the story of the treasure seekers-第8部分

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pockets。



It　was　good　hunting；　and　no　mistake！



But　he　never　put　Noel's　poetry　in　the　Daily　Recorder。　　It　was　quite

a　long　time　afterwards　we　saw　a　sort　of　story　thing　in　a　magazine；

on　the　station　bookstall；　and　that　kind；　sleepy…looking　Editor　had

written　it；　I　suppose。　　It　was　not　at　all　amusing。　　It　said　a　lot

about　Noel　and　me；　describing　us　all　wrong；　and　saying　how　we　had

tea　with　the　Editor；　and　all　Noel's　poems　were　in　the　story　thing。　

I　think　myself　the　Editor　seemed　to　make　game　of　them；　but　Noel　was

quite　pleased　to　see　them　printed　…　so　that's　all　right。　　It　wasn't

my　poetry　anyhow；　I　am　glad　to　say。





CHAPTER　6

NOEL'S　PRINCESS







She　happened　quite　accidentally。　　We　were　not　looking　for　a

Princess　at　all　just　then；　but　Noel　had　said　he　was　going　to　find

a　Princess　all　by　himself；　and　marry　her　…　and　he　really　did。　

Which　was　rather　odd；　because　when　people　say　things　are　going　to

befall；　very　often　they　don't。　　It　was　different；　of　course；　with

the　prophets　of　old。



We　did　not　get　any　treasure　by　it；　except　twelve　chocolate　drops；

but　we　might　have　done；　and　it　was　an　adventure；　anyhow。



Greenwich　Park　is　a　jolly　good　place　to　play　in；　especially　the

parts　that　aren't　near　Greenwich。　　The　parts　near　the　Heath　are

first…rate。　　I　often　wish　the　Park　was　nearer　our　house；　but　I

suppose　a　Park　is　a　difficult　thing　to　move。



Sometimes　we　get　Eliza　to　put　lunch　in　a　basket；　and　we　go　up　to

the　Park。　　She　likes　that　…　it　saves　cooking　dinner　for　us；　and

sometimes　she　says　of　her　own　accord；　'I've　made　some　pasties　for

you；　and　you　might　as　well　go　into　the　Park　as　not。　　It's　a　lovely

day。'



She　always　tells　us　to　rinse　out　the　cup　at　the　drinking…fountain；

and　the　girls　do；　but　I　always　put　my　head　under　the　tap　and　drink。



Then　you　are　an　intrepid　hunter　at　a　mountain　stream　…　and　besides；

you're　sure　it's　clean。　　Dicky　does　the　same；　and　so　does　H。　O。　But

Noel　always　drinks　out　of　the　cup。　　He　says　it　is　a　golden　goblet

wrought　by　enchanted　gnomes。



The　day　the　Princess　happened　was　a　fine；　hot　day；　last　October；

and　we　were　quite　tired　with　the　walk　up　to　the　Park。



We　always　go　in　by　the　little　gate　at　the　top　of　Croom's　Hill。　　It

is　the　postern　gate　that　things　always　happen　at　in　stories。　　It

was　dusty　walking；　but　when　we　got　in　the　Park　it　was　ripping；　so

we　rested　a　bit；　and　lay　on　our　backs；　and　looked　up　at　the　trees；

and　wished　we　could　play　monkeys。　　I　have　done　it　before　now；　but

the　Park…keeper　makes　a　row　if　he　catches　you。　　When　we'd　rested　a

little；　Alice　said　…



'It　was　a　long　way　to　the　enchanted　wood；　but　it　is　very　nice　now

we　are　there。　　I　wonder　what　we　shall　find　in　it？'



'We　shall　find　deer；'　said　Dicky；　'if　we　go　to　look；　but　they　go　on

the　other　side　of　the　Park　because　of　the　people　with　buns。'



Saying　buns　made　us　think　of　lunch；　so　we　had　it；　and　when　we　had

done　we　scratched　a　hole　under　a　tree　and　buried　the　papers；

because　we　know　it　spoils　pretty　places　to　leave　beastly；　greasy

papers　lying　about。　　I　remember　Mother　teaching　me　and　Dora　that；

when　we　were　quite　little。　　I　wish　everybody's　parents　would　teach

them　this　useful　lesson；　and　the　same　about　orange　peel。



When　we'd　eaten　everything　there　was；　Alice　whispered　…



'I　see　the　white　witch　bear　yonder　among　the　trees！　　Let's　track　it

and　slay　it　in　its　lair。'



'I　am　the　bear；'　said　NoEl；　so　he　crept　away；　and　we　followed　him

among　the　trees。　　Often　the　witch　bear　was　out　of　sight；　and　then

you　didn't　know　where　it　would　jump　out　from；　but　sometimes　we　saw

it；　and　just　followed。



'When　we　catch　it　there'll　be　a　great　fight；'　said　Oswald；　'and　I

shall　be　Count　Folko　of　Mont　Faucon。'



'I'll　be　Gabrielle；'　said　Dora。　　She　is　the　only　one　of　us　who

likes　doing　girl's　parts。



'I'll　be　Sintram；'　said　Alice；　'and　H。　O。　can　be　the　Little

Master。'



'What　about　Dicky？'



'Oh；　I　can　be　the　Pilgrim　with　the　bones。'



'Hist！'　whispered　Alice。　　'See　his　white　fairy　fur　gleaming　amid

yonder　covert！'



And　I　saw　a　bit　of　white　too。　　It　was　Noel's　collar；　and　it　had

come　undone　at　the　back。



We　hunted　the　bear　in　and　out　of　the　trees；　and　then　we　lost　him

altogether；　and　suddenly　we　found　the　wall　of　the　Park　…　in　a　place

where　I'm　sure　there　wasn't　a　wall　before。　　Noel　wasn't　anywhere

about；　and　there　was　a　door　in　the　wall。　　And　it　was　open；　so　we

went　through。



'The　bear　has　hidden　himself　in　these　mountain　fastnesses；'　Oswald

said。　　'I　will　draw　my　good　sword　and　after　him。'



So　I　drew　the　umbrella；　which　Dora　always　will　bring　in　case　it

rains；　because　Noel　gets　a　cold　on　the　chest　at　the　least　thing　…

and　we　went　on。



The　other　side　of　the　wall　it　was　a　stable　yard；　all　cobble…stones。



There　was　nobody　about　…　but　we　could　hear　a　man　rubbing　down　a

horse　and　hissing　in　the　stable；　so　we　crept　very　quietly　past；　and

Alice　whispered　…



''Tis　the　lair　of　the　Monster　Serpent；　I　hear　his　deadly　hiss！

Beware！　　Courage　and　despatch！'



We　went　over　the　stones　on　tiptoe；　and　we　found　another　wall　with

another　door　in　it　on　the　other　side。　　We　went　through　that　too；　on

tiptoe。　　It　really　was　an　adventure。　　And　there　we　were　in　a

shrubbery；　and　we　saw　something　white　through　the　trees。　　Dora　said

it　was　the　white　bear。　　That　is　so　like　Dora。　　She　always　begins　to

take　part　in　a　play　just　when　the　rest　of　us　are　getting　tired　of

it。　　I　don't　mean　this　unkindly；　because　I　am　very　fond　of　Dora。　

I　cannot　forget　how　kind　she　was　when　I　had　bronchitis；　and

ingratitude　is　a　dreadful　vice。　　But　it　is　quite　true。



'It　is　not　a　bear；'　said　Oswald；　and　we　all　went　on；　still　on

tiptoe；　round　a　twisty　path　and　on　to　a　lawn；　and　there　was　Noel。　

His　collar　had　come　undone；　as　I　said；　and　he　had　an　inky　mark　on

his　face　that　he　made　just　before　we　left　the　house；　and　he

wouldn't　let　Dora　wash　it　off；　and　one　of　his　bootlaces　was　coming

down。　　He　was　standing　looking　at　a　little　girl；　she　was　the

funniest　little　girl　you　ever　saw。



She　was　like　a　china　doll　…　the　sixpenny　kind；　she　had　a　white

face；　and　long　yellow　hair；　done　up　very　tight　in　two　pigtails；　her

forehead　was　very　big　and　lumpy；　and　her　cheeks　came　high　up；　like

little　shelves　under　her　eyes。　　Her　eyes　were　small　and　blue。　　She

had　on　a　funny　black　frock；　with　curly　braid　on　it；　and　button

boots　that　went　almost　up　to　her　knees。　　Her　legs　were　very　thin。　

She　was　sitting　in　a　hammock　chair　nursing　a　blue　kitten　…　not　a

sky…blue　one；　of　course；　but　the　colour　of　a　new　slate　pencil。　　As

we　came　up　we　heard　her　say　to　Noel　…　'Who　are　you？'



Noel　had　forgotten　about　the　bear；　and　he　was　taking　his　favourite

part；　so　he　said　…　'I'm　Prince　Camaralzaman。'　　The　funny　little

girl　looked　pleased。



'I　thought　at　first　you　were　a　common　boy；'　she　said。　　Then　she　saw

the　rest　of　us　and　said　…　'Are　you　all　Princesses　and　Princes　too？'

Of　course　we　said　'Yes；'　and　she　said　…　'I　am　a　Princess　also。'　

She　said　it　very　well　too；　exactly　as　if　it　were　true。　　We　were

very　glad；　because　it　is　so　seldom　you　meet　any　children　who　can

begin　to　play　right　off　without　having　everything　explained　to

them。　　And　even　then　they　will　say　they　are　going　to　'pretend　to

be'　a　lion；　or　a　witch；　or　a　king。　　Now　this　little　girl　just　said

'I　am　a　Princess。'　　Then　she　looked　at　Oswald　and　said；　'I　fancy

I've　seen　you　at　Baden。'　　Of　course　Oswald　said；　'Very　likely。'



The　little　girl　had　a　funny　voice；　and　all　her　words　were　quite

plain；　each　word　by　itself；　she　didn't　talk　at　all　like　we　do。





H。　O。　asked　her　what　the　cat's　name　was；　and　she　said　'Katinka。'　

Then　Dicky　said　…



'Let's　get　away　from　the　windows；　if　you　play　near　windows　some　one

inside　generally　knocks　at　them　and　says　〃Don't〃。'

The　Princess　put　down　the　cat　very　carefully　and　said　…



'I　am　forbidden　to　walk　off　the　grass。'



'That's　a　pity；'　said　Dora。



'But　I　will　if　you　like；'　said　the　Princess。



'You　mustn't　do　things　you　are　forbidden　to　do；'　Dora　said；　but

Dicky　showed　us　that　there　was　some　more　grass　beyond　the　shrubs

with　only　a　gravel　path　between。　　So　I　lifted　the　Princess　over　the

gravel；　so　that　she　should　be　able　to　say　she　hadn't　walked　off　the

grass。　　When　we　got　to　the　other　grass　we　all　sat　down；　and　the

Princess　asked　us　if　we　liked　'dragees'　（I　know　that's　how　you

spell　it；　for　I　asked　Albert…next…door's　uncle）。



We　said　we　thought　not；　but　she　pulled　a　real　silver　box　out　of　her

pocket　and　showed　us；　they　were　just　flat；　round　chocolates。　　We

had　two　each。　　Then　we　asked　her　her　name；　and　she　began；　and　when

she　began　she　went　on；　and　on；　and　on；　till　I　thought　she　was　never

going　to　stop。　　H。　O。　said　she　had　fifty　names；　but　Dicky　is　very

good　at　figures；　and　he　says　there　were　only　eighteen。　　The　first

were　Pauline；　Alexandra；　Alice；　and　Mary　was　one；　and　Victoria；　for

we　all　heard　that；　and　it　ended　up　with　Hildegarde　Cunigonde

something　or　other；　Princess　of　something　else。



When　she'd　done；　H。　O。　said；　'That's　jolly　good！　　Say　it　again！'

and　she　did；　but　even　then　we　couldn't　remember　it。　　We　told　her

our　names；　but　she　thought　they　were　too　short；　so　when　it　was

Noel's　turn　he　said　he　was　Prince　Noel　Camaralzaman　Ivan

Constantine　Charlemagne　James　John　Edward　Biggs　Maximilian　Bastable

Prince　of　Lewisham；　but　when　she　asked　him　to　say　it　again　of

course　he　could　only　get　the　first　two　names　right；　because　he'd

made　it　up　as　he　went　on。



So　the　Princess　said；　'You　are　quite　old　enough　to　know　your　own

name。'　　She　was　very　grave　and　serious。



She　told　us　that　she　was　the　fifth　cousin　of　Queen　Victoria。　　We

asked　who　the　other　cousins　were；　but　she　did　not　seem　to

understand。　　She　went　on　and　said　she　was　seven　times　removed。　　She

couldn't　tell　us　what　that　meant　either；　but　Oswald　thinks　it　means

that　the　Queen's　cousins　are　so　f