the little white bird-第25节

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back；〃　he　said　solemnly　and　meant　it；　too。



And　in　the　end；　you　know；　he　flew　away。　　Twice　he　came　back　from

the　window；　wanting　to　kiss　his　mother；　but　he　feared　the　delight

of　it　might　waken　her；　so　at　last　he　played　her　a　lovely　kiss　on

his　pipe；　and　then　he　flew　back　to　the　Gardens。



Many　nights　and　even　months　passed　before　he　asked　the　fairies

for　his　second　wish；　and　I　am　not　sure　that　I　quite　know　why　he

delayed　so　long。　　One　reason　was　that　he　had　so　many　good…byes　to

say；　not　only　to　his　particular　friends；　but　to　a　hundred

favourite　spots。　　Then　he　had　his　last　sail；　and　his　very　last

sail；　and　his　last　sail　of　all；　and　so　on。　　Again；　a　number　of

farewell　feasts　were　given　in　his　honour；　and　another　comfortable

reason　was　that；　after　all；　there　was　no　hurry；　for　his　mother

would　never　weary　of　waiting　for　him。　　This　last　reason

displeased　old　Solomon；　for　it　was　an　encouragement　to　the　birds

to　procrastinate。　　Solomon　had　several　excellent　mottoes　for

keeping　them　at　their　work；　such　as　〃Never　put　off　laying　to…day；

because　you　can　lay　to…morrow；〃　and　〃In　this　world　there　are　no

second　chances；〃　and　yet　here　was　Peter　gaily　putting　off　and

none　the　worse　for　it。　　The　birds　pointed　this　out　to　each　other；

and　fell　into　lazy　habits。



But；　mind　you；　though　Peter　was　so　slow　in　going　back　to　his

mother；　he　was　quite　decided　to　go　back。　　The　best　proof　of　this

was　his　caution　with　the　fairies。　　They　were　most　anxious　that　he

should　remain　in　the　Gardens　to　play　to　them；　and　to　bring　this

to　pass　they　tried　to　trick　him　into　making　such　a　remark　as　〃I

wish　the　grass　was　not　so　wet；〃　and　some　of　them　danced　out　of

time　in　the　hope　that　he　might　cry；　〃I　do　wish　you　would　keep

time！〃　　Then　they　would　have　said　that　this　was　his　second　wish。　

But　he　smoked　their　design；　and　though　on　occasions　he　began；　〃I

wish〃　he　always　stopped　in　time。　　So　when　at　last　he　said　to

them　bravely；　〃I　wish　now　to　go　back　to　mother　for　ever　and

always；〃　they　had　to　tickle　his　shoulders　and　let　him　go。



He　went　in　a　hurry　in　the　end　because　he　had　dreamt　that　his

mother　was　crying；　and　he　knew　what　was　the　great　thing　she　cried

for；　and　that　a　hug　from　her　splendid　Peter　would　quickly　make

her　to　smile。　　Oh；　he　felt　sure　of　it；　and　so　eager　was　he　to　be

nestling　in　her　arms　that　this　time　he　flew　straight　to　the

window；　which　was　always　to　be　open　for　him。



But　the　window　was　closed；　and　there　were　iron　bars　on　it；　and

peering　inside　he　saw　his　mother　sleeping　peacefully　with　her　arm

round　another　little　boy。



Peter　called；　〃Mother！　mother！〃　but　she　heard　him　not；　in　vain　he

beat　his　little　limbs　against　the　iron　bars。　　He　had　to　fly　back；

sobbing；　to　the　Gardens；　and　he　never　saw　his　dear　again。　　What　a

glorious　boy　he　had　meant　to　be　to　her。　　Ah；　Peter；　we　who　have

made　the　great　mistake；　how　differently　we　should　all　act　at　the

second　chance。　　But　Solomon　was　right；　there　is　no　second　chance；

not　for　most　of　us。　　When　we　reach　the　window　it　is　Lock…out

Time。　The　iron　bars　are　up　for　life。





XVII



The　Little　House



Everybody　has　heard　of　the　Little　House　in　the　Kensington

Gardens；　which　is　the　only　house　in　the　whole　world　that　the

fairies　have　built　for　humans。　　But　no　one　has　really　seen　it；

except　just　three　or　four；　and　they　have　not　only　seen　it　but

slept　in　it；　and　unless　you　sleep　in　it　you　never　see　it。　　This

is　because　it　is　not　there　when　you　lie　down；　but　it　is　there

when　you　wake　up　and　step　outside。



In　a　kind　of　way　everyone　may　see　it；　but　what　you　see　is　not

really　it；　but　only　the　light　in　the　windows。　　You　see　the　light

after　Lock…out　Time。　　David；　for　instance；　saw　it　quite

distinctly　far　away　among　the　trees　as　we　were　going　home　from

the　pantomime；　and　Oliver　Bailey　saw　it　the　night　he　stayed　so

late　at　the　Temple；　which　is　the　name　of　his　father's　office。　

Angela　Clare；　who　loves　to　have　a　tooth　extracted　because　then

she　is　treated　to　tea　in　a　shop；　saw　more　than　one　light；　she　saw

hundreds　of　them　all　together；　and　this　must　have　been　the

fairies　building　the　house；　for　they　build　it　every　night　and

always　in　a　different　part　of　the　Gardens。　　She　thought　one　of

the　lights　was　bigger　than　the　others；　though　she　was　not　quite

sure；　for　they　jumped　about　so；　and　it　might　have　been　another

one　that　was　bigger。　　But　if　it　was　the　same　one；　it　was　Peter

Pan's　light。　Heaps　of　children　have　seen　the　light；　so　that　is

nothing。　　But　Maimie　Mannering　was　the　famous　one　for　whom　the

house　was　first　built。



Maimie　was　always　rather　a　strange　girl；　and　it　was　at　night　that

she　was　strange。　　She　was　four　years　of　age；　and　in　the　daytime

she　was　the　ordinary　kind。　　She　was　pleased　when　her　brother

Tony；　who　was　a　magnificent　fellow　of　six；　took　notice　of　her；

and　she　looked　up　to　him　in　the　right　way；　and　tried　in　vain　to

imitate　him　and　was　flattered　rather　than　annoyed　when　he　shoved

her　about。　　Also；　when　she　was　batting　she　would　pause　though　the

ball　was　in　the　air　to　point　out　to　you　that　she　was　wearing　new

shoes。　She　was　quite　the　ordinary　kind　in　the　daytime。



But　as　the　shades　of　night　fell；　Tony；　the　swaggerer；　lost　his

contempt　for　Maimie　and　eyed　her　fearfully；　and　no　wonder；　for

with　dark　there　came　into　her　face　a　look　that　I　can　describe

only　as　a　leary　look。　　It　was　also　a　serene　look　that　contrasted

grandly　with　Tony's　uneasy　glances。　　Then　he　would　make　her

presents　of　his　favourite　toys　（which　he　always　took　away　from

her　next　morning）　and　she　accepted　them　with　a　disturbing　smile。　

The　reason　he　was　now　become　so　wheedling　and　she　so　mysterious

was　（in　brief）　that　they　knew　they　were　about　to　be　sent　to　bed。　

It　was　then　that　Maimie　was　terrible。　　Tony　entreated　her　not　to

do　it　to…night；　and　the　mother　and　their　coloured　nurse

threatened　her；　but　Maimie　merely　smiled　her　agitating　smile。　

And　by…and…by　when　they　were　alone　with　their　night…light　she

would　start　up　in　bed　crying　〃Hsh！　what　was　that？〃　　Tony

beseeches　her！　　〃It　was　nothingdon't；　Maimie；　don't！〃　and　pulls

the　sheet　over　his　head。　〃It　is　coming　nearer！〃　she　cries；　〃Oh；

look　at　it；　Tony！　　It　is　feeling　your　bed　with　its　hornsit　is

boring　for　you；　oh；　Tony；　oh！〃　and　she　desists　not　until　he

rushes　downstairs　in　his　combinations；　screeching。　　When　they

came　up　to　whip　Maimie　they　usually　found　her　sleeping

tranquilly；　not　shamming；　you　know；　but　really　sleeping；　and

looking　like　the　sweetest　little　angel；　which　seems　to　me　to　make

it　almost　worse。



But　of　course　it　was　daytime　when　they　were　in　the　Gardens；　and

then　Tony　did　most　of　the　talking。　　You　could　gather　from　his

talk　that　he　was　a　very　brave　boy；　and　no　one　was　so　proud　of　it

as　Maimie。　　She　would　have　loved　to　have　a　ticket　on　her　saying

that　she　was　his　sister。　　And　at　no　time　did　she　admire　him　more

than　when　he　told　her；　as　he　often　did　with　splendid　firmness；

that　one　day　he　meant　to　remain　behind　in　the　Gardens　after　the

gates　were　closed。



〃Oh；　Tony；〃　she　would　say；　with　awful　respect；　〃but　the　fairies

will　be　so　angry！〃



〃I　daresay；〃　replied　Tony；　carelessly。



〃Perhaps；〃　she　said；　thrilling；　〃Peter　Pan　will　give　you　a　sail

in　his　boat！〃



〃I　shall　make　him；〃　replied　Tony；　no　wonder　she　was　proud　of　him。



But　they　should　not　have　talked　so　loudly；　for　one　day　they　were

overheard　by　a　fairy　who　had　been　gathering　skeleton　leaves；　from

which　the　little　people　weave　their　summer　curtains；　and　after

that　Tony　was　a　marked　boy。　　They　loosened　the　rails　before　he

sat　on　them；　so　that　down　he　came　on　the　back　of　his　head；　they

tripped　him　up　by　catching　his　boot…lace　and　bribed　the　ducks　to

sink　his　boat。　　Nearly　all　the　nasty　accidents　you　meet　with　in

the　Gardens　occur　because　the　fairies　have　taken　an　ill…will　to

you；　and　so　it　behoves　you　to　be　careful　what　you　say　about　them。



Maimie　was　one　of　the　kind　who　like　to　fix　a　day　for　doing

things；　but　Tony　was　not　that　kind；　and　when　she　asked　him　which

day　he　was　to　remain　behind　in　the　Gardens　after　Lock…out　he

merely　replied；　〃Just　some　day；〃　he　was　quite　vague　about　which

day　except　when　she　asked　〃Will　it　be　to…day？〃　and　then　he　could

always　say　for　certain　that　it　would　not　be　to…day。　　So　she　saw

that　he　was　waiting　for　a　real　good　chance。



This　brings　us　to　an　afternoon　when　the　Gardens　were　white　with

snow；　and　there　was　ice　on　the　Round　Pond；　not　thick　enough　to

skate　on　but　at　least　you　could　spoil　it　for　to…morrow　by

flinging　stones；　and　many　bright　little　boys　and　girls　were　doing

that。



When　Tony　and　his　sister　arrived　they　wanted　to　go　straight　to

the　pond；　but　their　ayah　said　they　must　take　a　sharp　walk　first；

and　as　she　said　this　she　glanced　at　the　time…board　to　see　when

the　Gardens　closed　that　night。　　It　read　half…past　five。　　Poor

ayah！　she　is　the　one　who　laughs　continuously　because　there　are　so

many　white　children　in　the　world；　but　she　was