Part 2 (2/2)
”Only my poor whisker, thank you,” said he, ”but you're a kind and thoughtful child. Good day.”
It scratched suddenly and fiercely with its hands and feet, and disappeared in the sand.
Then the children looked at each other, and each child suddenly found itself alone with three perfect strangers, all radiantly beautiful.
They stood for some moments in silence. Each thought that its brothers and sisters had wandered off, and that these strange children had stolen up unnoticed while it was watching the swelling form of the Sand-fairy.
Anthea spoke first--
”Excuse me,” she said very politely to Jane, who now had enormous blue eyes and a cloud of russet hair, ”but have you seen two little boys and a little girl anywhere about?”
”I was just going to ask you that,” said Jane. And then Cyril cried--
”Why, it's _you_! I know the hole in your pinafore! You _are_ Jane, aren't you? And you're the Panther; I can see your dirty handkerchief that you forgot to change after you'd cut your thumb! The wish _has_ come off, after all. I say, am I as handsome as you are?”
”If you're Cyril, I liked you much better as you were before,” said Anthea decidedly. ”You look like the picture of the young chorister, with your golden hair; you'll die young, I shouldn't wonder. And if that's Robert, he's like an Italian organ-grinder. His hair's all black.”
”You two girls are like Christmas cards, then--that's all--silly Christmas cards,” said Robert angrily. ”And Jane's hair is simply carrots.”
It was indeed of that Venetian tint so much admired by artists.
”Well, it's no use finding fault with each other,” said Anthea; ”let's get the Lamb and lug it home to dinner. The servants will admire us most awfully, you'll see.”
Baby was just waking up when they got to him, and not one of the children but was relieved to find that he at least was not as beautiful as the day, but just the same as usual.
”I suppose he's too young to have wishes naturally,” said Jane. ”We shall have to mention him specially next time.”
Anthea ran forward and held out her arms.
”Come, then,” she said.
The Baby looked at her disapprovingly, and put a sandy pink thumb in his mouth. Anthea was his favourite sister.
”Come, then,” she said.
”G'way 'long!” said the Baby.
”Come to own p.u.s.s.y,” said Jane.
”Wants my Panty,” said the Lamb dismally, and his lip trembled.
”Here, come on, Veteran,” said Robert, ”come and have a yidey on Yobby's back.”
”Yah, narky narky boy,” howled the Baby, giving way altogether. Then the children knew the worst. _The Baby did not know them!_
[Ill.u.s.tration: The baby did not know them!]
They looked at each other in despair, and it was terrible to each, in this dire emergency, to meet only the beautiful eyes of perfect strangers, instead of the merry, friendly, commonplace, twinkling, jolly little eyes of its own brothers and sisters.
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