletterswithitjustasthoughitwereagreatfatpenfullofpinksugar—ink。 ThebunslookedbeautifulwithA。P。oneveryone，and，whentheywereputinacooloventosetthesugar，thechildrenwentuptothevillagetocollectthehoneyandtheshovelandtheotherpromisedthings。 TheoldladyatthePost—officewasstandingonherdoorstep。Thechildrensaid\"Goodmorning，\"politely，astheypassed。 \"Here，stopabit，\"shesaid。 Sotheystopped。 \"Thoseroses，\"saidshe。 \"Didyoulikethem？\"saidPhyllis;\"theywereasfreshasfresh。 _I_madetheneedle—book，butitwasBobbie’spresent。\"Sheskippedjoyouslyasshespoke。 \"Here’syourbasket，\"saidthePost—officewoman。Shewentinandbroughtoutthebasket。Itwasfulloffat，redgooseberries。 \"IdaresayPerks’schildrenwouldlikethem，\"saidshe。 \"YouAREanolddear，\"saidPhyllis，throwingherarmsaroundtheoldlady’sfatwaist。\"PerksWILLbepleased。\" \"Hewon’tbehalfsopleasedasIwaswithyourneedle—bookandthetieandtheprettyflowersandall，\"saidtheoldlady，pattingPhyllis’sshoulder。\"You’regoodlittlesouls，thatyouare。Lookhere。I’vegotapramroundthebackinthewood—lodge。ItwasgotformyEmmie’sfirst，thatdidn’tlivebutsixmonths，andsheneverhadbutthatone。I’dlikeMrs。Perkstohaveit。It’udbeahelptoherwiththatgreatboyofhers。Willyoutakeitalong？\" \"OH！\"saidallthechildrentogether。 WhenMrs。Ransomehadgotouttheperambulatorandtakenoffthecarefulpapersthatcoveredit，anddusteditallover，shesaid：—— \"Well，thereitis。Idon’tknowbutwhatI’dhavegivenittoherbeforeifI’dthoughtofit。OnlyIdidn’tquiteknowifshe’dacceptofitfromme。YoutellheritwasmyEmmie’slittleone’spram——\" \"Oh，ISN’Titnicetothinkthereisgoingtobeareallivebabyinitagain！\" \"Yes，\"saidMrs。Ransome，sighing，andthenlaughing;\"here，I’llgiveyousomepeppermintcushionsforthelittleones，andthenyourunalongbeforeIgiveyoutheroofoffmyheadandtheclothesoffmyback。\" AllthethingsthathadbeencollectedforPerkswerepackedintotheperambulator，andathalf—pastthreePeterandBobbieandPhylliswheeleditdowntothelittleyellowhousewherePerkslived。 Thehousewasverytidy。Onthewindowledgewasajugofwild— flowers，bigdaisies，andredsorrel，andfeathery，flowerygrasses。 Therewasasoundofsplashingfromthewash—house，andapartlywashedboyputhisheadroundthedoor。 \"Mother’sa—changingofherself，\"hesaid。 \"Downinaminute，\"avoicesoundeddownthenarrow，freshlyscrubbedstairs。 Thechildrenwaited。NextmomentthestairscreakedandMrs。Perkscamedown，buttoningherbodice。Herhairwasbrushedverysmoothandtight，andherfaceshonewithsoapandwater。 \"I’mabitlatechanging，Miss，\"shesaidtoBobbie，\"owingtomehavinghadaextryclean—upto—day，alongo’Perkshappeningtonameitsbeinghisbirthday。Idon’tknowwhatputitintohisheadtothinkofsuchathing。Wekeepsthechildren’sbirthdays，ofcourse;buthimandme——we’retoooldforsuchlike，asageneralrule。\" \"Weknewitwashisbirthday，\"saidPeter，\"andwe’vegotsomepresentsforhimoutsideintheperambulator。 Asthepresentswerebeingunpacked，Mrs。Perksgasped。Whentheywereallunpacked，shesurprisedandhorrifiedthechildrenbysittingsuddenlydownonawoodenchairandburstingintotears。 \"Oh，don’t！\"saideverybody;\"oh，pleasedon’t！\"AndPeteradded，perhapsalittleimpatiently：\"Whatonearthisthematter？Youdon’tmeantosayyoudon’tlikeit？\" Mrs。Perksonlysobbed。ThePerkschildren，nowasshiny—facedasanyonecouldwish，stoodatthewash—housedoor，andscowledattheintruders。Therewasasilence，anawkwardsilence。 \"DON’Tyoulikeit？\"saidPeter，again，whilehissisterspattedMrs。Perksontheback。 Shestoppedcryingassuddenlyasshehadbegun。 \"There，there，don’tyoumindme。I’Mallright！\"shesaid。\"Likeit？Why，it’sabirthdaysuchasPerksnever’ad，notevenwhen’ewasaboyandstayedwithhisuncle，whowasacornchandlerinhisownaccount。Hefailedafterwards。Likeit？Oh——\"andthenshewentonandsaidallsortsofthingsthatIwon’twritedown，becauseIamsurethatPeterandBobbieandPhylliswouldnotlikemeto。Theirearsgothotterandhotter，andtheirfacesredderandredder，atthekindthingsMrs。Perkssaid。Theyfelttheyhaddonenothingtodeserveallthispraise。 AtlastPetersaid：\"Lookhere，we’regladyou’repleased。Butifyougoonsayingthingslikethat，wemustgohome。AndwedidwanttostayandseeifMr。Perksispleased，too。Butwecan’tstandthis。\" \"Iwon’tsayanothersingleword，\"saidMrs。Perks，withabeamingface，\"butthatneedn’tstopmethinking，needit？Forifever——\" \"Canwehaveaplateforthebuns？\"Bobbieaskedabruptly。AndthenMrs。Perkshastilylaidthetablefortea，andthebunsandthehoneyandthegooseberriesweredisplayedonplates，andtheroseswereputintwoglassjamjars，andthetea—tablelooked，asMrs。 Perkssaid，\"fitforaPrince。\" \"Tothink！\"shesaid，\"megettingtheplacetidyearly，andthelittle’unsgettingthewild—flowersandall——whenneverdidIthinkthere’dbeanythingmoreforhimexcepttheounceofhispetparticularthatIgoto’Saturdayandbeensavingupfor’imeversince。Blessus！’eISearly！\" Perkshadindeedunlatchedthelatchofthelittlefrontgate。 \"Oh，\"whisperedBobbie，\"let’shideinthebackkitchen，andYOU tellhimaboutit。Butgivehimthetobaccofirst，becauseyougotitforhim。Andwhenyou’vetoldhim，we’llallcomeinandshout，’Manyhappyreturns！’\" Itwasaveryniceplan，butitdidnotquitecomeoff。Tobeginwith，therewasonlyjusttimeforPeterandBobbieandPhyllistorushintothewash—house，pushingtheyoungandopen—mouthedPerkschildreninfrontofthem。Therewasnottimetoshutthedoor，sothat，withoutatallmeaningit，theyhadtolistentowhatwentoninthekitchen。Thewash—housewasatightfitforthePerkschildrenandtheThreeChimneyschildren，aswellasallthewash— house’sproperfurniture，includingthemangleandthecopper。 \"Hullo，oldwoman！\"theyheardMr。Perks’svoicesay;\"here’saprettyset—out！\" \"It’syourbirthdaytea，Bert，\"saidMrs。Perks，\"andhere’saounceofyourextryparticular。Igotito’Saturdayalongo’yourhappeningtorememberitwasyourbirthdayto—day。\" \"Goodoldgirl！\"saidMr。Perks，andtherewasasoundofakiss。 \"Butwhat’sthatpramdoinghere？Andwhat’sallthesebundles？ Andwheredidyougetthesweetstuff，and——\" ThechildrendidnothearwhatMrs。Perksreplied，becausejustthenBobbiegaveastart，putherhandinherpocket，andallherbodygrewstiffwithhorror。 \"Oh！\"shewhisperedtotheothers，\"whatevershallwedo？Iforgottoputthelabelsonanyofthethings！Hewon’tknowwhat’sfromwho。He’llthinkit’sallUS，andthatwe’retryingtobegrandorcharitableorsomethinghorrid。\" \"Hush！\"saidPeter。 AndthentheyheardthevoiceofMr。Perks，loudandratherangry。 \"Idon’tcare，\"hesaid;\"Iwon’tstandit，andsoItellyoustraight。\" \"But，\"saidMrs。Perks，\"it’sthemchildrenyoumakesuchafussabout——thechildrenfromtheThreeChimneys。\" \"Idon’tcare，\"saidPerks，firmly，\"notifitwasaangelfromHeaven。We’vegotonallrightalltheseyearsandnofavoursasked。I’mnotgoingtobeginthesesortofcharitygoings—onatmytimeoflife，sodon’tyouthinkit，Nell。\" \"Oh，hush！\"saidpoorMrsPerks;\"Bert，shutyoursillytongue，forgoodness’sake。Theallthreeof’emsinthewash—housea—listeningtoeverywordyouspeaks。\" \"ThenI’llgivethemsomethingtolistento，\"saidtheangryPerks; \"I’vespokemymindtothemaforenow，andI’lldoitagain，\"headded，andhetooktwostridestothewash—housedoor，andflungitwideopen——aswide，thatis，asitwouldgo，withthetightlypackedchildrenbehindit。 \"Comeout，\"saidPerks，\"comeoutandtellmewhatyoumeanbyit。 ’AveIevercomplainedtoyouofbeingshort，asyoucomesthischaritylayoverme？\" \"OH！\"saidPhyllis，\"Ithoughtyou’dbesopleased;I’llnevertrytobekindtoanyoneelseaslongasIlive。No，Iwon’t，notnever。\" Sheburstintotears。 \"Wedidn’tmeananyharm，\"saidPeter。 \"Itain’twhatyoumeanssomuchaswhatyoudoes，\"saidPerks。 \"Oh，DON’T！\"criedBobbie，tryinghardtobebraverthanPhyllis，andtofindmorewordsthanPeterhaddoneforexplainingin。\"Wethoughtyou’dloveit。Wealwayshavethingsonourbirthdays。\" \"Oh，yes，\"saidPerks，\"yourownrelations;that’sdifferent。\" \"Oh，no，\"Bobbieanswered。\"NOTourownrelations。Alltheservantsalwaysgaveusthingsathome，andustothemwhenitwastheirbirthdays。Andwhenitwasmine，andMothergavemethebroochlikeabuttercup，Mrs。Vineygavemetwolovelyglasspots，andnobodythoughtshewascomingthecharitylayoverus。\" \"Ifithadbeenglasspotshere，\"saidPerks，\"Iwouldn’tha’saidsomuch。It’stherebeingallthisheapsandheapsofthingsI can’tstand。No——norwon’t，neither。\" \"Butthey’renotallfromus——\"saidPeter，\"onlyweforgottoputthelabelson。They’refromallsortsofpeopleinthevillage。\" \"Whoput’emuptoit，I’dliketoknow？\"askedPerks。 \"Why，wedid，\"sniffedPhyllis。 Perkssatdownheavilyintheelbow—chairandlookedatthemwithwhatBobbieafterwardsdescribedaswitheringglancesofgloomydespair。 \"Soyou’vebeenroundtellingtheneighbourswecan’tmakebothendsmeet？Well，nowyou’vedisgracedusasdeepasyoucanintheneighbourhood，youcanjusttakethewholebagoftricksbackw’ereitcomefrom。Verymuchobliged，I’msure。Idon’tdoubtbutwhatyoumeantitkind，butI’drathernotbeacquaintedwithyouanylongerifit’sallthesametoyou。\"Hedeliberatelyturnedthechairroundsothathisbackwasturnedtothechildren。Thelegsofthechairgratedonthebrickfloor，andthatwastheonlysoundthatbrokethesilence。 ThensuddenlyBobbiespoke。 \"Lookhere，\"shesaid，\"thisismostawful。\" \"That’swhatIsays，\"saidPerks，notturninground。 \"Lookhere，\"saidBobbie，desperately，\"we’llgoifyoulike——andyouneedn’tbefriendswithusanymoreifyoudon’twant，but——\" \"WEshallalwaysbefriendswithYOU，howevernastyyouaretous，\" sniffedPhyllis，wildly。 \"Bequiet，\"saidPeter，inafierceaside。 \"Butbeforewego，\"Bobbiewentondesperately，\"doletusshowyouthelabelswewrotetoputonthethings。\" \"Idon’twanttoseenolabels，\"saidPerks，\"exceptproperluggageonesinmyownwalkoflife。DoyouthinkI’vekeptrespectableandouterdebtonwhatIgets，andherhavingtotakeinwashing，tobegiveawayforalaughing—stocktoalltheneighbours？\" \"Laughing？\"saidPeter;\"youdon’tknow。\" \"You’reaveryhastygentleman，\"whinedPhyllis;\"youknowyouwerewrongoncebefore，aboutusnottellingyouthesecretabouttheRussian。DoletBobbietellyouaboutthelabels！\" \"Well。Goahead！\"saidPerks，grudgingly。 \"Well，then，\"saidBobbie，fumblingmiserably，yetnotwithouthope，inhertightlystuffedpocket，\"wewrotedownallthethingseverybodysaidwhentheygaveusthethings，withthepeople’snames，becauseMothersaidweoughttobecareful——because——butI wrotedownwhatshesaid——andyou’llsee。\" ButBobbiecouldnotreadthelabelsjustatonce。Shehadtoswallowonceortwicebeforeshecouldbegin。 Mrs。Perkshadbeencryingsteadilyeversinceherhusbandhadopenedthewash—housedoor。Nowshecaughtherbreath，choked，andsaid：—— \"Don’tyouupsetyourself，Missy。_I_knowyoumeantitkindifhedoesn’t。\" \"MayIreadthelabels？\"saidBobbie，cryingontotheslipsasshetriedtosortthem。\"Mother’sfirst。Itsays：—— \"’LittleClothesforMrs。Perks’schildren。’Mothersaid，’I’llfindsomeofPhyllis’sthingsthatshe’sgrownoutofifyou’requitesureMr。Perkswouldn’tbeoffendedandthinkit’smeantforcharity。I’dliketodosomelittlethingforhim，becausehe’ssokindtoyou。Ican’tdomuchbecausewe’repoorourselves。’\" Bobbiepaused。 \"That’sallright，\"saidPerks，\"yourMa’sabornlady。We’llkeepthelittlefrocks，andwhatnot，Nell。\" \"Thenthere’stheperambulatorandthegooseberries，andthesweets，\"saidBobbie，\"they’refromMrs。Ransome。Shesaid：’IdaresayMr。Perks’schildrenwouldlikethesweets。AndtheperambulatorwasgotformyEmmie’sfirst——itdidn’tlivebutsixmonths，andshe’sneverhadbutthatone。I’dlikeMrs。Perkstohaveit。Itwouldbeahelpwithherfineboy。I’dhavegivenitbeforeifI’dbeensureshe’dacceptofitfromme。’Shetoldmetotellyou，\"Bobbieadded，\"thatitwasherEmmie’slittleone’spram。\" \"Ican’tsendthatpramback，Bert，\"saidMrsPerks，firmly，\"andI won’t。Sodon’tyouaskme——\" \"I’mnota—askinganything，\"saidPerks，gruffly。 \"Thentheshovel，\"saidBobbie。\"Mr。Jamesmadeitforyouhimself。 Andhesaid——whereisit？Oh，yes，here！Hesaid，’YoutellMr。 Perksit’sapleasuretomakealittletrifleforamanasissomuchrespected，’andthenhesaidhewishedhecouldshoeyourchildrenandhisownchildren，liketheydothehorses，because，well，heknewwhatshoeleatherwas。\" \"Jamesisagoodenoughchap，\"saidPerks。 \"Thenthehoney，\"saidBobbie，inhaste，\"andtheboot—laces。HE saidherespectedamanthatpaidhisway——andthebutchersaidthesame。Andtheoldturnpikewomansaidmanywasthetimeyou’dlentherahandwithhergardenwhenyouwerealad——andthingslikethatcamehometoroost——Idon’tknowwhatshemeant。Andeverybodywhogaveanythingsaidtheylikedyou，anditwasaverygoodideaofours;andnobodysaidanythingaboutcharityoranythinghorridlikethat。AndtheoldgentlemangavePeteragoldpoundforyou，andsaidyouwereamanwhoknewyourwork。AndIthoughtyou’dLOVEtoknowhowfondpeopleareofyou，andIneverwassounhappyinmylife。Good—bye。Ihopeyou’llforgiveussomeday——\" Shecouldsaynomore，andsheturnedtogo。 \"Stop，\"saidPerks，stillwithhisbacktothem;\"ItakebackeverywordI’vesaidcontrarytowhatyou’dwish。Nell，setonthekettle。\" \"We’lltakethethingsawayifyou’reunhappyaboutthem，\"saidPeter;\"butIthinkeverybody’llbemostawfullydisappointed，aswellasus。\" \"I’mnotunhappyaboutthem，\"saidPerks;\"Idon’tknow，\"headded，suddenlywheelingthechairroundandshowingaveryodd—lookingscrewed—upface，\"Idon’tknowaseverIwasbetterpleased。Notsomuchwiththepresents——thoughthey’reanA1collection——butthekindrespectofourneighbours。That’sworthhaving，eh，Nell？\" \"Ithinkit’sallworthhaving，\"saidMrs。Perks，\"andyou’vemadeamostridiculousfussaboutnothing，Bert，ifyouaskme。\" \"No，Iain’t，\"saidPerks，firmly;\"ifamandidn’trespecthisself，noonewouldn’tdoitforhim。\" \"Buteveryonerespectsyou，\"saidBobbie;\"theyallsaidso。\" \"Iknewyou’dlikeitwhenyoureallyunderstood，\"saidPhyllis，brightly。 \"Humph！You’llstaytotea？\"saidMr。Perks。 LateronPeterproposedMr。Perks’shealth。AndMr。Perksproposedatoast，alsohonouredintea，andthetoastwas，\"Maythegarlandoffriendshipbeevergreen，\"whichwasmuchmorepoeticalthananyonehadexpectedfromhim。 ****** \"Jollygoodlittlekids，those，\"saidMr。Perkstohiswifeastheywenttobed。 \"Oh，they’reallright，blesstheirhearts，\"saidhiswife;\"it’syouthat’stheaggravatingestoldthingthateverwas。Iwasashamedofyou——Itellyou——\" \"Youdidn’tneedtobe，oldgal。IclimbeddownhandsomesoonasI understooditwasn’tcharity。Butcharity’swhatIneverdidabide，andwon’tneither。\" ****** Allsortsofpeopleweremadehappybythatbirthdayparty。Mr。 PerksandMrs。PerksandthelittlePerksesbyallthenicethingsandbythekindthoughtsoftheirneighbours;theThreeChimneyschildrenbythesuccess，undoubtedthoughunexpectedlydelayed，oftheirplan;andMrs。RansomeeverytimeshesawthefatPerksbabyintheperambulator。Mrs。Perksmadequitearoundofvisitstothankpeoplefortheirkindbirthdaypresents，andaftereachvisitfeltthatshehadabetterfriendthanshehadthought。 \"Yes，\"saidPerks，reflectively，\"it’snotsomuchwhatyoudoesaswhatyoumeans;that’swhatIsay。Nowifithadbeencharity——\" \"Oh，dratcharity，\"saidMrs。Perks;\"nobodywon’tofferyoucharity，Bert，howevermuchyouwastowantit，Ilay。Thatwasjustfriendliness，thatwas。\" WhentheclergymancalledonMrs。Perks，shetoldhimallaboutit。 \"ItWASfriendliness，wasn’tit，Sir？\"saidshe。 \"Ithink，\"saidtheclergyman，\"itwaswhatissometimescalledloving—kindness。\" Soyouseeitwasallrightintheend。Butifonedoesthatsortofthing，onehastobecarefultodoitintherightway。For，asMr。Perkssaid，whenhehadtimetothinkitover，it’snotsomuchwhatyoudo，aswhatyoumean。 ChapterX。Theterriblesecret。 WhentheyfirstwenttoliveatThreeChimneys，thechildrenhadtalkedagreatdealabouttheirFather，andhadaskedagreatmanyquestionsabouthim，andwhathewasdoingandwherehewasandwhenhewouldcomehome。Motheralwaysansweredtheirquestionsaswellasshecould。Butasthetimewentontheygrewtospeaklessofhim。BobbiehadfeltalmostfromthefirstthatforsomestrangemiserablereasonthesequestionshurtMotherandmadehersad。Andlittlebylittletheotherscametohavethisfeeling，too，thoughtheycouldnothaveputitintowords。 Oneday，whenMotherwasworkingsohardthatshecouldnotleaveoffevenfortenminutes，BobbiecarriedupherteatothebigbareroomthattheycalledMother’sworkshop。Ithadhardlyanyfurniture。Justatableandachairandarug。Butalwaysbigpotsofflowersonthewindow—sillsandonthemantelpiece。Thechildrensawtothat。Andfromthethreelonguncurtainedwindowsthebeautifulstretchofmeadowandmoorland，thefarvioletofthehills，andtheunchangingchangefulnessofcloudandsky。 \"Here’syourtea，Mother—love，\"saidBobbie;\"dodrinkitwhileit’shot。\" Motherlaiddownherpenamongthepagesthatwerescatteredalloverthetable，pagescoveredwithherwriting，whichwasalmostasplainasprint，andmuchprettier。Sheranherhandsintoherhair，asifsheweregoingtopullitoutbyhandfuls。