Part 7 (1/2)

”Out of the gravel-pit,” said truthful Jane.

”Next article,” said the man.

”I tell you we did,” Jane said. ”There's a fairy there--all over brown fur--with ears like a bat's and eyes like a snail's, and he gives you a wish a day, and they all come true.”

”Touched in the head, eh?” said the man in a low voice; ”all the more shame to you boys dragging the poor afflicted child into your sinful burglaries.”

”She's not mad; it's true,” said Anthea; ”there _is_ a fairy. If I ever see him again I'll wish for something for you; at least I would if vengeance wasn't wicked--so there!”

”Lor' lumme,” said Billy Peasemarsh, ”if there ain't another on 'em!”

And now Willum came back, with a spiteful grin on his face, and at his back a policeman, with whom Mr. Peasemarsh spoke long in a hoa.r.s.e earnest whisper.

”I daresay you're right,” said the policeman at last. ”Anyway, I'll take 'em up on a charge of unlawful possession, pending inquiries. And the magistrate will deal with the case. Send the afflicted ones to a home, as likely as not, and the boys to a reformatory. Now then, come along, youngsters! No use making a fuss. You bring the gells along, Mr.

Peasemarsh, sir, and I'll shepherd the boys.”

Speechless with rage and horror, the four children were driven along the streets of Rochester. Tears of anger and shame blinded them, so that when Robert ran right into a pa.s.ser-by he did not recognise her till a well-known voice said, ”Well, if ever I did! Oh, Master Robert, whatever have you been a-doing of now?” And another voice, quite as well known, said, ”Panty; want go own Panty!”

They had run into Martha and the Baby!

[Ill.u.s.tration: They had run into Martha and the baby]

Martha behaved admirably. She refused to believe a word of the policeman's story, or of Mr. Peasemarsh's either, even when they made Robert turn out his pockets in an archway and show the guineas.

”I don't see nothing,” she said. ”You've gone out of your senses, you two! There ain't any gold there--only the poor child's hands, all over dirt, and like the very chimbley. Oh that I should ever see the day!”

And the children thought this very n.o.ble of Martha, even if rather wicked, till they remembered how the Fairy had promised that the servants should never notice any of the fairy gifts. So of course Martha couldn't see the gold, and so was only speaking the truth, and that was quite right, of course, but not extra n.o.ble.

It was getting dusk when they reached the police-station. The policeman told his tale to an inspector, who sat in a large bare room with a thing like a clumsy nursery-fender at one end to put prisoners in. Robert wondered whether it was a cell or a dock.

”Produce the coins, officer,” said the inspector.

”Turn out your pockets,” said the constable.

Cyril desperately plunged his hands in his pockets, stood still a moment, and then began to laugh--an odd sort of laugh that hurt, and that felt much more like crying. His pockets were empty. So were the pockets of the others. For of course at sunset all the fairy gold had vanished away.

”Turn out your pockets, and stop that noise,” said the inspector.

Cyril turned out his pockets, every one of the nine which enriched his suit. And every pocket was empty.

”Well!” said the inspector.

”I don't know how they done it--artful little beggars! They walked in front of me the 'ole way, so as for me to keep my eye on them and not to attract a crowd and obstruct the traffic.”

”It's very remarkable,” said the inspector, frowning.