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| committer | Roger Frank <rfrank@pglaf.org> | 2025-10-14 19:53:47 -0700 |
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diff --git a/30446-h/30446-h.htm b/30446-h/30446-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..80c119b --- /dev/null +++ b/30446-h/30446-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,3135 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> + +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> + <head> + <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=UTF-8" /> + <title> + The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Bountiful Lady, by Thomas Cobb. + </title> + <style type="text/css"> +<!-- + p { margin-top: .75em; + text-align: justify; + margin-bottom: .75em; + } + h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6 { + text-align: center; /* all headings centered */ + clear: both; + } + hr { width: 33%; + margin-top: 2em; + margin-bottom: 2em; + margin-left: auto; + margin-right: auto; + clear: both; + } + + table {margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;} + + body{margin-left: 10%; + margin-right: 10%; + } + + .pagenum { /* uncomment the next line for invisible page numbers */ + /* visibility: hidden; */ + position: absolute; + left: 92%; + font-size: smaller; + text-align: right; + } /* page numbers */ + + .linenum {position: absolute; top: auto; left: 4%;} /* poetry number */ + .blockquot{margin-left: 5%; margin-right: 10%;} + .sidenote {width: 20%; padding-bottom: .5em; padding-top: .5em; + padding-left: .5em; padding-right: .5em; margin-left: 1em; + float: right; clear: right; margin-top: 1em; + font-size: smaller; color: black; background: #eeeeee; border: dashed 1px;} + + .bb {border-bottom: solid 2px;} + .bl {border-left: solid 2px;} + .bt {border-top: solid 2px;} + .br {border-right: solid 2px;} + .bbox {border: solid 2px;} + + .center {text-align: center;} + .smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} + .u {text-decoration: underline;} + + .caption {font-weight: bold;} + + .figcenter {margin: auto; text-align: center;} + + .figleft {float: left; clear: left; margin-left: 0; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: + 1em; margin-right: 1em; padding: 0; text-align: center;} + + .figright {float: right; clear: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em; + margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0; padding: 0; text-align: center;} + + .footnotes {border: dashed 1px;} + .footnote {margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%; font-size: 0.9em;} + .footnote .label {position: absolute; right: 84%; text-align: right;} + .fnanchor {vertical-align: super; font-size: .8em; text-decoration: none;} + + .poem {margin-left:10%; margin-right:10%; text-align: left;} + .poem br {display: none;} + .poem .stanza {margin: 1em 0em 1em 0em;} + .poem span.i0 {display: block; margin-left: 0em; padding-left: 3em; text-indent: -3em;} + .poem span.i2 {display: block; margin-left: 2em; padding-left: 3em; text-indent: -3em;} + .poem span.i4 {display: block; margin-left: 4em; padding-left: 3em; text-indent: -3em;} +--> + </style> + </head> +<body> +<div>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 30446 ***</div> + +<div class="figcenter"> +<img src="images/cover.jpg" alt=""/> +</div> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + + +<h1>The Bountiful Lady</h1> + +<h3>—or, How Mary was changed from a very Miserable Little Girl to a very +Happy One</h3> + +<h2>BY THOMAS COBB</h2> + +<h4>LONDON: GRANT RICHARDS<br /> +1900</h4> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + +<div class="figcenter"> +<img src="images/illus1.jpg" alt=""/> +</div> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + + + + +<h2><i>CONTENTS</i></h2> + +<!-- Autogenerated TOC. Modify or delete as required. --> +<p> +<a href="#I">1. <i>Mary finds herself in a different place</i></a><br /> +<a href="#II">2. <i>Mary sees her Fairy-Godmother</i></a><br /> +<a href="#III">3. <i>Mary sees what the Magic Counters can do</i></a><br /> +<a href="#IV">4. <i>The Story of the Discontented Boy and the Magician</i></a><br /> +<a href="#V">5. <i>Mary sees the wings, as well as some other wonderful things</i></a><br /> +<a href="#VI">6. <i>Mary is taken away</i></a><br /> +<a href="#VII">7. <i>The Story of the Little Girl, the Dog, and the Doll</i></a><br /> +<a href="#VIII">8. <i>Mary sees something which she has never seen before</i></a><br /> +<a href="#IX">9. <i>Evangeline gives Mary some Magic Counters</i></a><br /> +<a href="#X">10. <i>The Story of the Prince, the Blue-Bird, and the Cage</i></a><br /> +<a href="#XI">11. <i>Mary sees Mrs. Coppert and Mrs. Coppert sees Mary</i></a><br /> +<a href="#XII">12. <i>Evangeline says good-bye to Mary Brown</i></a><br /><br /> +<a href="#The_Dumpy_Books_for_Children">The Dumpy Books for Children</a><br /> +<a href="#CHILDRENS_BOOKS">CHILDREN'S BOOKS</a><br /> +</p> +<!-- End Autogenerated TOC. --> + + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2>The Bountiful Lady</h2> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="I" id="I"></a>I</h2> + +<h3>MARY FINDS HERSELF IN A DIFFERENT PLACE</h3> + + +<p>It was not a dream, this wonderful thing that happened to Mary Brown, +although it seemed very much like a dream at first.</p> + +<p>Mary was a pretty, round-faced, dirty little girl who had neither a +father nor a mother nor a brother nor a sister. Nobody had kissed her +since she could remember, although it was only the day before yesterday +that Mrs. Coppert had beaten her.</p> + +<p>She lived in a poor, narrow street, and during the daytime she spent +many hours in the road. During the night she lay on a sack on the floor +of a small room with three other children. Sometimes, when she played in +the road, Mary almost forgot she was hungry; but for the most part, she +was a sorrowful little girl. She had none of the things which you like +the best—she did not even know there were such things in the world; she +seldom had enough to eat, and her clothes were very ragged and dirty +indeed.</p> + +<p>One afternoon she was playing in the gutter, it happened to be a little +past tea-time, although Mary did not always have any tea; she had no +toys, but there was plenty of mud, and you can make very interesting +things out of mud if you only know the way. Mary kneeled in the road, +with her back to the turning, the soles of a pair of old boots showing +beneath her ragged skirt, as she stooped over the mud, patting it first +on one side then on the other, until it began to look something like the +shape of a loaf of bread. Mary thought how very nice it would be if only +it was a loaf of bread, so that she might eat it, when suddenly she +seemed to hear a loud clap of thunder and the day turned into night.</p> + +<p>She did not feel any pain, but the street and the mud all disappeared, +and Mary Brown knew nothing. For a long time, although she never knew +for how long, she was <span class="smcap">Nowhere</span>!</p> + +<p>It might have been a month or a week or a day or an hour or even only +five minutes or one minute or a second, but when she found herself +<span class="smcap">Somewhere</span> again it was somewhere else.</p> + +<p>Mary had been playing in the road, feeling very hungry, with her hands +on the soft mud, when this strange sensation came to her and she knew +nothing else. And when she opened her eyes again, she was not in the +road any longer, as she would have expected; though for some time yet +she could not imagine where she was or how she had come there.</p> + +<p>She was lying on her back, but not upon the floor of the poor house in +William Street; she lay on something quite soft and comfortable far +above the boards. All around her she saw an iron rail, and at the +corners two bright yellow knobs. Above, she saw a clean white ceiling, +whilst the walls, which were a long way from the bed, seemed to be +almost hidden by coloured pictures.</p> + +<p>Instead of her ragged dress, Mary wore a clean, white night-gown, and +there was not a speck of mud on her hands, which astonished her more +than anything else.</p> + +<p>'They can't be my hands,' she thought; 'they must belong to somebody +else. They look quite clean and white, and I am sure I never had white +hands before.'</p> + +<p>Then some one came to the bed-side and stood staring down into Mary's +face. She wore a cotton dress and a white cap and apron such as Mary had +never seen before. She had a pale face, and very kind, dark eyes. Mary +liked to watch her when she walked about the room, and presently she +brought a tray covered by a cloth, on which stood a cup and saucer. She +began to feed Mary with a spoon, and Mary thought she had never tasted +anything so nice before. She felt as if she did not want anything else +in the world—only to know where she was and how she had come here, and +whether she should ever be sent back to Mrs. Coppert and William Street.</p> + +<p>But although she wanted to know all this, she did not ask any questions +just yet, for somehow Mary could not talk as she used to do. But her +thoughts grew very busy; she wondered what were the names of the +different things she had to eat; she wondered who the tall, dark man +with the long beard could be, who came to see her every morning and +looked at her right foot and felt her left wrist in a strange way. One +day she raised her head from the pillow to look at the foot herself.</p> + +<p>'I see you are better this morning,' said the tall man. 'Do you feel +better?'</p> + +<p>'Quite well, thank you,' answered Mary, and when he went away, Mary +looked up at the lady with the kind, dark eyes, and asked, 'What is the +matter with my foot, please?'</p> + +<p>'Ah! that is to prevent you from running away and leaving us,' was the +answer. 'When we bring little girls here we don't want them to run away +again.'</p> + +<p>'I shouldn't run away,' said Mary solemnly; 'I shouldn't really. I don't +want to run away.'</p> + +<p>'That's right.'</p> + +<p>'Only where is it?' asked Mary.</p> + +<p>'Now don't you think it's a very nice place?'</p> + +<p>'Oh, very nice!' cried Mary. 'I know what it is,' she added; 'it's all a +dream! Only I hope I'm not going to wake again.'</p> + +<p>'What nonsense you're talking,' was the answer. 'Of course you are +awake, dear.'</p> + +<p>'Why do you call me dear?' asked Mary.</p> + +<p>'Because I'm very fond of you.'</p> + +<p>'But why are you fond of me?' asked Mary. You will notice she rather +liked to ask questions when she got the chance, but they had been very +seldom answered until now.</p> + +<p>'Well, now I wonder why!' was the answer. 'Let me see! Haven't I made +you comfortable and given you nice beef-tea and jelly?'</p> + +<p>'I like them very much,' said Mary.</p> + +<p>'Well, then, I daresay that's why I like you. Because we generally like +persons if we do kind things for them.'</p> + +<p>'I see,' said Mary, but she didn't understand at all. 'But I'm sure it's +a dream,' she added, 'and I do hope I shan't wake!'</p> + +<p>'Oh dear!' was the answer. 'Now, do you know what I do to prove little +girls are awake?'</p> + +<p>'No,' said Mary, opening her eyes widely.</p> + +<p>'Do you know what pinching is?'</p> + +<p>'Oh yes,' said Mary, for Mrs. Coppert was very fond of pinching.</p> + +<p>'Well, when I want to prove a little girl is awake, I pinch her.'</p> + +<p>'But I know I'm not,' said Mary. 'I can't be. It's all part of the +dream—your telling me that.'</p> + +<p>Mary began to spoil her dream by looking forward to the time when she +must awake to find herself upon the floor at the house in William +Street, with her ragged dress waiting to be worn again. Still, it was +the most real dream she had ever had, and it certainly seemed to be a +very long one.</p> + +<p>But when another week had passed, Mary began to see it was not really a +dream after all. Everything was just as nice as ever, or even nicer; she +had the most delicious things to eat and drink: chicken and toast, and +all sorts of nice puddings, boiled custard, jelly, and grapes and +oranges. She was able to sit up in bed to eat them too, and she wore a +blue dressing-gown, and the lady with the kind, dark eyes read +delightful stories. Now, this was something quite new to Mary Brown, and +the stories seemed almost as wonderful as the change in her own little +life.</p> + +<p>She only knew of the things she had seen or heard at William Street—not +nice things at all. She had imagined all the world must be like that, +for although she was very young, Mary had often thought about things. +Still, she had never thought of anything half so wonderful as +Jack-and-the-Beanstalk, or Ali Baba, or Aladdin, or Cinderella. Mary +grew quite to love Cinderella, and I can't tell you how many times she +heard the story of the glass slipper.</p> + +<p>'I know how I came here now!' she exclaimed one afternoon.</p> + +<p>'Do you indeed?' was the answer. 'Then, perhaps, you will tell me!'</p> + +<p>'I'm like Cinderella,' said Mary. 'Cinderella was very miserable, and I +was very miserable. Then her fairy-godmother came to make her happy; she +gave her all kinds of pretty dresses and things—the fairy-godmother +did—and some one has given me all kinds of nice things, and taken me +away from William Street and brought me here; so, of course, I know it +must be my fairy-godmother too.' Then Mary was silent for a little +while. 'Are you my fairy-godmother?' she asked.</p> + +<p>'No,' was the answer. 'I am not nearly important enough to be anybody's +fairy-godmother.'</p> + +<p>'Who are you?' asked Mary.</p> + +<p>'Well, I am Sister Agatha.'</p> + +<p>'Oh, then it wasn't you who brought me here!' said Mary, looking a +little disappointed.</p> + +<p>'I wasn't sent for until afterwards,' answered Sister Agatha.</p> + +<p>'Who sent for you?' asked Mary.</p> + +<p>'The person who brought you here.'</p> + +<p>'But who was that?' cried Mary excitedly. 'Please do tell me whether it +was a fairy! I'm sure it was, because it couldn't be any one else, you +see.'</p> + +<p>'Then that settles the question,' said Sister Agatha, with a smile, and +Mary thought it did.</p> + +<p>'Where is she?' she asked.</p> + +<p>'A long, long way off! She had to go away the day after you came, so she +asked me to take care of you till she saw you again. But she won't be +long now.'</p> + +<p>'Is she very beautiful like the fairies you've read to me about?' asked +Mary.</p> + +<p>'I don't suppose there ever was anybody so beautiful,' answered Sister +Agatha.</p> + +<p>'And has she got wings like this?' asked Mary, opening a book that lay +on the bed and pointing to one of its coloured pictures.</p> + +<p>'I shouldn't wonder,' said Sister Agatha; 'only she doesn't show them +every day, because it isn't the fashion to wear wings, you know.'</p> + +<p>'I think that's a pity,' answered Mary; and from that day she thought of +scarcely anything else but how she had been brought away from William +Street by her fairy-godmother, just like Cinderella.</p> + +<p>Of course, Mary Brown had never imagined that she had a +fairy-godmother—who could imagine such a thing in William Street! But +then Cinderella had never imagined that she had a fairy-godmother +either, until the night of the grand ball.</p> + +<p>One day Sister Agatha told Mary she might get out of bed; she was +carefully wrapped in a dressing-gown and a blanket and carried to a +comfortable arm-chair. On her left foot she wore a pink woollen shoe, +but the other foot looked so clumsy in its great bandages, that Sister +Agatha covered it over.</p> + +<p>'I wish you would untie it,' said Mary; 'I really won't run away. I +shan't run away, because I want to see my fairy-godmother so much.'</p> + +<p>'Well,' answered Sister Agatha, 'you will see her very soon now; for she +is coming to-morrow.'</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="II" id="II"></a>II</h2> + +<h3>MARY SEES HER FAIRY-GODMOTHER</h3> + + +<p>Mary Brown did not go to sleep very early that night, and as soon as she +awoke the next morning, she began to ask questions. She wanted Sister +Agatha to tell her at what time her fairy-godmother would come, and +where she was coming from, and what she would be most likely to do when +she arrived.</p> + +<p>'And what is her name?' she cried.</p> + +<p>'Her name is Evangeline Royal,' said Sister Agatha, 'and a very pretty +name too.'</p> + +<p>'I suppose she doesn't live anywhere?' said Mary.</p> + +<p>'Not live anywhere!' cried Sister Agatha. 'Of course she lives +somewhere. She lives here.'</p> + +<p>'I thought fairies never seemed to live anywhere,' said Mary; 'and it +does seem strange she should come to William Street.'</p> + +<p>'Ah! well, perhaps, she was looking for you.'</p> + +<p>'I should think she's everywhere at once,' said Mary.</p> + +<p>'Dear me!' exclaimed Sister Agatha, 'what a funny child you are! Just +now, you said she didn't live anywhere.'</p> + +<p>'That's what I mean,' answered Mary; 'because if she's everywhere at +once, how can she live anywhere, you know?'</p> + +<p>Whilst Sister Agatha washed her and put on her dressing-gown, whilst the +doctor was there, whilst she drank her beef-tea for luncheon and ate her +chicken for dinner, Mary Brown thought of nothing but Evangeline Royal, +wondering what she would look like, what she would say, and all the rest +of it. And when she went to bed again after dinner as usual and fell +asleep, she dreamed of Evangeline Royal still.</p> + +<p>But it was a dreadful dream. She dreamed that her fairy-godmother came, +and that she wore a veil, and that when she lifted it her face was large +and red and shiny just like Mrs. Coppert's. Mary could not forget the +dream, even when she was wrapped in the blanket again and sitting in the +arm-chair. But she waited with her wondering eyes on the door, watching +half afraid for Evangeline.</p> + +<p>It had struck four when Sister Agatha went away, leaving Mary alone. She +sat very still, staring at the door until presently it opened again, and +Mary thought that now she should see Evangeline Royal at last. But it +was only Sister Agatha who entered the room.</p> + +<p>'She has come!' cried Sister Agatha. 'It won't be long before you see +her now. As soon as she has taken off her hat.'</p> + +<p>'Does she wear a hat?' asked Mary.</p> + +<p>'Indeed, she wears the prettiest hats. She is not like me, you know. I +go out in a plain little bonnet. But Evangeline wears the most wonderful +hats.'</p> + +<p>Sister Agatha had scarcely finished speaking before the door opened +again, and Mary leaned forward eagerly in her chair. All her fears left +her now, and she held out her arms; for she saw the most beautiful +object her eyes had ever looked upon. Evangeline Royal was tall, much +taller than Sister Agatha, and a few years younger. She crossed the room +so softly that Mary could not hear her footsteps; her hair looked as if +the sunshine had fallen upon it and never gone away again, and her eyes +were as blue as the sky on the finest day! She came to Mary and took her +hands just as if she knew her quite well, and Mary felt as if she had +known Evangeline all her life.</p> + +<p>'I'm so glad!' exclaimed Mary; 'I wanted to see you so much. I'm so glad +you're young too; I'm glad about everything. And how pretty you are!'</p> + +<p>'Mary wants to see your wings,' said Sister Agatha, as Evangeline +stooped to kiss the child.</p> + +<p>'Yes,' cried Mary, 'please do show them to me!'</p> + +<p>'Well,' answered Evangeline, 'I'm afraid I cannot show them to you just +now.'</p> + +<p>'You will, some day!' Mary pleaded.</p> + +<p>'Oh, I shall have such lots of things to show you,' said Evangeline.</p> + +<p>'And you can tell me when I may walk again,' said Mary; 'because I +really won't run away.'</p> + +<p>'I fear I can't tell you that,' answered Evangeline a little sadly, and +she stooped to kiss Mary again.</p> + +<p>'Oh yes, you can!' cried Mary; 'because you can do anything. You brought +me here, and I like being here—very much, ever so much! I never want to +go away again. You won't let me go away again!' cried Mary.</p> + +<p>'You can't go until you can walk, you see,' said Evangeline.</p> + +<p>'Shall I be able to walk soon?'</p> + +<p>'Ah! that is more than I can tell you, dear.'</p> + +<p>'Oh, I hope not! I hope not!' exclaimed Mary.</p> + +<p>'But surely you want to be able to walk again?' said Evangeline.</p> + +<p>'Not if I have to go away,' Mary answered. 'I hope I shall never be able +to walk again, then you will let me stay always.'</p> + +<p>As soon as Evangeline left the room, Mary wanted to know when she should +see her again, and Sister Agatha said not before to-morrow.</p> + +<p>'Then I should like to go to bed now!' cried Mary.</p> + +<p>'Why do you want to go so early?' asked Sister Agatha; 'you generally +like to sit up as late as you can.'</p> + +<p>'Because I want to-morrow to come soon,' said Mary, and she shut her +eyes and tried to go to sleep as soon as her head touched the pillow in +order to make to-morrow come sooner.</p> + +<p>'You must remember that Evangeline has a great deal to do,' said Sister +Agatha, as she dressed Mary the next morning. 'She has been away so long +that now she has come home again a lot of people want to see her.'</p> + +<p>'Who?' asked Mary.</p> + +<p>'Oh, well, wherever there's a very beautiful fairy there is usually a +prince not far off,' answered Sister Agatha. 'And some day he will come +to take Evangeline away with him.'</p> + +<p>'Not if she doesn't want to go,' cried Mary. 'I do hope she won't go. +And of course she can do whatever she likes, can't she?'</p> + +<p>'She can certainly do a great many things,' said Sister Agatha, when she +had put Mary in the arm-chair and given her a cup of soup. 'And she can +make other people do a great many things too.'</p> + +<p>'How does she make people do things?' asked Mary.</p> + +<p>'That depends what kind of people they are,' was the answer. 'There are +some, like the prince, who would go to the end of the earth to please +her if she only looked at them in a particular manner.'</p> + +<p>'I wish he would go there if it's a long way off!' exclaimed Mary; +'because I don't want him to take her away. How does she make other +people do things?' she asked.</p> + +<p>'She gives them some of her magic counters, you know.'</p> + +<p>'Magic counters!' cried Mary, opening her eyes more widely.</p> + +<p>'Yes,' said Sister Agatha; 'I don't know whether you have ever seen a +magic counter. But they're little round, flat things, very hard and +bright yellow. And when she gives them to people they generally do +whatever she tells them to do. Now, doesn't that seem very wonderful?'</p> + +<p>'Very!' murmured Mary. 'But I shouldn't want her to give them to me. I +should do what she told me when she looked at me, like the prince, you +know. Is the prince pretty like Evangeline?' Mary asked.</p> + +<p>As she spoke the door opened, and Evangeline entered the room.</p> + +<p>'Why, you've got another dress on!' cried Mary. For this morning +Evangeline was dressed all in white. There was not any colour about her +dress, and this seemed to Mary quite as it ought to be, though she could +not help thinking she should like to see the wings. 'Is the prince very +lovely?' Mary cried, as Evangeline stooped to kiss her, and Sister +Agatha laughed as she left the room.</p> + +<p>'Yes, dear,' answered Evangeline, sitting on a low stool by Mary's side. +'My prince is beautiful and good and noble.'</p> + +<p>'Then he must be everything at once,' said Mary.</p> + +<p>'He is everything to me,' answered Evangeline quietly.</p> + +<p>'Why do you look so red?' asked Mary, staring into her face.</p> + +<p>'Do I look red?' said Evangeline.</p> + +<p>'Very,' answered Mary, 'and now you're redder than ever. Sister Agatha,' +Mary went on, 'says you can do everything you like, and I know you can, +because you brought me here, you see.'</p> + +<p>'Not quite everything,' said Evangeline.</p> + +<p>'Sister Agatha says you have a lot of magic counters,' answered Mary. +'She says they're flat, round, yellow things that you give to people to +make them do what you like.'</p> + +<p>'Ah! well,' said Evangeline, 'they will make people do a good many +things that would please you very much. Suppose we try!'</p> + +<p>'Yes,' answered Mary, 'I should like that.'</p> + +<p>'Then you shall tell me what you want,' said Evangeline, 'and we will +see whether we can make it come. Now,' she exclaimed, 'what should you +like to have first?'</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="III" id="III"></a>III</h2> + +<h3>MARY SEES WHAT THE MAGIC COUNTERS CAN DO</h3> + + +<p>Mary looked very solemn as if she was thinking deeply, but for a long +time she did not speak. In fact, she did not know quite what to say, +because she seemed to have everything she wanted just at present.</p> + +<p>'Well,' cried Evangeline, 'you are a good while making up your mind!'</p> + +<p>'What shall I say?' asked Mary.</p> + +<p>'Suppose you said you would like some pretty frocks,' Evangeline +suggested. 'What do you think of that?'</p> + +<p>'Oh, I should like to have some pretty frocks very much!' answered Mary, +as Sister Agatha entered the room. She went to Evangeline's side and +whispered something which Mary could not hear, then Evangeline said out +loud—</p> + +<p>'Mary wants to have some new dresses,' and she looked into Sister +Agatha's face with a smile.</p> + +<p>'Well, I never!' exclaimed Sister Agatha. 'Who would have dreamed of +such a thing! I suppose you will make the incantation? Please begin at +once,' she added; 'Mary has never seen you dance, you know.'</p> + +<p>With that Sister Agatha began to sing, and Evangeline took one side of +her skirt in each hand, and standing in the middle of the room, she +danced slowly and gracefully, first raising one hand above her head, +then the other, bending now this way, now that, and always making her +skirt take a curious shape. Mary sat holding the arms of her chair very +tightly, and never taking her eyes off Evangeline; but Sister Agatha +stood with her back to the fireplace, just by the bell-handle, and +exactly as Evangeline came to a standstill in the middle of the room and +bowed so low to Mary that her golden hair, which had become looser +whilst she danced, almost touched the floor, just at that moment the +door opened, and a woman came in, carrying a great box with a shiny +black lid, and she placed the box at Mary's feet.</p> + +<p>Then the woman unfastened a wide strap from the box, and Mary clapped +her hands as she removed the lid, for the box seemed to be full of the +most beautiful dresses!</p> + +<p>'They're not for me!' she exclaimed, looking up into Evangeline's face.</p> + +<p>'You are to choose the three you like the best,' was the answer.</p> + +<p>It took a very long time for Mary to choose. She had them all taken out +of the box one after another, and the woman held them up so that Mary +could see them better. At last she made her selection: a dark blue +dress, a crimson dress, and one of a deep plum colour. Then, although +Mary did not know there could be anything else in this wonderful box, a +great many other things were taken out of it, such as stockings and +shoes and a very nice outdoor jacket. Mary felt delighted with +everything, but especially with the outdoor jacket, because it showed +that she was to go out again some day.</p> + +<p>'I shall go out again!' she cried, as the woman strapped up the box. +'But I shan't go to William Street!' she pleaded, looking up into +Evangeline's face.</p> + +<p>'William Street!' answered Sister Agatha, 'certainly not. Who wants to +go to William Street, indeed. You will go to the loveliest place in the +world. You are going to stay in the country.'</p> + +<p>'What is the country?' asked Mary, for she had never been a mile away +from William Street in her life.</p> + +<p>'Now,' cried Evangeline, when the woman with the box had gone away, 'is +there anything else you would like to have?'</p> + +<p>'I—I don't think so,' answered Mary.</p> + +<p>'How about toys?' suggested Sister Agatha.</p> + +<p>'Oh yes, I should like some toys,' answered Mary.</p> + +<p>'Then,' said Evangeline, as Sister Agatha leaned back near the +bell-handle, 'let us have some toys!' and as she spoke she raised her +hands above her head and clapped them together.</p> + +<p>She had scarcely clapped her hands when the door opened again and a +little old man entered the room with a square box which looked far too +heavy for him. He had a tiny face, all over lines, and he wore a long +coat that reached to his boots. He bowed low to Evangeline, just as Mary +expected him to do, and then he went down on his knees to open the box.</p> + +<p>By this time Mary naturally thought she should see curious things, +because she had no doubt whatever that she was in fairy-land, where all +sorts of curious things are always happening, as every one knows. But +even if Mary had not known she was in fairy-land before, she would have +become quite sure of it now.</p> + +<p>You see, everything was so different from what she had seen and heard at +William Street. She had such different things to eat. She had actually +had three new dresses given to her at one time! And then Evangeline +seemed very, very different from Mrs. Coppert, and very, very much +nicer.</p> + +<p>But if Mary had not already felt sure she was in fairy-land, she could +not have thought she was anywhere else when the funny old man began to +take those wonderful things out of his box.</p> + +<p>Mary had once picked up a broken doll in William Street, and she had +grown very fond of it. She had taken it about with her, and sat it in +the gutter, with its back against the kerb, while she played in the mud. +She used to have long talks with it, but then she had to make the +answers herself, and only to pretend the dolly made them. For, of +course, Mary knew well enough that dolls can't speak—at least they +can't speak in the world she had come from.</p> + +<p>But in the world she lived in now it seemed quite different, and Mary +knew why that was. It was because there were magic counters in this +world and none in the world of William Street. She was beginning to +expect everything to be wonderful, but certainly she had not expected to +see a doll that spoke. But the funny old man took a doll out of his box +that spoke quite distinctly—far more distinctly than little Sally +Murphy. It was true the doll could not say many words at present, but as +it had once begun to talk, Mary had no doubt that with a little practice +it would soon learn to say more, just as Sally had done. Already it said +'Papa' and 'Mama' very nicely.</p> + +<p>Mary could not decide which was the more wonderful—a doll that could +talk or a doll that could walk! This doll could walk quite a long way, +for the old man took it to the farthest corner of the room, placed it on +the floor, stooped over it as if he were telling it what to do, then +when he took his hand away and stood upright, there, to Mary's +astonishment, was the odd little doll moving its legs in the most +comical manner and walking across the room entirely without help. There +was a kitten that meowed and ran; there was a house with nice bright red +walls and doors and windows, and with beds already made in the rooms, +for the dolls to live in; and there were ever so many more things for +Mary to choose from, and she chose a good many.</p> + +<p>When the man had gone away she lay back in her chair with a flushed +face, and Sister Agatha sent Evangeline away. But after Mary had been +asleep that afternoon, Evangeline came to see her again.</p> + +<p>'Well,' she asked, 'and how do you like all your new things?'</p> + +<p>'Very much indeed,' answered Mary; 'I think they're lovely.'</p> + +<p>'Ah! well, I am glad you are not like the discontented boy,' said +Evangeline.</p> + +<p>'Is that a story?' exclaimed Mary. 'Do tell it to me, please!' So +Evangeline sat down to tell her the story.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="IV" id="IV"></a>IV</h2> + +<h3>THE STORY OF THE DISCONTENTED BOY AND THE MAGICIAN</h3> + + +<p>A long, long time ago, in a country a great way off, there lived a man +who was the King's Grand Vizier. Now the Vizier had a son, who was ten +years old, and he caused his father a great deal of unhappiness. For he +was a very greedy boy, and he grumbled at everything he had.</p> + +<p>As long as anything belonged to some one else he liked it very much, and +he cried and made a loud noise until it was given to him. But as soon as +it became his own Hassan began to find fault with it. It was just the +same with little things or big things—as soon as they were put into his +own hands he ceased to care for them.</p> + +<p>If he sat at dinner and he had tasted every dish but one, he would ask +for that, and say he liked it better than anything else; but when it was +put on his plate, he would push it away. 'This is horrid!' he would cry. +'I don't want it. Take it away.' And he would throw it on to the floor, +plate and all.</p> + +<p>Now, as you may suppose, this conduct vexed the Vizier, and presently +things came to such a pass that he could think of nothing but his +tiresome son. One day he was summoned to the King's presence.</p> + +<p>'The affairs of the kingdom are being neglected,' said the King; 'the +people are not paying their taxes, yet nobody's head is cut off. This +kind of thing cannot be allowed to go on. If I do not see an improvement +very soon I shall cast you into prison.'</p> + +<p>The Vizier had a great dread of the prison, for he had sent many persons +there and he knew exactly what it was like. So he fell on his knees +before the King and confessed that Hassan was the real cause of the +neglect.</p> + +<p>'Very well,' answered the King, 'I shall not be so unjust as to punish +you for your son's offence, but if he does not become satisfied within a +month from to-day, I shall condemn him to death. But as you have served +me faithfully so many years, I shall allow you the privilege of choosing +whether his head shall be cut off with an axe or a sword.'</p> + +<p>The Vizier thanked the King for granting him this privilege and returned +to his own palace; he knew it was useless to speak to Hassan because he +had spoken to him so often before, so he sent for a Magician who lived a +few miles away. When the Magician heard of the Vizier's distress, he at +once promised to help him.</p> + +<p>'I believe I can cure your son,' he said, as soon as he entered the +palace, 'and I do not think it will take so long as a month.'</p> + +<p>'I should like the cure to be perfect,' answered the Vizier, 'and then I +shall be able to attend properly to the King's business again.'</p> + +<p>'There is only one condition,' said the Magician. 'Hassan must come with +me wherever I choose to take him.'</p> + +<p>'That is impossible!' cried the Vizier; 'as long as I forbid his going, +he will wish to go, but as soon as I give my permission, he will change +his mind and insist upon staying at home.'</p> + +<p>'He will not have time to change his mind,' said the Magician, and then +an attendant was summoned, and a few minutes later Hassan entered the +room with a scowl on his face, whereupon the Vizier looked at the +Magician as much as to say, 'There! what did I tell you!'</p> + +<p>'Good afternoon, Hassan,' said the Magician.</p> + +<p>'It isn't a good afternoon,' answered Hassan, scowling more fiercely +than before.</p> + +<p>'Well, never mind,' said the Magician; 'I daresay it will be a good +afternoon to-morrow.'</p> + +<p>'Oh yes, to-morrow, I daresay,' answered Hassan. 'What's the use of +that?'</p> + +<p>'It's very fortunate for me,' said the Magician; 'because I shall be on +my travels. I start on a pleasant journey to-day.'</p> + +<p>'I wish I might start on a journey,' grumbled Hassan. 'I've always +wanted to go on a journey, only they'll never let me.'</p> + +<p>'In the place I am going to,' said the Magician with an agreeable smile, +'everybody is allowed to ask for anything he sees.'</p> + +<p>'What's the use of asking for things if you don't get them!' exclaimed +Hassan.</p> + +<p>'But in the place I am going to,' said the Magician, smiling still more +pleasantly, if that were possible, 'you may ask for anything you see, +and nothing you ask for is refused.'</p> + +<p>'That must be a very nice place,' said Hassan; 'just the place I should +like to live in, only of course my father wouldn't let me.'</p> + +<p>Then the Magician rose, paying no attention to the reproachful glances +which the poor Vizier cast upon his son, and crossing the room, he +stopped at Hassan's side.</p> + +<p>'If you like to come with me on a short visit, you may do so,' he said.</p> + +<p>'I shouldn't like it at all,' said Hassan. 'I think it would be horrid.'</p> + +<p>'But,' exclaimed the Vizier angrily, 'you said you would like to go.'</p> + +<p>'Not for a short visit,' answered Hassan. 'What's the use of a short +visit?'</p> + +<p>'Very well,' said the Magician, smiling agreeably; 'you may stay as long +as you please. And you shall have everything you see.'</p> + +<p>'Thank you,' answered Hassan, though he did not look very thankful, 'I +don't want anything.'</p> + +<p>'Then, come along,' cried the Magician, stepping towards the door.</p> + +<p>'But I am not going,' answered Hassan. 'I shan't go. I don't want to +go.'</p> + +<p>'Come along,' said the Magician cheerfully, and he fixed his small +bright eyes on Hassan's face as he spoke. Although the Magician was some +yards away, Hassan felt obliged to rise from his chair, and to follow +him out into the corridor. Hassan would far sooner have stayed where he +was, yet he knew he could not stay even to say good-bye to his father, +and he began to feel fonder of the Vizier than he had ever felt before.</p> + +<p>Still it was of no use. Hassan really did not know why he went, only +that somehow it seemed that he could not stay when the Magician looked +at him. So Hassan followed the Magician along the corridor, to the great +astonishment of everybody who saw him, for when he did not wish to go +anywhere, which was usually the case, he had to be dragged or carried. +But to-day Hassan followed the Magician as obediently as a dog follows +his master.</p> + +<p>Outside the palace he saw a curious-looking carriage drawn by two +zebras. 'Step in,' said the Magician politely, and though Hassan would +have preferred to stay where he was, he stepped in as the Magician told +him.</p> + +<p>'I want to walk,' he said, when the Magician was seated beside him and +the zebras had started.</p> + +<p>'You will have plenty of walking to-morrow,' was the answer.</p> + +<p>'You said I might have everything I asked for,' Hassan grumbled.</p> + +<p>'When you get there,' said the Magician.</p> + +<p>'Where?' asked Hassan.</p> + +<p>'Where we are going to,' answered the Magician. 'I always keep my +promises. Anything you see you may ask for, and anything you ask for you +shall have.' They continued the journey many miles, and presently Hassan +wondered where they were to sleep.</p> + +<p>'I never go to sleep,' said the Magician; 'time is too precious. But I +don't wish to hinder you from sleeping if you are used to it. You may +sleep here.'</p> + +<p>'How can I sleep here?' grumbled Hassan, but a few minutes later his +eyes closed and his chin fell on his chest, and as the carriage was +driven swiftly along the road, Hassan's head waggled about very funnily. +Presently he was awakened, and opening his eyes he saw that the Magician +had been shaking him worse than the carriage.</p> + +<p>'I want my breakfast!' he exclaimed.</p> + +<p>'I never have breakfast,' answered the Magician; 'but if you like you +may breakfast to-morrow.'</p> + +<p>'You said I might have anything I asked for,' said Hassan, beginning to +feel rather miserable.</p> + +<p>'So I did,' the Magician admitted; 'anything you see you may ask for, +you know, but I don't think you can see any breakfast, besides,' the +Magician added, 'you must wait until we are there, and we have a long +way to go yet.'</p> + +<p>He told Hassan to get out of the carriage, which was at once driven +away. 'Come along,' said the Magician, with a smiling face, and Hassan +felt compelled to follow, although he would far sooner have gone home +again. He could see nothing but grass all around and the great trees +that shaded it from the burning sun. As he trudged after the Magician, +Hassan continued to grumble about his breakfast until it was +dinner-time, and it seemed useless to grumble about breakfast any more. +He began to wonder where the Magician was taking him, because, though he +had walked for many hours, he had seen nothing but trees.</p> + +<p>One thing astonished Hassan very much indeed. Although it was still +quite early in the afternoon, the farther he walked the darker it grew, +and at first he thought the dimness was due to the trees. But he noticed +there were not nearly so many trees as there had been, and yet the light +became fainter and fainter.</p> + +<p>'I should like to have some dinner!' cried Hassan, as he followed the +Magician. 'I'm hungry, and you promised I might have anything I asked +for.'</p> + +<p>'When we get there,' answered the Magician; 'we are not there yet, you +see, but when we arrive I shall keep my word.'</p> + +<p>Hassan wished he had never seen the Magician; he felt so sleepy that he +could scarcely prevent his eyes from closing, but still he walked on and +on; and still it grew darker and darker. There were no trees now, only a +few low bushes, and the sky looked a curious dark colour. There were no +stars, no moon; Hassan could scarcely see his way, and gradually +everything became invisible except the Magician, until presently he +disappeared too. It seemed darker than the middle of the night; when +Hassan looked upwards he saw nothing but blackness; when he looked down +he saw nothing but blackness; to the right and the left it was the same; +he could not see his own hands when he held them close to his nose, and +yet his eyes were quite widely open all the time.</p> + +<p>'Are you here?' he cried, to make sure the Magician had not gone away +and left him alone.</p> + +<p>'No,' was the answer, 'we are there now!'</p> + +<p>'I'm glad of that,' said Hassan; 'I want some light.'</p> + +<p>'Very sorry!' exclaimed the Magician.</p> + +<p>'And something to eat,' said Hassan.</p> + +<p>'Very sorry,' answered the Magician again, but he did not sound sorry in +the least. Hassan thought he sounded quite glad, though there did not +seem much to be glad about. Then Hassan began to stamp about on the +grass just as if he were at home, and he scowled until his forehead was +full of wrinkles, only he might as well have laughed, for there was +nobody to see him.</p> + +<p>'Now,' said the Magician, 'I hope you will make yourself quite at home. +Everybody does exactly as he likes here. What should you like to do?'</p> + +<p>'You said I could have anything I asked for,' answered Hassan, 'and I +should like something nice to eat.'</p> + +<p>'Well,' said the Magician very civilly, 'you can look round and choose +anything you see.'</p> + +<p>'What's the use of looking round,' asked Hassan, 'if I can't see +anything?'</p> + +<p>'No, no!' cried the Magician very politely, 'of course not. No use at +all.'</p> + +<p>'Then why did you tell me to look?' said Hassan.</p> + +<p>'Anything you see you may ask for,' said the Magician, as if he were +muttering to himself, 'and anything you ask for you may have.'</p> + +<p>Hassan felt so cross at hearing these words again that he flung himself +on the grass and kicked his legs about and began to cry. He always made +a great noise when he cried, but the Magician seemed not to mind in the +least. Presently Hassan fell asleep and dreamed he was at a great feast, +where the table was loaded with large joints of meat, and with turkeys +and pheasants, with a round Christmas pudding at one end. The Magician +was just going to carve, and he said that Hassan might ask for whatever +he saw. 'I'll have turkey first,' Hassan dreamed he said, 'and then +pheasant and then Christmas pudding.' All the things he named were +placed upon a plate at once; only, just as he was going to taste the +turkey, the plate fell to the ground and Hassan awoke. He felt so hungry +and the dream seemed so real, that he sat up and began to feel on the +grass for his plate.</p> + +<p>'Hullo!' cried the Magician, 'have you lost anything?'</p> + +<p>'I dreamed I was just going to have some turkey,' said Hassan.</p> + +<p>'Ah, well!' answered the Magician, 'you may ask for anything you see, +you know.' But it seemed darker than ever; Hassan could see nothing and +he began to feel very miserable indeed. He never learned how long he +stayed with the Magician, though it appeared a long time while it +lasted, and he began to think it would never come to an end. He did not +know whether it was days or weeks, only he felt hungry all the time, and +at last he could think of nothing but home. He wished he was back there, +and he made up his mind that if ever he did get back, he would not +grumble any more.</p> + +<p>Now it was a strange thing that whilst Hassan sat on the grass, with his +hands clasped round his knees and his eyes on the ground, although of +course he could see nothing, it began to grow a little lighter. And the +more he made up his mind not to grumble the lighter it grew, so that at +last he fancied he could see the Magician. And the Magician was sitting +cross-legged on the ground eating some dinner which looked exactly like +what Hassan had seen in his dream.</p> + +<p>'I'll have that!' cried Hassan the moment he could see it.</p> + +<p>'With pleasure,' said the Magician, and he rose and brought the plate to +Hassan. Unfortunately Hassan was so much in the habit of grumbling at +everything the moment he received it that, as soon as he took the plate +in his hand, he said—</p> + +<p>'This must have been a poor old turkey and very badly cooked too.'</p> + +<p>Before he finished speaking, the light faded, and it grew so dark that +he could not see the plate. Worse than that, Hassan could not feel it, +but he could hear the Magician as if he were enjoying his meal very much +indeed.</p> + +<p>'I say!' exclaimed Hassan.</p> + +<p>'Well, what do you say?'</p> + +<p>'I beg your pardon. I didn't mean it—really,' said Hassan, and suddenly +it began to grow lighter again—so light that he could see the Magician, +who seemed to have a fresh plate full of turkey. 'I'll have that, +please!' cried Hassan, and once more the Magician brought him the plate. +As soon as Hassan took it in his hands, he looked at the nice white +slices, and he was just going to grumble as usual when he remembered in +time. So instead of saying what he intended to say, he ate his dinner in +a sensible manner.</p> + +<p>And now Hassan began to understand that when he felt inclined to grumble +the darkness grew blacker, but that when he made up his mind not to +grumble any more, it seemed almost as light as day. As he sat staring +straight in front of him, the Magician came to his side—</p> + +<p>'Well, Hassan,' he said, 'what is the matter? What are you staring at so +attentively?'</p> + +<p>'I—I fancied I saw myself at home again,' answered Hassan.</p> + +<p>'Ah! I suppose you saw yourself grumbling as usual,' said the Magician.</p> + +<p>'No, I wasn't grumbling. I was very happy.'</p> + +<p>'Anything you see you may ask for,' answered the Magician, 'and anything +you ask for you may have.'</p> + +<p>'Why, then!' exclaimed Hassan before the Magician had time to finish +speaking, 'of course I'll have that!'</p> + +<p>'What?' asked the Magician.</p> + +<p>'I saw myself at home again, you know——'</p> + +<p>'You were contented,' answered the Magician, 'you mustn't forget that.'</p> + +<p>'No,' said Hassan, 'I won't.' And then, to his great surprise, he found +himself at home again. He was sitting in the palace garden, rubbing his +eyes just as if he had fallen asleep after dinner. But although +everything else looked very much the same as it had done before he went +away with the Magician, Hassan knew of one thing that was different, and +that was himself. For, you see, he had become the contented boy he +fancied he saw in the forest—Hassan had become just what he wished to +be.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="V" id="V"></a>V</h2> + +<h3>MARY SEES THE WINGS, AS WELL AS SOME OTHER WONDERFUL THINGS</h3> + + +<p>'Well,' said Sister Agatha, as she put on one of Mary's new dresses a +few mornings later (it was the plum-coloured dress), 'what do you think +of your fairy-godmother by this time?'</p> + +<p>'I think she's lovely,' answered Mary; 'only I do want to see her +wings!'</p> + +<p>'You are going to see them,' said Sister Agatha; 'she is going to pay +you a visit when she is wearing them one evening. What do you think of +that?'</p> + +<p>'When?' cried Mary.</p> + +<p>'Very soon indeed,' was the answer, 'so don't be surprised.'</p> + +<p>Mary could think of nothing else but Sister Agatha's promise that she +should see Evangeline's wings, and one evening about a week later, just +before she was going to be undressed, she had her wish.</p> + +<p>She had sat up rather later than usual, but the electric light had not +been switched on and the room was almost dark. Presently, Sister Agatha +rose and left Mary alone, and as the child sat in the arm-chair, waiting +to be put to bed, she began to feel sleepy.</p> + +<p>Every now and then she closed her eyes, and when she opened them she was +surprised to see how much darker the room had become. Then she heard +laughing outside the door, and the next moment it opened and Sister +Agatha entered.</p> + +<p>'Now you won't be frightened, will you?' she said.</p> + +<p>'Oh no, of course I won't,' answered Mary in a rather shaky voice. As +she spoke the room became suddenly so light that her eyes were dazzled +and she could see nothing. And a few moments later, when she could see +things again, she was scarcely able to believe they were real.</p> + +<p>Close to the door stood Evangeline Royal. On her head she wore a crown +of diamonds which glistened and sparkled amongst her golden hair. Her +shoulders were uncovered and she wore a dress of pure white, and so long +that it quite hid her shoes. She carried a long wand in her right hand, +and the most wonderful of all! Mary saw her wings. They looked smaller +than she expected, and they were so thin that she could see right +through them, just as you can see through a window.</p> + +<p>'Can you fly with them?' asked Mary as soon as she could speak.</p> + +<p>'No,' answered Evangeline. 'They are not of the slightest use—they are +only for show, you see.'</p> + +<p>'Where are you going?' cried Mary.</p> + +<p>'She is going to hold her Court, of course,' said Sister Agatha; 'I +should have thought any one would have known that.'</p> + +<p>'Is she going to hold it here?' asked Mary. 'In this very room, I mean?'</p> + +<p>'The idea of such a thing!' exclaimed Sister Agatha. 'Where do you +imagine all the kings and queens and the other wonderful folk would put +themselves?'</p> + +<p>'Then I shan't see it,' said Mary in a very disappointed tone.</p> + +<p>'I wish she could just peep at us!' cried Evangeline, turning towards +Sister Agatha.</p> + +<p>'I daresay I could carry her down,' was the answer.</p> + +<p>'Nobody would notice her if she stayed behind the band,' said +Evangeline.</p> + +<p>'What would they do if they did notice me?' asked Mary feeling a little +frightened.</p> + +<p>'Ah! well,' answered Sister Agatha, 'there's no telling what they +wouldn't do to us.'</p> + +<p>'Still,' said Mary, 'you would be there, too, wouldn't you?'</p> + +<p>'Neither of us will be there if some one doesn't go to bed at once!' +cried Sister Agatha.</p> + +<p>'Oh, isn't it to-night?' asked Mary.</p> + +<p>'Not until to-morrow,' was the answer. 'Don't you know that nice things +are generally to-morrow?'</p> + +<p>Mary turned to look at Evangeline's wings once more before she left the +room, and then Sister Agatha put her to bed. To-morrow was one of the +most exciting days she had ever passed. For one thing she knew she was +going to leave the room for the first time since she had entered it. She +had no idea what she should see on the other side of the door, she could +only wonder about it just as you may wonder what there is on the other +side of the moon.</p> + +<p>She sat up much later than usual, too, and she liked that; then she wore +the new outdoor jacket over her dress, although Sister Agatha said she +was not going out.</p> + +<p>'But where are we going?' asked Mary.</p> + +<p>'Well,' answered Sister Agatha, 'I think you will say it looks very much +like fairy-land.'</p> + +<p>'How shall I get there?' asked Mary.</p> + +<p>'I am going to carry you, of course,' said Sister Agatha. 'All you have +to do is to shut your eyes and keep very still and not to open them +until I give you leave.'</p> + +<p>Mary shut her eyes so tightly that her little face was full of wrinkles. +'Oh!' she exclaimed, opening them the next moment, 'will the prince be +there? Shall I see him?'</p> + +<p>'It wouldn't be anything without the prince,' said Sister Agatha, and +then Mary shut her eyes again and knew that she was lifted in Sister +Agatha's arms. Although she felt very curious to know where she was +being carried to, she did not peep once, because she felt afraid of +spoiling everything. Presently she knew that Sister Agatha had opened a +door, and although her eyes were still tightly closed, Mary felt sure +she was in a very light place, the darkness looked so red, you see.</p> + +<p>'Please, mayn't I open my eyes now?' she cried.</p> + +<p>But she could not hear Sister Agatha's answer, because there was such a +loud noise in her ears. She must be close to a band, and a great many +persons seemed to be laughing and talking at once. Mary was just +thinking it was of no use; she must open her eyes just for a moment to +see what was going on around her when she felt Sister Agatha's lips +close to her ear.</p> + +<p>'You won't be frightened,' she whispered, 'and you mustn't cry out or +even speak. Now, open your eyes!'</p> + +<p>But though Mary opened her eyes at once, it was some time before she +could see anything clearly. It seemed exactly the same as last night, +when she first saw Evangeline's wings. The bright light dazzled her, +although it was not very long before she knew that she must be really in +fairy-land, as Sister Agatha had said.</p> + +<p>In front of her were a lot of men in light blue uniforms, with silver +lace on their coats, playing all manner of curious instruments. Beyond +the band and a little lower, Mary saw an enormous room with no carpet on +the floor, and each fresh person astonished her more than the last. Some +were dancing, some were sitting down, some were talking and laughing, +but although there were so many of them, not one looked cross or sad, +which was quite different from anything Mary had been used to.</p> + +<p>Of course, she recognised some of the people at once, and she would +certainly have called out their names if Sister Agatha had not placed a +hand over her lips. She saw Bluebeard, and Jack-the-Giant-killer, Old +Mother Hubbard, Aladdin with his lamp, her dear Cinderella, +Puss-in-Boots, the White Cat, and ever so many more whose portraits she +had seen in Sister Agatha's books upstairs. As to ordinary fairies, +there were far too many to count—some tall, some short, some fat and +some thin, some fair and some dark, but all with wings exactly like +Evangeline's. And yet it was quite easy to pick out Evangeline Royal +from the rest, and any one could see that she was their queen.</p> + +<p>'Do tell me which is the prince?' asked Mary. 'Oh!' she said, in a very +excited whisper the next instant, 'that must be the prince, that one in +the white and gold clothes. Look, he's going to dance with Evangeline!'</p> + +<p>Mary was quite right. The prince offered Evangeline his right hand and +they came to the middle of the large room together. Then the band, which +had stopped for a little while, began to play again, and the prince and +Evangeline began to dance.</p> + +<p>'How lovely the prince looks!' said Mary; 'does he always look like +that?'</p> + +<p>'Hus—s—sh!' said Sister Agatha, 'or they won't let us stay.'</p> + +<p>'Oh, do please let us stay,' answered Mary in such a low whisper that +Sister Agatha scarcely knew she had spoken at all. But if ever she +stepped away from the band, which seemed to make a great noise close to +Mary's ears, Mary began to look tearful, so, although she felt rather +heavy and Sister Agatha's arms were beginning to ache, she let the child +stay on, until presently she found that she was fast asleep. And the +next thing Mary knew was that she was sitting on her own bed, whilst +Sister Agatha took off her stockings, and all the wonders she had seen +were at an end for the present.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="VI" id="VI"></a>VI</h2> + +<h3>MARY IS TAKEN AWAY</h3> + + +<p>Mary quite believed that she was living in an enchanted place where she +would always be able to have everything she wanted, and even a great +many things she did not want in the least. Where there would always be +plenty of nice things to eat and drink, and Evangeline to tell her +stories as nobody had done before.</p> + +<p>She hoped she should never see Mrs. Coppert again as long as she lived, +because Evangeline had said that she should not go away until her foot +was well again, and although it was certainly better it was not quite +well yet.</p> + +<p>But there were times when Mary felt just a little afraid, for now and +then she dreamed she was back at William Street, where everything seemed +much worse than it used to be. And one morning the tall man with the +long beard looked at her foot a great while, and when it was covered +over again, he quite frightened Mary.</p> + +<p>'It is very much better,' he said, 'and there is no reason why she +should not try to walk. In fact, the sooner she goes away the better.'</p> + +<p>'There now,' said Sister Agatha when he had gone, 'what do you think of +that? Won't it be nice to walk again? You will like that, won't you?'</p> + +<p>'No,' answered Mary; 'I shan't like it at all. I don't want to walk.'</p> + +<p>'Oh yes, you will like it!' said Sister Agatha. 'Now suppose you try to +walk across the room.'</p> + +<p>Mary rose from her chair, and Sister Agatha held her hand while she +limped along by her side. It felt odd to be walking again, and Sister +Agatha suggested she should race with her doll. So the doll was placed +in a corner, and then Sister Agatha turned the key, which was necessary, +she said, because the doll could not eat as Mary did, and the race +began. But although Mary seemed to walk much more slowly than the doll, +who made a great fuss whenever it walked a few yards, she reached the +door first. Sister Agatha clapped her hands, and gave Mary a prize; she +gave her a lump of sugar.</p> + +<p>But although Mary laughed about the race, she began to look miserable +again when she remembered that the tall man had said she was to go away, +for of all things in the world she did not wish to leave Evangeline and +Sister Agatha. When Evangeline came to see her that afternoon, Mary +clasped her small arms round her neck and clung to her, and cried, +'Please don't send me away! Pray don't send me back to Mrs. Coppert!'</p> + +<p>'Why, my dear child,' said Evangeline; 'I am not going to send you back. +I have never dreamed of such a thing.'</p> + +<p>'But he said I was to go away,' answered Mary.</p> + +<p>'So you are going away,' Evangeline explained; 'but not to William +Street. Sister Agatha and I are going with you, and I think you will +like it very much indeed.'</p> + +<p>'I shall if you and Sister Agatha go,' said Mary, and now she felt more +satisfied, and she spent a happy afternoon with her toys. She went to +bed quite happily, but when her head had been some time on the pillow +Evangeline entered the room.</p> + +<p>'Poor child!' she said, 'is she asleep yet?'</p> + +<p>'Yes,' answered Sister Agatha, looking down at Mary's closed eyes; 'she +did not lie awake long to-night.'</p> + +<p>'How alarmed she was at the idea of leaving us,' said Evangeline +quietly.</p> + +<p>'And yet,' answered Sister Agatha, 'it is certain she can't stay here +for ever. You will have to make up your mind what is to be done before +long. Mary will soon be quite well again; besides, you will have other +things to think of.'</p> + +<p>This conversation made Mary feel uncomfortable again. Of course she +ought not to have listened to it; she ought to have sat up in bed, or at +least to have called out to let Evangeline know she was not asleep. But +the fact was that Mary felt so interested to hear anything about herself +that she could not resist the temptation to listen, and after Evangeline +had gone downstairs again she still kept her eyes shut, although it was +late before she really fell asleep that night.</p> + +<p>There were so many other things to think of that she soon forgot all +about her fear of going back to William Street, especially when Sister +Agatha began to pack a trunk with Mary's clothes and toys. She told her +they were going into the country—she and Evangeline and Mary. Of course +Mary had no idea what the country could be like, but she tried to find +out by asking a great many questions. Sister Agatha said there were +fields instead of houses, and trees instead of lamp-posts, but Mary did +not understand very clearly what a field was like; still the morning +came when they were to start, and Mary was ready first. When she stood +before the looking-glass with her new hat and jacket on, really she +hardly knew herself. It seemed as if Evangeline must have changed her as +Cinderella was changed, for you remember that even Cinderella's sisters +did not recognise her at the ball.</p> + +<p>Mary Brown stood before the tall glass, and she saw a little girl with a +rather pale face; it looked very clean, and her brown hair was carefully +tied back with ribbon. She wore tan-coloured stockings and high button +boots, and altogether it was a little difficult to believe she was the +same Mary Brown who used to wear the ragged dress and to make mud pies +in the gutter.</p> + +<p>She went downstairs holding Sister Agatha's hand, and on reaching the +hall she saw two very tall men in pale blue coats and white stockings. +Although they looked quite young men their hair was white, and one of +them took Mary in his arms to carry her across the pavement to a +carriage that was waiting before the door. It seemed so nice to be out +in the sunshine that Mary laughed aloud, but she was soon seated in the +carriage with Evangeline and Sister Agatha; then the horses started, and +presently they reached a large railway station. Mary knew all about +trains, because there was a bridge over William Street, and whilst she +played in the road they used to rush by overhead with a noise like +thunder. But she had never entered a train before, so that she felt +curious to see what it would be like inside. She thought it seemed very +nice, with soft blue cushions to sit upon, and windows to look out at.</p> + +<p>Presently the train began to move, and looking out at the window Mary +saw rows and rows of houses which looked very much like those in William +Street. But when the houses were left behind Mary opened her eyes very +widely; she thought she had never seen anything quite so wonderful as +this! Not even the wonderful things she had seen the night Sister Agatha +carried her downstairs had astonished her so much! For there were no +houses, and she had never seen ground without houses until now.</p> + +<p>She looked upon wide open spaces, with dozens of trees and oxen in green +meadows, and the consequence was that she began to ask so many questions +that Sister Agatha suggested that she should sit down and try to go to +sleep.</p> + +<p>'Oh no, thank you,' answered Mary, 'I'm not at all sleepy. I'd much +sooner look out of window.'</p> + +<p>'I thought perhaps you would like me to tell you a story,' said +Evangeline.</p> + +<p>'Yes, I should like you to tell me a story!' cried Mary, and she climbed +down from the seat and nestled close to Evangeline's side.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="VII" id="VII"></a>VII</h2> + +<h3>THE STORY OF THE LITTLE GIRL, THE DOG, AND THE DOLL</h3> + + +<p>Once upon a time there was a little girl whose name was Bertha. She had +no brother or sister, but she had two very dear friends: one was a doll +with a broken nose and only half an arm; the other was a white terrier +with a brown patch on his back, a short stump of a tail, and a cold +black nose.</p> + +<p>The dog's name was Samuel, and whilst he was very fond of Bertha he was +deeply attached to Moggy too; Moggy, you understand, was the doll. Moggy +might often be seen leaning against the nursery fender, with Samuel by +her side blinking solemnly at the fire. But every now and then he would +turn to look at Moggy, and put out his tongue and waggle his stumpy tail +from side to side on the carpet.</p> + +<p>Though Samuel wore a handsome collar he had quite forgotten what a chain +was, for he had not been tied up for years. He never slept in the old +kennel outside the kitchen door, because he preferred the mat in the +hall.</p> + +<p>Now, for a long time Moggy had slept on Bertha's pillow, and though +Bertha had other dolls who were much prettier than Moggy she never took +them to bed with her. But one day—it was Bertha's birthday—her mother +bought her the prettiest doll she could find, a doll that opened and +shut her eyes.</p> + +<p>'I really think,' said Mrs. Western when Bertha bade her good-night, +'you ought to take the new doll to bed with you, or what is the use of +having a doll who can go to sleep?'</p> + +<p>'What would Moggy do?' asked Bertha, looking doubtful about it.</p> + +<p>'Moggy is really too old to be jealous,' answered her mother.</p> + +<p>So Bertha said she would take the new doll to bed, then she went +upstairs with Samuel who was always in the room whilst she undressed. +Bertha slept in a room by herself, but there was a door that led to her +mother's room and this stood open all night. Moggy lay on the round +table in the middle of the room, and she looked very shabby beside the +fine new doll; still Bertha felt sorry for her as she got into bed. She +placed the new doll on her pillow and said good-night to the nurse.</p> + +<p>'Good-night, Miss Bertha.'</p> + +<p>'Don't quite shut the door, please,' said Bertha; and leaving the door a +little open as usual the nurse went downstairs, followed by Samuel. And +nobody heard anything more of Bertha until the next morning.</p> + +<p>As soon as she awoke she turned to look at her new doll, but to her +great astonishment she could not see her. She could not see anything of +the new doll, but there lay Moggy on the pillow just as she had done for +many months past. Bertha sat up in bed and rubbed her eyes, thinking she +could not be quite awake yet, but there was no mistake about it; it was +certainly Moggy on her pillow, and there was no sign of the new doll.</p> + +<p>'Nurse!' cried Bertha, when it was time to be dressed, 'what have you +done with my new doll?'</p> + +<p>'Why, Miss Bertha,' answered the nurse, 'you laid her on your pillow +last night.'</p> + +<p>'But she's not there now,' said Bertha, 'and Moggy is there. I can't see +my new doll anywhere!'</p> + +<p>The nurse stared at Moggy, and Moggy stared back with her dark eyes at +the nurse; then the nurse began to search for the lost doll, but she +could not find her anywhere. So she dressed Bertha, who went downstairs +to breakfast.</p> + +<p>'Mother!' she exclaimed, 'where's my new doll?'</p> + +<p>'I thought you were going to take it to bed with you last night,' said +Mrs. Western.</p> + +<p>'So I did,' answered Bertha; 'and I left poor Moggy on the table, but +when I woke this morning the other doll was gone and Moggy was on my +pillow.'</p> + +<p>'Nonsense,' said Mrs. Western; 'you must be making a mistake,' and +Bertha looked as if she was going to cry. 'Sit down to breakfast,' her +mother continued, 'and when we have finished we will go upstairs to look +for her.'</p> + +<p>But although they searched all over the nursery and looked into every +corner, and although Samuel trotted about the room with his ears cocked +and his tail waggling, the new doll could not be seen.</p> + +<p>'Nurse,' said Mrs. Western, 'what can have become of Miss Bertha's new +doll? She says she took it to bed with her last night!'</p> + +<p>'So she did,' answered the nurse, 'because I gave the doll to Miss +Bertha after she was in bed, and Moggy was lying on the table.'</p> + +<p>'Then who do you suppose can have taken her away?' exclaimed Mrs. +Western. Bertha seemed so disappointed that Mrs. Western took her out +that afternoon to buy another doll—not quite such a nice doll as that +which had disappeared, but a pretty doll all the same. 'This time,' said +Mrs. Western, 'I shall see it laid on your pillow myself,' and she +stayed in the nursery whilst Bertha had her bath. Then, as Samuel +frisked about the room, Bertha got into bed and Mrs. Western placed the +newest doll beside her on the pillow.</p> + +<p>'Don't quite shut the door, please!' cried Bertha, and in two minutes +she fell fast asleep. But on waking the next morning, it seemed a very +strange thing! she found that her newest doll had disappeared whilst +Moggy lay peacefully beside her on the pillow. She dressed more quickly +than usual and ran downstairs so fast that her mother came out of the +dining-room to tell her not to tumble head-foremost to the hall.</p> + +<p>'Mother!' cried Bertha, 'she's gone! The doll you bought me yesterday's +gone and Moggy was lying on the pillow.'</p> + +<p>'Nonsense, Bertha,' said Mrs. Western, 'you must be making a mistake, +because I laid her on your pillow myself.'</p> + +<p>'She wasn't there when I woke this morning,' answered Bertha.</p> + +<p>'Well, I cannot understand it!' cried Mrs. Western.</p> + +<p>'I can understand it very easily,' said Mr. Western; 'of course the +child is making a mistake. It must have been Moggy she took to bed.'</p> + +<p>'I am sure it was not,' answered Mrs. Western; 'besides, what has become +of the two new dolls? How do you account for their disappearance?'</p> + +<p>'Oh, you will find them in the nursery!' he insisted. 'But to make sure, +I will go upstairs with Bertha after breakfast and help her look.' So +they all went upstairs together this time: Mr. Western, Mrs. Western, +Bertha, and Samuel. And they examined every corner; they opened every +cupboard, Samuel sniffed about the fireplace and waggled his tail, but +still they saw nothing of either doll. 'Well,' said Mr. Western, 'I +really can't lose any more time. You have put the dolls away somewhere +and forgotten where.'</p> + +<p>'I am positive,' said Mrs. Western, 'that the doll lay on Bertha's +pillow last night and Moggy was on this table.'</p> + +<p>'I wish you would buy another doll this afternoon,' he replied with a +laugh, 'and to-night I will see it safely on Bertha's pillow myself.'</p> + +<p>That day Mrs. Western bought a third doll, and when Bertha was +comfortably tucked up in bed, her father came to her room to the great +delight of Samuel. They all stood beside the bed, and having made sure +that Moggy was on the table, they saw that the new black-haired doll lay +beside Bertha.</p> + +<p>'There will be no mistake this time,' said Mr. Western, and Samuel +waggled his tail as if he thought on the whole his master was quite +right. 'There she lies,' said Mr. Western, 'and she isn't likely to move +before breakfast-time.'</p> + +<p>But he was quite mistaken and also very much surprised. Being dressed +early that morning, Mr. Western went to Bertha's room before she was up, +she was in fact still asleep.</p> + +<p>'This is really very remarkable!' he exclaimed. For there, on the +pillow, lay poor Moggy, whilst he could not see the new black-haired +doll anywhere. 'I can't buy a new doll every day,' he said when they +were all downstairs. 'Besides, it seems to be of no use to buy them.' He +looked quite bothered about it; he could not enjoy his breakfast, which +was a good thing for Samuel, who had a whole sausage off his plate. +'Well,' said Mr. Western presently, 'I suppose Bertha must have another +doll; this will be the fourth in four days! But,' he added, 'I am +determined she shall not get away this time. I shall tie her to the +bed.'</p> + +<p>And this was what he did. He went to Bertha's room after she was in bed, +and with a strong piece of string he tied the fourth fair-haired doll to +the back of the bedstead. 'There!' exclaimed Mr. Western, 'I don't think +this one will disappear.'</p> + +<p>It did not disappear. But to his astonishment, when he came to the room +before Bertha was awake, he saw two dolls on her pillow: one being the +new, fair-haired doll, the other Moggy, whom he had left on the table in +the middle of the room.</p> + +<p>'I can't understand it at all,' he said at breakfast-time; 'any one +would think that Moggy was alive.'</p> + +<p>'At all events, she must be jealous,' answered Mrs. Western, while +Samuel sat on his haunches begging for bacon.</p> + +<p>'Well,' said Mr. Western, 'we shall not have to buy another doll +to-day—that will be a change anyhow. But I am determined to find out +how it happens. To-night I shall leave the new doll untied and fasten +Moggy to the table.'</p> + +<p>'Poor Moggy!' cried Bertha, looking quite tearful about it.</p> + +<p>When bedtime came, Mr. Western took a piece of cord from his pocket and +tied it tightly round Moggy's waist—she had a rather large waist, Moggy +was not at all a fashionable doll—then he passed the cord under the +table and fastened it securely to the leg. Samuel agreed with Bertha; he +did not like to see his dear old friend treated in this way; he seemed +very much distressed about it, and Bertha almost thought she heard him +growl.</p> + +<p>'There, Miss Moggy!' cried Mr. Western; 'I don't think your rest will be +disturbed to-night.' And her rest was not disturbed, for when Mr. +Western visited the nursery the next morning he found Moggy lying on the +table in the middle of the room just as he had left her. 'Ah!' he said +to himself, 'I thought so; I thought you would be safe this time!' And +he turned towards Bertha's bed.</p> + +<p>But where was the new doll? It was certainly not on the pillow where Mr. +Western had left it last night! What could have become of it? He looked +about the room, but there was no sign of the doll anywhere.</p> + +<p>All breakfast-time Mr. Western was silent. He said nothing about the +doll, he took no notice of Samuel, but when he rose from his chair, he +said in a low, solemn voice—</p> + +<p>'I should like you to buy another doll to-day—it need not be an +expensive doll, because this will be the fifth doll we have bought in +six days. But,' he added, 'it shall certainly be the last.'</p> + +<p>So that afternoon Mrs. Western took Bertha out to buy another doll. Now +she was growing used to it, Bertha rather liked the idea of having a new +doll almost every day. But this doll was not a very nice one. Its hair +was not real; it was only painted on its head. Bertha never felt quite +at home with the doll, and it did not feel soft and warm when she +pressed it against her cheek. Still her mother wished her to take it to +bed with her and to leave Moggy on the table.</p> + +<p>'Good-night, nurse,' said Bertha; 'don't quite shut the door, please.' +She felt just a little disappointed that neither her father nor her +mother came up as they had done the last two nights, but she soon fell +asleep and forgot all about them.</p> + +<p>Bertha had not been asleep many minutes before her door was pushed +farther open, and Mr. Western softly entered the bedroom. Crossing the +floor on tip-toes, he went to the window and loosening the wide +curtains, carefully hid himself behind them. There he stood in a very +uncomfortable position without moving for a long time. Now and then +Bertha stirred in her sleep, but neither Moggy on the table nor the +newest doll with the painted head, who lay on the pillow, moved the +hundredth part of an inch. Although the room was dim it was not quite +dark, because some light came in from the gas outside on the landing. +For a long time Mr. Western stood behind the window-curtain, and +presently—it must have been about a quarter to ten—he heard a soft +pattering on the floor. Peeping out cautiously from behind the curtain, +he saw first the tip of Samuel's nose, then his whole head, and at last +his body. And now Mr. Western knew how the dolls had disappeared. He +knew that Samuel was the culprit, and he smiled as he waited, expecting +to see the terrier jump on the chair which stood beside the table and +seize Moggy's skirt between his teeth. But before Samuel reached the +chair he suddenly stopped and began to sniff. Then putting his nose +close to the floor he slowly drew near to the window. After sniffing at +this for some moments he seemed quickly to change his mind, and turning +round he ran out of the room.</p> + +<p>Mr. Western at once followed him. On reaching the drawing-room door, +Samuel wanted to enter, but Mr. Western said—</p> + +<p>'Samuel, come along!' and with his short tail close to his body and his +head held very near the ground Samuel followed his master downstairs. At +each step the dog looked more guilty, and when Mr. Western stopped +outside the kitchen door, Samuel lay flat on the ground and turned over +on his back, looking out of the corners of his eyes all the time. But +when Mr. Western put his right hand into the kennel which Samuel never +slept in, the dog became so excited again that he sprang to his feet and +began to frisk about as if he had done something very clever indeed.</p> + +<p>Mr. Western put his hand into the old kennel, and you can guess what he +drew out. He drew out the black-haired doll, and with this in his hand +he looked down and shook his head at Samuel. Then Samuel turned over on +to his back again just as he did when he pretended to be dead. One after +the other Mr. Western drew out of the kennel five new dolls, and as he +stood holding them in his arms Samuel got upon his legs again and began +to howl dismally.</p> + +<p>'Come upstairs to your mistress, sir,' said Mr. Western, and Samuel +followed him upstairs. But when she saw Mr. Western enter the +drawing-room with the five dolls in his arms Mrs. Western laughed, and +he threw them all into an arm-chair by the fireplace.</p> + +<p>'The fact is,' said Mrs. Western, 'Samuel is a great friend of Moggy's, +and I suppose he did not like to see another doll put into her place,' +and Samuel waggled his tail just as if he understood all she said and +quite approved of it. 'So,' she continued, 'he must have gone to the +nursery after Bertha was asleep and moved Moggy from the table and put +her on the pillow. Then he must have dragged the new doll downstairs. +Very naughty of you, Samuel,' said Mrs. Western, shaking her finger.</p> + +<p>Samuel crept along the carpet to her shoes and began to lick them.</p> + +<p>'Up!' she cried, and as quickly as possible Samuel was in her lap, being +kissed and patted and made completely happy. 'What a fine story we shall +have to tell Bertha to-morrow!' said Mrs. Western, 'and I really think +she will have to take Moggy back to sleep with her.'</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="VIII" id="VIII"></a>VIII</h2> + +<h3>MARY SEES SOMETHING WHICH SHE HAS NEVER SEEN BEFORE</h3> + + +<p>Evangeline finished her story just as the train stopped at a small +country station, where a porter opened the door and they all got out. +The station looked like a summer-house, and when Mary went outside into +the road, she clapped her hands with delight.</p> + +<p>There was quite a small crowd of people waiting there, but what pleased +Mary the most was a little brown carriage with four cream-coloured +ponies. Beside the ponies stood two boys with bright buttons on their +coats, whilst three rough, brown dogs jumped up at Evangeline as if they +wanted to lick her face. Evangeline drove the ponies, and Mary sat +wedged in between her and Sister Agatha. The two boys with bright +buttons on their coats climbed into a seat behind; Evangeline flourished +the whip, the sun shone, and the dogs ran barking beside the carriage.</p> + +<p>'Where are the streets?' asked Mary a few minutes later. 'Oh!' she +exclaimed, 'look at the stars on the ground!'</p> + +<p>'Stars!' said Sister Agatha.</p> + +<p>'Aren't they stars?' asked Mary.</p> + +<p>'Why, of course not——'</p> + +<p>'Then I know what they are,' said Mary; 'they're the magic counters you +give to people when you want them to do things.'</p> + +<p>'I'm afraid those don't grow by the roadside,' answered Evangeline; +'these are primroses, Mary.'</p> + +<p>'What are primroses?' asked Mary with wondering eyes.</p> + +<p>'You see,' said Evangeline, 'every winter the earth grows hard and cold; +but when it feels the sun shine on it again it smiles, and to show you +how glad it is, it puts forth all these bright little flowers.'</p> + +<p>'I see,' answered Mary, still looking as if she did not understand at +all.</p> + +<p>'Perhaps you would like to pick some,' said Evangeline. She stopped the +ponies, and at the same moment the two boys sprang to the ground and +stood very stiffly at their heads. Sister Agatha and Mary got out of the +carriage and, stooping by the roadside, plucked primrose after primrose, +whilst the three dogs sniffed about as if they wanted to make a meal off +the sweet, yellow flowers.</p> + +<p>Then they got into the carriage again, and Evangeline flourished her +whip. The boys climbed up into the back seat, and Mary felt she should +not mind being driven along that sunny road for ever, or at least until +tea-time. She had never smelled the air so sweet nor seen the sky so +blue.</p> + +<p>Presently they reached some shops and small houses, and the people came +out to stand at the doors and bow to Evangeline as she passed.</p> + +<p>'Why do they do that?' asked Mary.</p> + +<p>'If you saw a fairy-queen driving four cream-coloured ponies past your +house, don't you think you would bow to show how pleased you felt?' said +Sister Agatha.</p> + +<p>'I suppose I should,' answered Mary, as they came to a gate with a +cottage beside it. Out from the cottage a funny little old woman came +with a face the colour of a russet apple; she curtseyed so low that her +chin seemed almost to touch the ground, and she wore a red cloak. In one +hand she carried a stick, and Mary wondered whether she was a witch. She +opened the gate, and stood bowing as Evangeline drove through it, and +when Mary looked back at her afterwards the little old woman was bowing +still.</p> + +<p>Now, the road ran through a large park, and in the distance Mary saw a +great white house, a part of which shone very brightly in the sunshine.</p> + +<p>'Is that the palace?' asked the child.</p> + +<p>'Yes,' answered Sister Agatha, 'that is your fairy's palace.'</p> + +<p>'Why does it shine so much?' asked Mary.</p> + +<p>'Oh, that's to welcome the queen, you know!'</p> + +<p>'What are those things?' exclaimed Mary the next minute; 'those funny +things with trees on their heads?'</p> + +<p>'Those are deer,' said Evangeline.</p> + +<p>'But that's what you call me!' cried Mary, with her eyes very widely +open.</p> + +<p>'Well,' said Sister Agatha, 'you're a dear too, only a different kind of +dear.'</p> + +<p>'I can't run so fast,' answered Mary. For as she spoke the deer began to +trot away, then they stopped again, and one that was bigger than the +rest stood in front whilst they all watched the carriage.</p> + +<p>Several people stood at the door of the house, which seemed to be partly +built of glass. All the people were young like Evangeline, and they all +appeared pleased to see her. But Mary felt a little disappointed that +none of them took any notice of her, and very few spoke to Sister +Agatha, who took Mary's hand, and led her into the house. They passed +through a wide hall with animals' heads hanging on the walls, and there +was a large table with a green top and red and white balls on it.</p> + +<p>'Where are their bodies?' asked Mary, as she walked upstairs with Sister +Agatha.</p> + +<p>'Whose bodies?'</p> + +<p>'Belonging to the great heads downstairs?' said Mary.</p> + +<p>'Oh!' answered Sister Agatha, 'I daresay their bodies have been turned +into men.'</p> + +<p>'I never heard of animals' bodies being turned into men before,' said +Mary. 'Did Evangeline do that?' she asked; but before Sister Agatha +answered she led Mary into a pretty room with two beds in it. And Mary +became so deeply interested in the room that she forgot all about the +animals' heads. She looked into each corner; she wanted to know which +bed she was to sleep in, and then she went to one of the three windows.</p> + +<p>'Sister Agatha!' she exclaimed the next moment, 'Sister Agatha!'</p> + +<p>'What is the matter now?' asked Sister Agatha, with a smile.</p> + +<p>'Do come here!' cried Mary excitedly; 'do come here! Look!' she said, +pointing out at the window; 'there are two skies. This is a wonderful +place!'</p> + +<p>'I only see one,' answered Sister Agatha, coming to her side.</p> + +<p>'But look! there are two. There's one up above and another down there.'</p> + +<p>'That is the sea,' said Sister Agatha. 'Haven't you seen the sea before? +But, of course, you have not. Yes,' said Sister Agatha quietly, as she +placed a hand on Mary's shoulder, 'the sea is very wonderful!'</p> + +<p>'What is the sea?' asked Mary.</p> + +<p>'A great, great piece of water——'</p> + +<p>'The same as we drink?' asked Mary.</p> + +<p>'It would not be at all nice to drink,' was the answer. 'It would taste +salt, you know.'</p> + +<p>'Then what's the use of it if you can't drink it?' said Mary. Then she +suddenly began to jump about more excitedly than ever. 'Look! look!' she +cried. 'Look at that funny thing with smoke coming out of it! How fast +it goes! What is that?'</p> + +<p>'That is a ship,' Sister Agatha explained. 'It takes people on long +journeys.'</p> + +<p>'Where does it take them?' asked Mary.</p> + +<p>'To countries a long way off.'</p> + +<p>'Farther than we've come to-day?' cried Mary.</p> + +<p>'Yes,' said Sister Agatha, 'a great deal farther—to countries where +there are all kinds of wonderful things to be seen.'</p> + +<p>'Not more wonderful than there are here,' said Mary.</p> + +<p>'No,' answered Sister Agatha; 'they only seem more wonderful because we +are not used to them. Everything is wonderful, you know; only we become +so accustomed to things we see every day that they don't seem wonderful +any longer. Now there's nothing more wonderful than a little girl, +unless it is a big girl.'</p> + +<p>'Oh, I think there is!' said Mary. 'I think ships are much more +wonderful, and the sea, and the ponies, and primroses, and Evangeline, +and——'</p> + +<p>'And tea!' exclaimed Sister Agatha. 'I am going to ring for it, and +then, when you have had tea, it will be time to go to bed. Now,' she +added, 'we will pull down the blind.'</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="IX" id="IX"></a>IX</h2> + +<h3>EVANGELINE GIVES MARY SOME MAGIC COUNTERS</h3> + + +<p>Sister Agatha felt afraid that Mary would be too excited to go to sleep +that night, but as soon as her head touched the pillow she shut her +eyes, although she dreamed of all manner of strange things. When she +awoke the next morning Sister Agatha was already dressed, and as the +blinds had been drawn up, Mary slipped out of bed and limped to the +window.</p> + +<p>Although her foot was a great deal better, she still walked as if she +was lame, and she soon grew tired. She limped to the window, and if the +sea had looked beautiful yesterday, it looked far more beautiful with +the morning sun shining on it. When Mary was dressed, Sister Agatha took +her downstairs to a smaller room, with open glass doors instead of +windows, and when she stepped through them she found herself in a lovely +garden. Some men who were digging in it touched their caps to Mary, and +she said—</p> + +<p>'Good morning,' and felt that she was quite an important little person. +Then Sister Agatha called her into the room again, and they sat down to +breakfast. 'I wish I could go to the sea,' said Mary.</p> + +<p>'So you shall,' answered Sister Agatha, 'but not this morning. I am +going to show you the park this morning.'</p> + +<p>'This afternoon, then?'</p> + +<p>'This afternoon there will be the Maypole,' said Sister Agatha.</p> + +<p>'What's a Maypole?' asked Mary.</p> + +<p>'I knew you would say that,' said Sister Agatha; 'but I am afraid you +must wait until you see it.'</p> + +<p>'Where's Evangeline?' cried Mary presently. 'I wish she could have +breakfast with us!'</p> + +<p>'The idea of such a thing,' was the answer. 'Evangeline has a great deal +to do and a lot of friends to entertain.'</p> + +<p>'Does the prince live here?' asked Mary.</p> + +<p>'He lives next door,' said Sister Agatha; 'only next door is a quarter +of a mile away.'</p> + +<p>'How funny!' exclaimed Mary.</p> + +<p>'And some day,' said Sister Agatha, 'he will go to live a long way off, +and Evangeline will go with him—that will be very soon now.'</p> + +<p>'Will she take me?' asked Mary, looking a little anxious.</p> + +<p>'No,' said Sister Agatha quietly; 'I don't think she will want either of +us, dear.'</p> + +<p>'Shall I stay here?' asked Mary.</p> + +<p>'No, you certainly can't stay here.'</p> + +<p>'Then what shall I do?' cried Mary, putting out her lower lip, and +looking as if she were going to cry.</p> + +<p>Sister Agatha passed her right hand over the little girl's brown hair, +and stared rather sadly into her face: 'I am sure I don't know what will +happen,' she answered. 'But come, we will put on our clothes and go into +the garden.'</p> + +<p>When once they were out of the house, there were a great many things to +see. There were the chickens to begin with, dozens of them, and they all +came round Mary cackling so loudly that she could hardly hear herself +speak. Then she went into a field where there were a lot of sheep with +tiny frisking lambs, and into another field where six brown calves stood +close together by the gate, and would not move to let Sister Agatha pass +through. On the way home they went into a house built of glass. It felt +very hot, and there were ever so many bunches of grapes hanging from the +roof. And in the afternoon there was the Maypole. Mary stood in front of +the house a little way from Evangeline and the prince and the other +people, but they all seemed to be laughing and talking too much to look +at Mary.</p> + +<p>She felt disappointed that Evangeline took no notice of her, and she +held Sister Agatha's hand more tightly. It was true that Sister Agatha +was not quite so pretty as Evangeline nor so young, and she always wore +the same dress, but still she was very nice for all that. Mary had +always felt she belonged to Evangeline, because it was Evangeline who +took her away from William Street. Besides, Sister Agatha seemed more +like an ordinary person, only nicer and kinder than any one Mary had +ever known, but Evangeline was not an ordinary person at all.</p> + +<p>The Maypole stood before the door with a crown of flowers at the top, +and a lot of prettily dressed children around it. Each child held a +coloured ribbon in one hand, and they all sang as they danced round the +Maypole winding and unwinding the ribbons. Mary thought it was all very +nice, only she would have liked to hold one of the ribbons too, though +it was true she did not know much about dancing, even if her foot had +been quite well.</p> + +<p>But the most delightful thing Mary had ever seen was the sea. It had +been surprising when she looked at it from the window, but when Sister +Agatha took her on to the beach, and her feet sank into the soft sand, +and there were so many nice wet things to pick up, Mary began to laugh +and to clap her hands for joy.</p> + +<p>She liked to see the waves curling towards her, then to watch whilst +they changed from green to the purest white, and just when she thought +they were going to wet her shoes, they ran away again with a noise that +made Mary think they were laughing at her, as if they were only playing +and quite enjoying the game.</p> + +<p>'There's another ship!' cried Mary. 'I wonder where it's going to?' she +said, looking up into Sister Agatha's face.</p> + +<p>'A long, long way,' was the answer. 'To a place where the people are +different from us. They are all black, and they don't wear clothes.'</p> + +<p>'What do they do when it's cold?' asked Mary.</p> + +<p>'It's never cold in those countries,' said Sister Agatha. 'It is always +very hot—far hotter than it is here.'</p> + +<p>'Oh, then that's fairy-land, too!' Mary exclaimed.</p> + +<p>'Yes, every place is full of wonders, you know,' answered Sister Agatha.</p> + +<p>'All except William Street,' said Mary, and Sister Agatha took her hand +and they walked slowly back to the house. The next day happened to be +wet, and during the afternoon Evangeline came to see Mary for the first +time since she left London. But when Mary had made up her mind for a +nice chat, or perhaps for a story, Sister Agatha gave her a picture-book +and told her to sit down.</p> + +<p>'We have very serious matters to discuss,' she said, 'so you must keep +still and not speak a word.'</p> + +<p>Mary opened the book, but her attention soon turned from the pictures to +Evangeline, who was sitting at a round table with a pencil in her hand +making figures. Presently Evangeline took a purse from her pocket, and +emptied it on to the table.</p> + +<p>'I know what those are!' exclaimed Mary, unable to keep silent any +longer. 'They're the magic counters! I wish I might have one,' she said.</p> + +<p>'What should you do with it?' asked Evangeline.</p> + +<p>'I should give it to some one when I wanted anything done very much,' +said Mary.</p> + +<p>'You may have one if you like,' answered Evangeline, and Mary eagerly +held forth her hand. That evening Sister Agatha gave her a purse to keep +her treasure in, but Mary was always taking it out to look at it and to +make sure it was safe.</p> + +<p>She had never had anything in her life that she liked so much. It was +not only that it was bright and pretty to look at, but it made her feel +so much safer. If she wanted anything done—anything very important—she +could give some one the magic counter, and he would be sure to do it. +Not that there seemed anything that Mary wanted done very particularly, +only to see a little more of Evangeline. As it was, she saw hardly +anybody but Sister Agatha, of whom she grew fonder each day. The fact +was, they were all busily preparing for a great and important event, and +sometimes even Sister Agatha was too busy to give much time to Mary.</p> + +<p>Mary would have liked to see more of Evangeline, but there was another +person whom she did not wish to see at all, and that was Mrs. Coppert. +She had made up her mind to keep her magic counter lest Mrs. Coppert +should ever try to take her back to William Street, then she would use +it to send Mrs. Coppert away again.</p> + +<p>But although Mary had quite decided to keep the counter for the benefit +of Mrs. Coppert, she was tempted to change her mind one day. It was in +the afternoon; she was sitting by the window that opened on to the +garden, and being quite by herself she felt rather lonely. Then she saw +Evangeline pass the window.</p> + +<p>'Please come in!' Mary cried. 'I'm all alone!' and, stepping into the +garden, she caught hold of Evangeline's dress.</p> + +<p>'I'm afraid I haven't time to come in just now,' answered Evangeline, +standing outside the window.</p> + +<p>'Do come in and tell me a story!' pleaded Mary.</p> + +<p>'I will try to tell you a story to-morrow,' said Evangeline.</p> + +<p>'No, to-day!' said Mary, and, as Evangeline shook her head, Mary +suddenly recollected her magic counter. She felt she wanted so much to +hear a story that she could not even save the magic counter for Mrs. +Coppert. So she put her hand in her pocket, and took out her purse, but +unfortunately she could not open it.</p> + +<p>'I want you to open it,' said Mary, holding out the purse to Evangeline. +When the purse was opened Mary took it back, and she made up her mind +that she would not quite shut it another time. Then she managed to take +out the flat, round, yellow thing, which she placed in Evangeline's +hand.</p> + +<p>'What is this for?' asked Evangeline, looking a good deal surprised.</p> + +<p>'It's one of the magic counters, you know,' said Mary, 'and I want you +to tell me a story—a fairy story, please.'</p> + +<p>Now as this was the first time she had used the magic counter, Mary felt +a little anxious to see how it would act, and at all events she hoped +Evangeline would give it back to her again, although she did not feel at +all sure about it. She was greatly relieved to see Evangeline smile and +look at the watch which she wore on her wrist.</p> + +<p>'You can put this back in your purse again,' said Evangeline, and +entering the room she sat down and drew Mary to her side.</p> + +<p>'You'll tell me the story all the same,' answered Mary, as she put the +magic counter back into her purse.</p> + +<p>'Oh yes, I must, you see!' cried Evangeline with a laugh; 'only it will +have to be rather a short one. You said nothing about the length.'</p> + +<p>'Not too short,' said Mary, 'and about fairies, please;' and then she +nestled snugly against Evangeline as she began the tale.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="X" id="X"></a>X</h2> + +<h3>THE STORY OF THE PRINCE, THE BLUE-BIRD, AND THE CAGE</h3> + + +<p>The Princess Fantosina had a very beautiful voice, and whilst walking in +the palace gardens one day in spring, she began to sing. She was about +to leave off singing and to re-enter the palace when she saw a +strange-looking, little, old woman.</p> + +<p>'My dear,' said the little old woman, hobbling towards the Princess +Fantosina, 'I have not heard that song for two hundred years, and I +should like you to sing it again.'</p> + +<p>'I will sing it again with pleasure,' answered the princess, and she +sang the song again from beginning to end.</p> + +<p>'Now,' said the strange-looking little old woman, 'you have gratified me +very much by singing without being asked twice, and I should like to do +something to please you in return. Tell me what you would like to have +done.'</p> + +<p>'I don't think there is anything, thank you,' said the Princess +Fantosina.</p> + +<p>'There must be something,' was the answer, 'because the most contented +person in the world always wants something else. Now,' said the old +woman, 'how about a prince?'</p> + +<p>'Oh!' cried Fantosina, smiling very brightly, 'my prince is on his way. +He lives a long distance off, but he has set forth on his journey to +fetch me. And though I have never seen him, I know he is very good and +very handsome, and that I shall love him very dearly.' Whilst Fantosina +was speaking a dove flew by. 'Oh!' she cried, 'how delightful it must be +to fly!'</p> + +<p>'So you shall,' said the little old woman. 'How should you like to be +able to turn into a dove whenever you wished.'</p> + +<p>'I should like it very much,' answered Fantosina, 'only a dove cannot +sing—it can only coo, you know.'</p> + +<p>'Then,' said the old woman, 'you shall have the power to take the form +of a bird that sings more sweetly than the nightingale. It shall have a +bright blue body and scarlet wings, and the loveliest song in the world. +Now,' the little old woman continued, 'you must listen carefully to what +I am going to say. If you pluck a primrose and hold the petals to your +lips you will at once change into this bird, and a bird you will remain +until you fly to a cowslip field and take a portion of the flower in +your beak, then you will become a princess again just as you are now.'</p> + +<p>With this the old woman hobbled away, and although the Princess +Fantosina called to her several times she did not even glance back. So +the princess returned to the palace wondering whether she should ever +find the courage to pluck a primrose. Ever since she had been a small +child she had thought how delightful it must be to fly through the air; +to rest on the topmost branch of a tree in the sunshine and sing and +sing to her heart's content.</p> + +<p>And yet now Fantosina had the power to do what she had always longed to +do, she did not feel at all sure she should do it. The reason was, that +she feared lest any accident should prevent her from reaching a cowslip +field and so becoming a princess again. For although she thought it +would be very nice to be a bird for a few hours now and then, she would +have been sorry to remain a bird always, especially as the prince was on +his way to make her his bride.</p> + +<p>But presently Fantosina went into the gardens again, and then she walked +to a meadow where the grass beside the hedges was yellow with primroses. +She looked around to make sure that nobody was in sight, and stooping +she plucked a primrose. She did not put it at once to her lips, but +carried it in her hand until she had crossed three fields and come to a +standstill by a cowslip bank.</p> + +<p>Even now she felt a little afraid to put the primrose to her lips, but +the sun shone so brightly and the cloudless sky looked so blue, and she +thought how delightful it must be to soar in the air on such a glorious +day, and she told herself she would just change for a few minutes to see +how the charm acted.</p> + +<p>So the Princess Fantosina held the primrose to her lips and breathed +upon its petals, and then there was no one standing on the cowslip bank +but only a small bird with a blue body and scarlet wings hopping about +the grass.</p> + +<p>Fantosina could hardly believe at first that the bird was herself, +although she was able to think of things just the same as before. But +the first thing she thought of was, that it would be very pleasant to +fly from the ground to the top of the tall acacia tree which stood a few +yards from the bank. Only she might fly up there and be unable to come +down again, or she might become giddy and tumble before she reached a +bough. Still she began to move her wings, and then she felt the most +delightful sensation you can imagine. She did not seem to be doing +anything at all, and yet she was rising quickly through the air. It +seemed so enjoyable that, when she got to the tree, she did not like to +leave off flying, and instead of settling at once, she circled round and +round several times before she came to rest on the highest branch.</p> + +<p>She was not in the least frightened or giddy now; she could see farther +than she had ever seen before, and everything looked very clear and +distinct. She looked in the direction from which her prince was to come, +but she could not see any sign of his arrival yet. Presently Fantosina +began to sing, and that seemed even pleasanter than flying. She sang so +loudly and so fast and enjoyed it so much, that it was later than she +had intended before she thought of descending from the acacia tree. But +at last she spread her scarlet wings, and dropped slowly to the grass; +then she hopped to the nearest cowslip, and no sooner touched it with +her beak than she became a princess again, just as she had been before.</p> + +<p>From that day she never spent a morning without becoming a bird; she +would leave the palace when nobody saw her, pluck a primrose, and walk +or run to the cowslip bank. And gradually she grew bolder, and instead +of waiting until she reached the cowslips, she would hold the primrose +to her mouth at once, because she could fly to the other field much more +quickly than she could walk. She amused herself by flying to the palace +and singing outside her mother's window, and one day, after Fantosina +had become a princess again, the queen spoke about the wonderful bird.</p> + +<p>'I have never listened to such a beautiful song,' she said. 'I hear it +every morning at the same hour. Have you heard it, Fantosina?'</p> + +<p>Fantosina felt very much amused. 'Yes,' she answered, 'I heard it this +morning.'</p> + +<p>'I heard it too!' cried Abdullah, Fantosina's younger brother. 'But +though I have looked for it I have not seen the bird yet.'</p> + +<p>'It is the most beautiful bird in the world,' said Fantosina, trying not +to laugh. 'It has a blue body and bright red wings. I don't believe +there is another bird like it.'</p> + +<p>Now Abdullah, being very fond of his sister, and seeing that she admired +the strange bird, made up his mind to catch it for her, but he did not +say anything of his intention, because he wanted to give Fantosina a +pleasant surprise. But the next morning he hid himself in the shrubbery, +and waited until he heard the bird's song; and peeping out he saw a +scarlet wing flash in the sunshine. That afternoon Abdullah prepared a +net, and the next morning again he hid in the same place. As soon as he +heard the song he peeped forth and saw a spot of blue against the green +leaves of an oak tree which grew close to the house, then he waited +until Fantosina thought it was time to come back to her proper shape. In +order to return to the cowslip bank she left the tree and flew along +just above the ground, and she had spread her wings and was enjoying +herself very greatly when she saw Abdullah running after her. And she +saw too that her brother carried a long stick in his hands, and at the +end of the stick was a large thin green net, the same as boys use to +catch butterflies.</p> + +<p>Fantosina had never felt so frightened in her life. Suppose Abdullah +caught her before she could reach the cowslip bank! He might put her in +a cage, or he might kill her and have her stuffed! She thought how sad +it would be to have to spend her whole life in a cage, or to be put +under a glass case in the queen's drawing-room!</p> + +<p>The worst of it was that she could not tell him who she really was. When +she tried to speak she could only sing, and it made her so nervous to +see Abdullah running just underneath her that she could not fly nearly +so fast as usual. But she did reach the sloping bank at last, and just +as she was going to seize a cowslip, Abdullah held out his net. This +alarmed her so much that she flew out of his reach to the top of the +acacia tree, and made up her mind to stay there until Abdullah went home +to luncheon.</p> + +<p>She did not think he would stay where he was very long, because the king +was a punctual man and never liked any one to be late for meals; as it +was, he would be sure to miss his daughter, but he would never see her +again if once Abdullah got her into his net!</p> + +<p>So Fantosina waited on the tree a long, long time, and at last she +thought Abdullah must have gone home, so she dropped to a lower branch, +and holding her little blue head on one side she looked carefully +around. There was no sign of her brother. He had evidently given up his +attempt to capture her for to-day, and she would take care he did not +have a chance again. She saw no sign of Abdullah, who was standing close +to the trunk of the acacia tree; but in order to be quite safe Fantosina +flew to a still lower branch, and holding her little blue head on one +side again she once more looked around. Suddenly she felt confused; +everything seemed to look dark and green as if she held a piece of +coloured glass before her eyes, and when she tried to fly to a lighter +place she knocked against a thin green wall. She tried to tear it with +her beak, she tried to scrape it with her claws, but it was of no use; +she could not escape do what she would; she felt she was being drawn +nearer and nearer to the grass, until at last she stood exactly on top +of a cowslip. Oh, if only she could get one of its petals in her beak! +the very tiniest morsel would do, but the horrid green net prevented +her, and then Abdullah put his hand round her and carried her home; and +Fantosina knew she should never become a princess again as long as she +lived.</p> + +<p>'Look, look!' he cried, as he entered the palace. 'Look, Fantosina, I've +caught the bird! Give me a cage!'</p> + +<p>'I wish,' said the king, 'that instead of catching birds you would +return in proper time for your meals.'</p> + +<p>'I knew Fantosina wanted it,' answered Abdullah. 'Where is there a +cage?'</p> + +<p>'I don't know what has become of your sister,' said the queen, little +imagining that Fantosina was held tightly in his hand, and listening to +every word she said.</p> + +<p>'I never wait for anybody!' exclaimed the king; 'kindly sit down to +luncheon.'</p> + +<p>'I will just put the bird in a cage,' said Abdullah. 'I wish Fantosina +would come. How pleased she will be; won't she, mother?'</p> + +<p>Abdullah left the room and soon found an empty bird-cage, then he put +Fantosina into it, and she sat down on its floor with all her feathers +ruffled, and feeling extremely miserable as you may imagine. When +luncheon ended and still there was no sign of Fantosina, the king became +even more alarmed than the queen; he sent men in all directions to +search for her, but night came and no Fantosina. The king and queen did +not go to bed all night, and a light was kept burning in every window of +the palace. They were both very tired at breakfast the next morning, and +when Fantosina sat on a perch in her cage and sang her loudest in her +effort to make them know who she really was, the queen said the song +made her head ache, and ordered that the cage should be covered over.</p> + +<p>How miserable Fantosina felt in the darkened cage! How she longed to be +able to fly from tree to tree again even if she could not return to her +proper shape! But all the longing in the world was of no use. Day after +day passed, the king's hair grew gray from grief, and the queen became +pale and thin, while Abdullah took no pleasure in anything but the bird. +Everybody in the palace went into the deepest mourning because they +thought Fantosina must be dead, and once she heard her father and mother +talking about the prince who was coming to marry their daughter.</p> + +<p>'I wish we could prevent him from coming,' said the king; 'and if I knew +which direction he had taken, I would send messengers to meet him.'</p> + +<p>'It will be a great disappointment to him,' answered the queen; 'but +when he sees we are in sorrow, he will not stay long.'</p> + +<p>One day Fantosina heard that he had arrived, and she saw him through the +bars of her cage that evening at dinner. He was very tall and handsome, +just the kind of prince she had hoped he might be, but all she could do +was to sing her best in his honour.</p> + +<p>'What a charming song!' exclaimed the prince, 'and what beautiful +plumage! I have never seen a bird like that before.'</p> + +<p>'Abdullah caught it the day poor Fantosina disappeared,' said the queen, +and she became so deeply distressed that she apologised to the prince +and left the table.</p> + +<p>'It was a pity to catch the bird,' answered the prince; 'its plumage +will fade in the cage and its song will die away.'</p> + +<p>'I caught it to please my sister,' said Abdullah, 'for I knew she would +be delighted with it.' Fantosina's wings felt redder than ever, for she +blushed to remember that it was quite true she had often kept birds in +cages, though she was sure she should never do so again even if she had +the opportunity.</p> + +<p>'As I have found you all in such distress,' said the prince presently, +'I shall of course not stay so long as I intended. I think I shall ask +you to let me depart to-morrow.'</p> + +<p>The king offered no objection to this, for to tell you the truth, he +felt pleased to get rid of the prince now he had lost Fantosina; it was +not a time for visitors. After breakfast the next morning, the prince +ordered a large parcel to be carried in, and when it had been unfastened +he took out the costly presents he had brought from his father's +kingdom. These consisted of embroideries and jewels and swords and +various other things which the king and queen and Abdullah admired +exceedingly. Then the king said—</p> + +<p>'I do not know what to offer you in return for all these treasures, +because I had intended to give you the most valuable of all my +possessions, and that was my poor Fantosina. Now, alas! I have no +daughter, and I do not know what to offer you.'</p> + +<p>'There is one thing I should like, if you will graciously present it to +me,' said the prince.</p> + +<p>'I beg you will do me the honour to choose whatever in my kingdom +pleases you the best,' answered the king.</p> + +<p>'Then,' said the prince, 'I choose this beautiful bird.'</p> + +<p>As the prince spoke Fantosina began to sing, for although she had made +up her mind she could never be other than a bird as long as she lived, +she had already grown to love the prince so dearly that she felt pleased +at the idea of going away with him. The prince was to set forth at four +o'clock the same afternoon, and from the window where her cage hung +Fantosina could see the people making ready for his departure. When the +four white horses were put into his carriage, she began to fear lest she +should be forgotten, and to remind the prince, she began to sing her +loudest. Presently Abdullah came to the room and climbed on to a chair +to take down the cage, which he carried outside the palace. The king and +queen and several courtiers stood around the prince to bid him farewell, +and when Abdullah joined the group with the cage in his hand, the king +felt ashamed of the smallness of his gift.</p> + +<p>'I fear,' he said, as Abdullah handed the cage to the prince, 'you will +find the bird troublesome on your journey.'</p> + +<p>'No,' answered the prince, 'I shall not find it in the least +troublesome, because I do not intend to take it on my journey.' And +Fantosina felt deeply disappointed to think she was going to be left +behind after all. But the next moment the prince held the cage above his +head and opened the door. The instant the door was opened Fantosina flew +out of the cage, but Abdullah, thinking she had escaped by an accident +and that the prince would be disappointed to lose the bird, ran after +her, followed by the prince, who vainly called to him to come back. The +king followed his guest, from politeness, but at a slower pace, and even +the queen and the courtiers walked in the same direction.</p> + +<p>Fantosina felt almost too much excited to fly; after her confinement in +the cage, her wings were a little stiff too, so that long before she +reached the cowslip bank, she feared she might fall exhausted to the +ground and be caught again. Then she wondered whether she find all the +cowslips dead, and this idea alarmed her so much that she flew slower +and slower, though she tried to fly faster and faster. Abdullah was +close to her tail, the prince a little behind him, the king was in the +next field, and the queen and the courtiers in the next but one.</p> + +<p>As Fantosina drew near to the bank, she could not see one cowslip; at +last she was exactly over the bank, and just as she felt she could not +fly another yard, she saw a single cowslip under her claws. In an +instant she dropped to the ground, and at the same moment Abdullah +seized her tail. But Fantosina put forth her beak as far as it would go +and just succeeded in touching the pale yellow petal of the one cowslip +which was left.</p> + +<p>To the astonishment of Abdullah and of the prince, the blue bird with +the scarlet wings disappeared and in its place stood the most beautiful +princess the prince had ever seen.</p> + +<p>'Fantosina!' exclaimed Abdullah.</p> + +<p>'Fantosina!' cried the king, almost out of breath.</p> + +<p>'Fantosina!' cried the queen in the next field. But the prince said +nothing until Fantosina held out her hand to him.</p> + +<p>'If you had not been so good to me,' she said, 'I should have lived in a +cage all my life.'</p> + +<p>'I had no idea I was serving the Princess Fantosina,' he answered with a +smile.</p> + +<p>'No,' she said, 'but a kind action is never quite wasted,' and then the +queen came up with her hand on her heart, for she had begun to run as +soon as she saw her daughter, and she took Fantosina in her arms, and +they all seemed very pleased to see her again, and presently they walked +back to the palace. The prince's horses were sent to the stables, for of +course he did not go away that day, and all the people retired to +exchange their mourning garments for the very gayest they could find. A +few weeks later the prince and Fantosina were married, and she went with +him to his own country. But although a great many primroses grow there +each spring-time, Fantosina has never changed into a bird again.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="XI" id="XI"></a>XI</h2> + +<h3>MARY SEES MRS. COPPERT AND MRS. COPPERT SEES MARY</h3> + + +<p>During the next few days Mary saw nothing of Evangeline, though she +would have liked very much to hear another story. Sister Agatha often +took her on to the beach, and Mary found that, although it is possible +to make a great many things out of mud, you can make more and much nicer +things out of sand.</p> + +<p>Sometimes she thought she should like to have other children to play +with, but not the same little boys and girls with whom she used to play +in William Street, because she wished never to have anything to do with +William Street or Mrs. Coppert again.</p> + +<p>One day Mary was sitting with Sister Agatha as usual, when Evangeline +entered the room, but she seemed too busy to take much notice of +anything except the new dress which she had come to show Sister Agatha. +The dress was all white and shiny, with small flowers about it, white +flowers, too, and Mary admired it so much as Evangeline held it across +her arms that she touched it with her finger-tips.</p> + +<p>'Don't you think Mary might go out into the garden?' said Evangeline.</p> + +<p>'I ought to fetch her hat then,' said Sister Agatha.</p> + +<p>'It is beautifully warm,' answered Evangeline; 'I don't think it can +hurt her to go as she is.'</p> + +<p>So Sister Agatha told Mary she might go, and she stepped out through the +open window just as she was—pinafore and all. For a few minutes she +walked about the grass watching a gardener who was mowing it. She looked +on whilst he swept the grass he had cut into a basket and emptied the +basket into a wheel-barrow. Then he wheeled the barrow to an iron gate, +and having passed through the gate, he disappeared round the corner.</p> + +<p>Now, Mary thought it would be rather nice to go through that gate and +round the corner too, and a minute later she found herself in the same +road, with trees on each side of it, along which Evangeline had driven +the cream-coloured ponies on the day of her arrival. Mary walked on and +on, until presently she reached the cottage where she had seen the old +woman in the red cloak. But no one was to be seen at present, and on +going close to the gate, Mary found there was a smaller one by its side, +and as this happened to be open, she passed through it into the public +road.</p> + +<p>She felt so glad to be in the road that she began to jump about and to +clap her little hands. And yet she did not know why she should be glad, +for the park was a far nicer place after all. Still she did feel +pleased, and without thinking where she was going, or whether Sister +Agatha would like her to go or not, Mary began to scamper away from the +house.</p> + +<p>The sun felt very hot, and Mary soon became breathless, so she stopped +just where the road bent round towards the railway station and sat down +by a high, green, flowery bank.</p> + +<p>It really seemed very nice sitting there in the brilliant sunshine, and +she leaned back until her head touched the green bank. Presently Mary +closed her eyes, and though she opened them once or twice it was not +long before she fell fast asleep. She did not know how much later it was +when she awoke in a great fright, for she dreamed she heard Mrs. +Coppert's voice, heard it quite distinctly, as if it were only a few +yards from her ears. Of course it was a dream! Mary told herself that +before she had time to open her eyes; but when she did open them she +looked up and saw Mrs. Coppert in the road, staring down at her.</p> + +<p>Nobody was in sight—nobody but Mrs. Coppert! Mrs. Coppert was a fat +woman and tall; she had a large, shiny, red face, and great arms and +hands under her cloak, and a bright blue feather in her bonnet. She was +not a nice-looking person at all, and she spoke as if she were going to +cry. But Mary had never seen her cry, though she had seen her make +children cry very often.</p> + +<p>'Dear me!' exclaimed Mrs. Coppert, 'if it isn't little Mary Brown! So +smart, too,' she said, leaning forward and taking Mary's skirt between +her fingers. 'And to think of those other poor children at home. They +don't wear such fine dresses, and you haven't even asked how they are!'</p> + +<p>'How are they?' whispered Mary, feeling very frightened.</p> + +<p>'Haven't they got names of their own?' asked Mrs. Coppert.</p> + +<p>'How are Sally and 'Liza and Tubby?' said Mary, knowing it was always +the best to obey Mrs. Coppert.</p> + +<p>'So happy, you'd never believe it,' was the answer. 'Troublesome, I must +say; but that's overfeeding. I always did overfeed my children. And +they're quite longing to see Mary Brown again, and so they shall, bless +'em!'</p> + +<p>Mary still sat on the grass with her right hand in her pocket. Tightly +between her finger and thumb she held her purse which contained the +Magic Counter. Perhaps you wonder why she did not give it to Mrs. +Coppert and tell her to go away at once. It is quite true that Mary +believed that if she gave it to anybody, it would make her do whatever +she wished, and she certainly wished Mrs. Coppert to go away. But at the +same time Mary felt sure that Mrs. Coppert would keep whatever was given +to her, and put it in her large pocket; while she was a woman who never +did what she was asked to do. What Mary hoped was that some one else +might come along the road, and then she would take out the Magic Counter +at once and ask that Mrs. Coppert should be sent away.</p> + +<p>'I'm not going to see them,' said Mary with tears in her eyes; 'I don't +want to see them.'</p> + +<p>'There now!' cried Mrs. Coppert, 'there's ingratitude! And them like +brothers and sisters almost. You just get up off that grass and come +along of me.'</p> + +<p>'I want to go home,' answered Mary. 'I must go home, I must,' she said, +and now she was crying as if her heart would break.</p> + +<p>'Of course you must!' exclaimed Mrs. Coppert. 'Ain't I going to take you +home? Isn't William Street your home? Haven't you lived there all your +life? Haven't I been a mother to you?'</p> + +<p>'But I—I can't go without saying good-bye to Sister Agatha and +Evangeline!' cried Mary, as she stood upright. 'I must say good-bye,' +she sobbed; 'they won't know where I am.'</p> + +<p>'Oh yes they will,' was the answer. 'I'll see to that,' said Mrs. +Coppert, taking one of Mary's arms; 'never you fear. Wait till we get +back to William Street and I'll write a nice letter. So just you come +along and no nonsense!'</p> + +<p>Mrs. Coppert held Mary's arm so tightly that it quite hurt, but +fortunately it was the left arm which she held, so that Mary could still +keep her right hand in her pocket. And she managed to put one of her +fingers inside the purse and to take out the Magic Counter.</p> + +<p>She held it all ready to give to the first person she saw come along the +road, and although she felt more frightened than she had ever felt +before, Mary still hoped that something might happen to prevent her from +being taken back to William Street. But at present Mary saw nobody from +one end of the road to the other, nobody but Mrs. Coppert, whom she did +not want to see. She was dragged along the sunny road almost blind with +tears, but as they drew nearer the railway station Mrs. Coppert held her +less tightly.</p> + +<p>Mary wondered whether it was the same road that Evangeline had brought +her along the day she arrived, but she did not think it could be the +same, for, to-day, she had not passed the shops and small houses. At all +events, whether it was the same road or not she thought she could see +the small railway station only a little way off, and now Mary grew more +afraid than ever, for if she was once inside the station she might be +put into a train and taken back to London after all! She was just +wondering whether it would not be possible to give the Magic Counter to +the man who drove the train and tell him to take her back to Sister +Agatha, when she uttered a cry of surprise, for she saw a tall young man +coming towards them and she recognised him at once.</p> + +<p>'It's the prince!' she exclaimed, 'it's the prince!'</p> + +<p>Now Mary had never felt very, very fond of the prince, because he was +going to take Evangeline away from her. Of course she admired him, for +he was a very handsome prince, but Mary had never spoken to him although +she had often seen him in the garden. She felt greatly delighted to see +him now, however, and she held her Magic Counter so that she could take +it out of her pocket directly he came near. Still it is not very nice to +have to speak to a person you have never spoken to before, and Mary felt +a little shy about it.</p> + +<p>'It's the prince, is it?' said Mrs. Coppert laughing; 'as if princes +went walking about in that way.'</p> + +<p>'I know he is a prince,' answered Mary, 'because Sister Agatha says so.'</p> + +<p>'Oh, so he's a friend of hers, is he?' asked Mrs. Coppert; and Mary +thought she looked rather anxious. 'I suppose now he doesn't happen to +know you?'</p> + +<p>'No,' answered Mary; 'but that doesn't matter,' she added.</p> + +<p>'Well,' said Mrs. Coppert, 'just you listen to me. What you've got to do +is to walk nicely by my side as if you were coming willingly—none of +your crying or hanging back, or it'll be the worse for you.'</p> + +<p>She released Mary's arm now, and for a few yards the child walked +quietly by her side, but as soon as the prince drew nearer, Mary ran +away from Mrs. Coppert and stopped right in front of him, looking up +anxiously into his face and holding the Magic Counter out for him to +take.</p> + +<p>'Hullo!' he cried, looking a little amused, 'what's that for?'</p> + +<p>'Take it, please,' said Mary, pressing it against his hand. 'Please take +it,' she said. 'I do want you to take it quickly,' and she glanced over +her shoulder at Mrs. Coppert, who had stopped in the middle of the road.</p> + +<p>'Are you Mary Brown?' asked the prince, taking the Magic Counter in his +hand. For although he had never spoken to her, it is very likely he had +heard her story from Evangeline.</p> + +<p>'Yes,' answered Mary, 'I'm Mary Brown, and this is Mrs. Coppert. She +wants to take me back to William Street and I don't want to go. And I +shan't have to go now, because you must send Mrs. Coppert away and take +me back to Sister Agatha.'</p> + +<p>Then the prince looked at Mrs. Coppert and she made a curtsey. 'I +understood,' said the prince, 'that Miss Royal had arranged everything +satisfactorily with you.'</p> + +<p>'It ain't very satisfactory to part with one you've been more than a +mother to,' answered Mrs. Coppert, and Mary thought her voice sounded as +if she were going to cry. 'You come along of me,' she added, seizing +Mary's arm again. But the prince would not allow this, and in fact Mary +did not feel in the least frightened now, because she had given him the +Magic Counter, you see! He lifted Mary Brown in his arms and carried her +towards the house, and as she looked back over his shoulder, she saw +Mrs. Coppert following some distance off. When the prince carried Mary +into the park Mrs. Coppert began to run, and her large face looked +redder and more shiny than ever. The prince carried Mary in at the front +door, and a lot of people who were pushing balls about on the green +table with long sticks left off to laugh at him.</p> + +<p>But suddenly Evangeline appeared amongst them; Mary did not know where +she came from, but of course Evangeline could appear when and where she +pleased; and instead of laughing when she saw the prince with Mary in +his arms, she ran towards him looking very glad and whispering something +that Mary could not hear. Then Evangeline took her upstairs to the +bedroom, where she found Sister Agatha. Sister Agatha took Mary on her +knees and said she had done wrong to leave the garden, but she kissed +her instead of scolding her any more, and Mary liked it much better.</p> + +<p>'Only you must never go away like that again,' she said. 'Because we did +not know what had happened to you, and you frightened us very much. But +still,' Sister Agatha added, 'even if Mrs. Coppert had taken you to +London, we should have come to fetch you away again.'</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="XII" id="XII"></a>XII</h2> + +<h3>EVANGELINE SAYS GOOD-BYE TO MARY BROWN</h3> + + +<p>Mary felt greatly relieved to hear that Sister Agatha would have fetched +her away again if Mrs. Coppert had taken her to William Street, but +still she seemed tired after her adventure, and as soon as she finished +tea she was put to bed. She did not have very agreeable dreams that +night, and even the next morning she could think of nothing but Mrs. +Coppert.</p> + +<p>When Evangeline came to see her during the afternoon, Mary looked up +wonderingly into her face and said—</p> + +<p>'What I can't make out is how Mrs. Coppert knew where I was! How did she +know I was here?'</p> + +<p>'If you sit down,' answered Evangeline, 'I will tell you a story.'</p> + +<p>'Bring your stool close to me,' said Sister Agatha. And without losing a +moment, Mary carried her stool to Sister Agatha's side and sat down. +Then Evangeline began the story.</p> + +<p>'Once upon a time there lived in London a young woman whom we will +call—what shall we call her? Suppose we say her name was Gertrude! She +lived in a large house and she had a lot of money, and she was very fond +of driving nice horses. One afternoon, being a little late, she drove +through the streets more quickly than she ought to have done. It was +growing dark, and as she drove along a narrow street she ran over a poor +little girl who was making mud-pies in the gutter, and knocked her down +and hurt her very much.</p> + +<p>'At first Gertrude feared she was dead, for her face was quite white, +and her eyes were closed, and she neither spoke nor moved. But presently +she moved a little, although she did not open her eyes.</p> + +<p>'Now Gertrude felt very sorry, especially because she knew she had been +to blame in driving too fast through the street, and she felt anxious to +do whatever she could to make Lucy—we will call the little girl +Lucy—quite well again. Of course a crowd soon collected to see what was +the matter, and some one in the crowd told Gertrude where Lucy lived. +But Gertrude thought the child would be more likely to get well if she +took her to her own house, so she sent one of her servants to Lucy's +friends to explain what had happened, but Lucy, herself, was put into +the carriage and driven away with Gertrude.</p> + +<p>'When they reached the house Lucy was carried upstairs to a spare room +and put to bed, then a doctor was sent for, and when the doctor had gone +Gertrude wrote to the best woman she knew. This person used to be a +great friend of Gertrude's until she made up her mind to have nothing +more to do with such idle, good-for-nothing people. So she went away +from her friends and spent her life nursing poor folk who were sick. +Well, this person, whose name ought to have been Sister Benevolence, +agreed to take care of Lucy until the child grew strong again.</p> + +<p>'But Gertrude feared she would never be quite so strong as she used to +be, and she felt very, very sorry about it. But, you see, she couldn't +undo what was done; she could only make up her mind to be much more +careful in the future. She saw Lucy's friends, who were not very nice +persons, and they said that Lucy had neither a father nor a mother, nor +anybody who really belonged to her, so—so Gertrude gave her friends +money, and they said she might keep Lucy at her house for ever.</p> + +<p>'You must understand that Gertrude made up her mind that Lucy should not +go back to the place she had come from, but that as soon as she grew +better, she should be sent to school. But now I am going to tell you +both a little secret about Gertrude. She often said she would do things, +and yet when the time came she found she could not possibly do them. She +intended to be very good, and when she saw people unhappy she always +wanted to make them happy. Only she thought a great deal about her own +happiness too, and in thinking of herself she forgot the others, and +when she remembered them again, sometimes it was too late.</p> + +<p>'So when Lucy grew stronger, and the doctor said she would soon be able +to walk quite nicely again, perhaps Gertrude did not think about her so +much as she had done at first. She was going to be married, you see, and +to live in a foreign country, and even if she sent Lucy to boarding +school, she did not know who was to look after her during the holidays. +But to tell you the truth, Gertrude had so many other things to think of +that she forgot all about Lucy's future, and although she would be going +away very soon now, nothing had been done to provide for the child.</p> + +<p>'Then something happened to remind Gertrude how necessary it was that +Lucy should be taken care of after she went away, only she had so little +time left that she did not know in the least what to do.</p> + +<p>'One day Lucy wandered out of the garden and into the road, where the +woman with whom she used to live saw her and wanted to take her back +again. Not that the woman was fond of Lucy; she only wanted to take her +away so that Gertrude should pay more money to get her back again.'</p> + +<p>At this part of the story the door opened and a servant entered to say +that Evangeline was particularly wanted somewhere else, and rising from +her chair, Evangeline walked to the door.</p> + +<p>'Please finish the story!' exclaimed Mary, running after her. 'I do want +to know how it ends and what became of Lucy!'</p> + +<p>'My dear little girl,' answered Evangeline, 'it is a very difficult +story to finish. At all events, I cannot stay to finish it to-day,' and +she left the room, closing the door behind her.</p> + +<p>Mary felt very deeply interested in the story, because she thought that +Lucy seemed rather like herself, and that Gertrude was like Evangeline. +Certainly Sister Benevolence was very much like Sister Agatha! Still +Mary did not feel very clear about it, because she had no recollection +of being knocked down and run over. If anything of that kind had +happened to her, surely she would have known all about it! At any rate +she felt the strongest interest in Lucy and she wanted to know what +became of her, and especially she would have liked to hear that she did +not go back to the place she had come from, which might be as bad as +William Street.</p> + +<p>She did not see Evangeline any more that day, but the next afternoon she +came to the room to speak to Sister Agatha.</p> + +<p>'Tell me the rest of the story now!' exclaimed Mary, taking hold of her +dress; 'I do want so much to hear how it ends.'</p> + +<p>'What story is that?' asked Evangeline, and she seemed to have forgotten +all about it.</p> + +<p>'Why, the story about Lucy and Gertrude and Sister Benevolence,' said +Mary, but Evangeline looked at her without answering for a few moments, +then she said—</p> + +<p>'You must ask Sister Agatha. She can finish it better than I can.'</p> + +<p>'Will you, Sister Agatha?' asked Mary, as Evangeline left the room.</p> + +<p>'You know,' she answered, 'I never could tell tales out of my head. I +can't tell you to-day. You see how busy I am!'</p> + +<p>'When will you tell me then?' cried Mary with a disappointed expression.</p> + +<p>'After Evangeline has gone away,' said Sister Agatha.</p> + +<p>'But when is she going?' asked Mary.</p> + +<p>'Why, didn't you know she is to be married the day after to-morrow?' +said Sister Agatha.</p> + +<p>Mary did not know it was to be quite so soon as that, and it made her +rather miserable to think that Evangeline would be going away almost +directly. But when Sister Agatha promised to take her to see the wedding +she looked more cheerful, for she liked to be taken to see things.</p> + +<p>The day after to-morrow soon came, and long before the usual time for +breakfast, Sister Agatha drew up the blind to look at the weather. She +seemed very pleased to see how fine and sunny the morning was and she +put on Mary's lightest dress—the pale-blue one.</p> + +<p>'Won't she come to see us before she starts?' asked Mary, when Sister +Agatha was ready.</p> + +<p>'The idea of such a thing!' was the answer; 'you must wait until she +goes to the church.'</p> + +<p>It seemed to Mary that she had to wait a long time, but when once she +had taken her seat in a pew, there was plenty to look at. The prince +stood at one end of the church, and Mary noticed how often he looked at +his watch. At the other end by the door were six little girls dressed +all alike in primrose colour, and Mary could not help wishing she was +one of them! The church became full, and everybody seemed to be very +smartly dressed, and nearly all the ladies carried large bunches of +flowers.</p> + +<p>Presently the organ began to play, and then Evangeline walked along the +middle of the church holding an old gentleman's arm. She did not see +Mary or anybody else because she kept her eyes on the ground; but she +looked beautiful in her white dress, and she also carried a bunch of +flowers—the largest bunch Mary had ever seen. Mary would have clapped +her hands if Sister Agatha had not prevented her, but Sister Agatha +could not prevent her from asking—</p> + +<p>'What are you crying for?'</p> + +<p>'S—s—sh,' said Sister Agatha.</p> + +<p>'Don't you want her to be married?' whispered Mary.</p> + +<p>'Yes, of course I do,' was the answer.</p> + +<p>'Then why are you crying?' asked Mary.</p> + +<p>By this time Evangeline was standing at the prince's side, and a +clergyman was speaking, though Mary could not hear what he said. After a +long time the organ began to play again very loudly, and suddenly Mary +noticed that Evangeline had disappeared.</p> + +<p>'Where has she gone to?' she asked.</p> + +<p>'She will be back again directly,' answered Sister Agatha, and soon +afterwards Mary saw the prince, with Evangeline holding his arm, going +towards the door again, while some tiny children threw flowers on the +floor for them to walk upon.</p> + +<p>Sister Agatha was almost the last to leave the church, and when Mary +reached the house again she saw a great many carriages before it. But +she was taken upstairs as usual, and after dining alone with Sister +Agatha she wanted to know what would happen next.</p> + +<p>'We are going to see them start,' was the answer, and they went out of +doors a few minutes later. All the carriages had moved away into the +park, and only the small brown one with the four cream-coloured ponies +stood before the door. But a great crowd of people was there, and the +prince and Evangeline, who had changed her white dress for a dark one, +came out, and everyone seemed to want to kiss her. Some laughed and some +cried, and Mary felt inclined to do both at once.</p> + +<p>'Isn't she going to say good-bye to us?' cried Mary, as Evangeline +stepped into the carriage and sat down. But Sister Agatha did not seem +to hear her. The prince also got into the carriage and took the reins, +then the ponies started and everybody began to cry, 'Hip, hip, hurrah!' +Mary saw Sister Agatha take something white from under her cloak and +throw it after the carriage. It looked like a slipper, only she could +not imagine why Sister Agatha should throw a slipper at Evangeline; it +hit her too!</p> + +<p>'Why did you do that?' asked Mary.</p> + +<p>'That,' said Sister Agatha in a curious voice. 'Oh! that is for luck: +God bless her.'</p> + +<p>When the slipper fell into the carriage striking Evangeline's knees, she +looked round to see where it came from, and noticing Sister Agatha she +spoke to the prince, who laughed and stopped the ponies. Then Sister +Agatha took Mary's hand and ran to the carriage. Evangeline leaned +forward to kiss her and then she stooped to kiss Mary as well.</p> + +<p>'I'm glad she said good-bye,' whispered Mary as the four cream-coloured +ponies started again, but Sister Agatha did not speak until after they +were indoors. 'Shan't I ever see her again?' asked Mary, as they entered +their own room.</p> + +<p>'Never is a long day, you know, Sister Agatha answered; 'but certainly +neither of us will see her for many, many years.'</p> + +<p>When Mary had taken off her hat she went downstairs to tea, and during +the meal she could talk about nothing but Evangeline and the wedding. +But when she had finished and the tea-things had been removed, she +brought her stool to Sister Agatha's side and looked up a little +wistfully into her face; she felt she had nobody but Sister Agatha now.</p> + +<p>'Please tell me the end of the story about Lucy,' she said.</p> + +<p>'To begin with,' answered Sister Agatha, 'I think Evangeline made a +little mistake. I don't fancy the little girl's name was Lucy after all. +I think it must have been Mary.'</p> + +<p>'Was it Mary Brown?' asked Mary, with her eyes very widely open.</p> + +<p>'Yes,' said Sister Agatha.</p> + +<p>'I—I wondered whether it was,' said Mary solemnly.</p> + +<p>'And,' Sister Agatha continued, 'I rather think that Sister Benevolence +should have been called Sister Agatha, although it isn't nearly such a +nice name.'</p> + +<p>'I thought it was you,' answered Mary.</p> + +<p>'Well,' said Sister Agatha, 'Mary was a dear little girl and Sister +Agatha grew very fond of her. And when Evangeline was very busy and +didn't know quite what to do with her—why Sister Agatha thought it was +time to put her thinking-cap on.'</p> + +<p>'Is it like the cap you've got on now?' asked Mary, staring up at Sister +Agatha's white cap.</p> + +<p>'When I think I generally take that off,' said Sister Agatha, 'and after +to-morrow I don't think I shall wear it again. Well, I put my thinking +cap on, and I began to wonder whether I could manage to keep you with me +always.'</p> + +<p>'Oh!' exclaimed Mary, and she seemed to be hugging herself as if she +felt very pleasant indeed.</p> + +<p>'And,' Sister Agatha said, 'after thinking about it a long time, I +fancied that perhaps I <i>could</i> keep you with me always.'</p> + +<p>'Here!' cried Mary. 'Should we live here?'</p> + +<p>'No, we are going away from here to-morrow,' was the answer.</p> + +<p>'Where to?' asked Mary.</p> + +<p>'Suppose, now, we take a nice little house somewhere near the sea,' said +Sister Agatha.</p> + +<p>'I should like that!' cried Mary.</p> + +<p>'I think I should like it too,' answered Sister Agatha. 'Because I shall +always have some one to look after, and I like looking after people. And +we shall grow very fond of each other, sometimes we shall play on the +sands, or row on the sea, and then I shall teach you to read and write, +and when you can read you will begin to see what a wonderful world you +live in—and you will find that life is far more wonderful than any +fairy-tale.'</p> + +<p>'Shall I?' asked Mary, and rising from her stool, she stood leaning +against Sister Agatha's knees. 'But, still,' she said presently, 'you'll +be there, won't you?'</p> + +<p>'Why, of course I shall be there,' said Sister Agatha.</p> + +<p>'And you won't go away the same as Evangeline!'</p> + +<p>'No,' said Sister Agatha with a smile; 'that is not at all likely.'</p> + +<p>'And,' said Mary looking up anxiously into her face, 'you'll never send +me away either?'</p> + +<p>'No, I shall never send you away either,' answered Sister Agatha, and +she placed her arms round Mary Brown and drew the child's head on to her +shoulder. It rested there a long time, and Mary felt quite contented and +not at all anxious any more.</p> + +<p>The next day they were driven to the station with their luggage, and +they travelled to a small town by the seaside. At first they lived in +lodgings, but presently Sister Agatha took a pretty house of her own; it +had a nice garden where Mary likes to sit reading on summer afternoons. +She can read easily now, if Sister Agatha tells her the meanings of the +long words, and she has grown so tall that Mrs. Coppert would hardly +recognise her if she saw her. But I don't think Mrs. Coppert will ever +see Mary again.</p> + +<p>THE END</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="The_Dumpy_Books_for_Children" id="The_Dumpy_Books_for_Children"></a>The Dumpy Books for Children</h2> + +<p>Selected by <span class="smcap">E. V. Lucas.</span> Each with End-papers specially designed by Mrs. +<span class="smcap">Farmiloe</span></p> + +<p>I. <span class="smcap">The Flamp, The Ameliorator</span>, and <span class="smcap">The Schoolboy's Apprentice</span>. <i>Written +by E. V. LUCAS</i></p> + +<p>II. <span class="smcap">Mrs. Turner's Cautionary Stories</span></p> + +<p>III. <span class="smcap">The Bad Family</span>, <i>by Mrs. Fenwick</i></p> + +<p>IV. <span class="smcap">Little Black Sambo</span>, <i>by Helen Bannerman</i>. With Pictures in colours +by the Author.</p> + +<p>V. <span class="smcap">The Bountiful Lady</span>, <i>by Thomas Cobb</i></p> + +<p>VI. <span class="smcap">The Cat Book</span>, <i>by Rickman Mark</i>. With Thirty Pictures <i>by H. Officer +Smith</i></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHILDRENS_BOOKS" id="CHILDRENS_BOOKS"></a>CHILDREN'S BOOKS</h2> + +<p>A BOOK OF VERSES FOR CHILDREN. Compiled by <span class="smcap">E. V. Lucas</span>. With Title-page +and End-Papers designed by <span class="smcap">F. D. Bedford</span>.</p> + +<p>HELEN'S BABIES. By <span class="smcap">John Habberton</span>.</p> + +<p>PALEFACE AND REDSKIN. And Other Stories for Boys and Girls. By <span class="smcap">F. +Anstey</span>, Author of '<span class="smcap">Vice Versa</span>.'</p> + +<p>TOM UNLIMITED: <span class="smcap">A Story for Children</span>. By <span class="smcap">Grant Allen</span> (<span class="smcap">Martin Leach +Warborough</span>).</p> + +<p>COOPER'S FIRST TERM: <span class="smcap">A Story for Boys</span>. By <span class="smcap">Thomas Cobb</span>, Author of '<span class="smcap">Mr. +Passingham</span>.'</p> + +<p>THE CHILD'S COOKERY BOOK. By <span class="smcap">Louisa S. Tate</span>. Dedicated to <span class="smcap">H.R.H. +Princess Christian of Schleswig-Holstein</span>.</p> + +<p>LITTLE BERTHA. By <span class="smcap">W. J. Stillman</span>, Author of '<span class="smcap">Billy and Hans</span>.'</p> + +<p>RAG, TAG, AND BOBTAIL. With Thirty Illustrations in Colours by Mrs. +<span class="smcap">Farmiloe</span>, and Verses by <span class="smcap">Winifred Parnell</span>.</p> + +<p>ALL THE WORLD OVER. With Thirty Illustrations in Colours by Mrs. +<span class="smcap">Farmiloe</span>, and Verses by <span class="smcap">E. V. Lucas</span>.</p> + +<p>THE BOOK OF SHOPS. With Illustrations in Colours by <span class="smcap">F. D. Bedford</span>, and +Verses by <span class="smcap">E. V. Lucas</span>.</p> + +<p>WONDERFUL WILLIE! <span class="smcap">What he and Tommy did to Spain</span>. Written and +Illustrated in Colours by <span class="smcap">L. D. Bradley</span>.</p> + + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + +<div class="figleft"> +<img src="images/illus2.jpg" alt=""/> +</div> + + +<div class="figright"> +<img src="images/illus3.jpg" alt=""/> +</div> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + +<div>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 30446 ***</div> +</body> +</html> diff --git a/30446-h/images/cover.jpg b/30446-h/images/cover.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..770b42c --- /dev/null +++ b/30446-h/images/cover.jpg diff --git a/30446-h/images/illus1.jpg b/30446-h/images/illus1.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..0131dd8 --- /dev/null +++ b/30446-h/images/illus1.jpg diff --git a/30446-h/images/illus2.jpg b/30446-h/images/illus2.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..3b6c9d8 --- /dev/null +++ b/30446-h/images/illus2.jpg diff --git a/30446-h/images/illus3.jpg b/30446-h/images/illus3.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..536d622 --- /dev/null +++ b/30446-h/images/illus3.jpg |
