the story of the treasure seekers-第9部分

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

that　the　Queen's　cousins　are　so　fond　of　her　that　they　will　keep

coming　bothering；　so　the　Queen's　servants　have　orders　to　remove

them。　　This　little　girl　must　have　been　very　fond　of　the　Queen　to

try　so　often　to　see　her；　and　to　have　been　seven　times　removed。　　We

could　see　that　it　is　considered　something　to　be　proud　of；　but　we

thought　it　was　hard　on　the　Queen　that　her　cousins　wouldn't　let　her

alone。



Presently　the　little　girl　asked　us　where　our　maids　and　governesses

were。



We　told　her　we　hadn't　any　just　now。　　And　she　said　…

'How　pleasant！　　And　did　you　come　here　alone？'



'Yes；'　said　Dora；　'we　came　across　the　Heath。'



'You　are　very　fortunate；'　said　the　little　girl。　　She　sat　very

upright　on　the　grass；　with　her　fat　little　hands　in　her　lap。　　'I

should　like　to　go　on　the　Heath。　　There　are　donkeys　there；　with

white　saddle　covers。　　I　should　like　to　ride　them；　but　my　governess

will　not　permit。'



'I'm　glad　we　haven't　a　governess；'　H。　O。　said。　　'We　ride　the

donkeys　whenever　we　have　any　pennies；　and　once　I　gave　the　man

another　penny　to　make　it　gallop。'



'You　are　indeed　fortunate！'　said　the　Princess　again；　and　when　she

looked　sad　the　shelves　on　her　cheeks　showed　more　than　ever。　　You

could　have　laid　a　sixpence　on　them　quite　safely　if　you　had　had　one。



'Never　mind；'　said　Noel；　'I've　got　a　lot　of　money。　　Come　out　and

have　a　ride　now。'　　But　the　little　girl　shook　her　head　and　said　she

was　afraid　it　would　not　be　correct。



Dora　said　she　was　quite　right；　then　all　of　a　sudden　came　one　of

those　uncomfortable　times　when　nobody　can　think　of　anything　to　say；

so　we　sat　and　looked　at　each　other。　　But　at　last　Alice　said　we

ought　to　be　going。



'Do　not　go　yet；'　the　little　girl　said。　　'At　what　time　did　they

order　your　carriage？'



'Our　carriage　is　a　fairy　one；　drawn　by　griffins；　and　it　comes　when

we　wish　for　it；'　said　Noel。



The　little　girl　looked　at　him　very　queerly；　and　said；　'That　is　out

of　a　picture…book。'



Then　Noel　said　he　thought　it　was　about　time　he　was　married　if　we

were　to　be　home　in　time　for　tea。　　The　little　girl　was　rather　stupid

over　it；　but　she　did　what　we　told　her；　and　we　married　them　with

Dora's　pocket…handkerchief　for　a　veil；　and　the　ring　off　the　back　of

one　of　the　buttons　on　H。　O。's　blouse　just　went　on　her　little

finger。



Then　we　showed　her　how　to　play　cross…touch；　and　puss　in　the　corner；

and　tag。　　It　was　funny；　she　didn't　know　any　games　but　battledore

and　shuttlecock　and　les　graces。　　But　she　really　began　to　laugh　at

last　and　not　to　look　quite　so　like　a　doll。



She　was　Puss　and　was　running　after　Dicky　when　suddenly　she　stopped

short　and　looked　as　if　she　was　going　to　cry。　　And　we　looked　too；

and　there　were　two　prim　ladies　with　little　mouths　and　tight　hair。　

One　of　them　said　in　quite　an　awful　voice；　'Pauline；　who　are　these

children？'　and　her　voice　was　gruff；　with　very　curly　R's。



The　little　girl　said　we　were　Princes　and　Princesses　…　which　was

silly；　to　a　grown…up　person　that　is　not　a　great　friend　of　yours。



The　gruff　lady　gave　a　short；　horrid　laugh；　like　a　husky　bark；　and

said　…



'Princes；　indeed！　　They're　only　common　children！'



Dora　turned　very　red　and　began　to　speak；　but　the　little　girl　cried

out　'Common　children！　　Oh；　I　am　so　glad！　　When　I　am　grown　up　I'll

always　play　with　common　children。'



And　she　ran　at　us；　and　began　to　kiss　us　one　by　one；　beginning　with

Alice；　she　had　got　to　H。　O。　when　the　horrid　lady　said　…　'Your

Highness　…　go　indoors　at　once！'



The　little　girl　answered；　'I　won't！'



Then　the　prim　lady　said　…　'Wilson；　carry　her　Highness　indoors。'



And　the　little　girl　was　carried　away　screaming；　and　kicking　with

her　little　thin　legs　and　her　buttoned　boots；　and　between　her

screams　she　shrieked：



'Common　children！　　I　am　glad；　glad；　glad！　　Common　children！　　Common

children！'



The　nasty　lady　then　remarked　…　'Go　at　once；　or　I　will　send　for　the

police！'



So　we　went。　　H。　O。　made　a　face　at　her　and　so　did　Alice；　but　Oswald

took　off　his　cap　and　said　he　was　sorry　if　she　was　annoyed　about

anything；　for　Oswald　has　always　been　taught　to　be　polite　to　ladies；

however　nasty。　　Dicky　took　his　off；　too；　when　he　saw　me　do　it；　he

says　he　did　it　first；　but　that　is　a　mistake。　　If　I　were　really　a

common　boy　I　should　say　it　was　a　lie。



Then　we　all　came　away；　and　when　we　got　outside　Dora　said；　'So　she

was　really　a　Princess。　　Fancy　a　Princess　living　there！'

'Even　Princesses　have　to　live　somewhere；'　said　Dicky。



'And　I　thought　it　was　play。　　And　it　was　real。　　I　wish　I'd　known！　

I　should　have　liked　to　ask　her　lots　of　things；'　said　Alice。



H。　O。　said　he　would　have　liked　to　ask　her　what　she　had　for　dinner

and　whether　she　had　a　crown。



I　felt；　myself；　we　had　lost　a　chance　of　finding　out　a　great　deal

about　kings　and　queens。　　I　might　have　known　such　a　stupid…looking

little　girl　would　never　have　been　able　to　pretend；　as　well　as　that。



So　we　all　went　home　across　the　Heath；　and　made　dripping　toast　for

tea。



When　we　were　eating　it　Noel　said；　'I　wish　I　could　give　her　some！　

It　is　very　good。'



He　sighed　as　he　said　it；　and　his　mouth　was　very　full；　so　we　knew　he

was　thinking　of　his　Princess。　　He　says　now　that　she　was　as

beautiful　as　the　day；　but　we　remember　her　quite　well；　and　she　was

nothing　of　the　kind。







CHAPTER　7

BEING　BANDITS





Noel　was　quite　tiresome　for　ever　so　long　after　we　found　the

Princess。　　He　would　keep　on　wanting　to　go　to　the　Park　when　the　rest

of　us　didn't；　and　though　we　went　several　times　to　please　him；　we

never　found　that　door　open　again；　and　all　of　us　except　him　knew

from　the　first　that　it　would　be　no　go。



So　now　we　thought　it　was　time　to　do　something　to　rouse　him　from　the

stupor　of　despair；　which　is　always　done　to　heroes　when　anything

baffling　has　occurred。　　Besides；　we　were　getting　very　short　of

money　again　…　the　fortunes　of　your　house　cannot　be　restored　（not　so

that　they　will　last；　that　is）；　even　by　the　one　pound　eight　we　got

when　we　had　the　'good　hunting。'　　We　spent　a　good　deal　of　that　on

presents　for　Father's　birthday。　　We　got　him　a　paper…weight；　like　a

glass　bun；　with　a　picture　of　Lewisham　Church　at　the　bottom；　and　a

blotting…pad；　and　a　box　of　preserved　fruits；　and　an　ivory　penholder

with　a　view　of　Greenwich　Park　in　the　little　hole　where　you　look

through　at　the　top。　　He　was　most　awfully　pleased　and　surprised；　and

when　he　heard　how　Noel　and　Oswald　had　earned　the　money　to　buy　the

things　he　was　more　surprised　still。　　Nearly　all　the　rest　of　our

money　went　to　get　fireworks　for　the　Fifth　of　November。　　We　got　six

Catherine　wheels　and　four　rockets；　two　hand…lights；　one　red　and　one

green；　a　sixpenny　maroon；　two　Roman…candles　…　they　cost　a　shilling；

some　Italian　streamers；　a　fairy　fountain；　and　a　tourbillon　that

cost　eighteen…pence　and　was　very　nearly　worth　it。



But　I　think　crackers　and　squibs　are　a　mistake。　　It's　true　you　get

a　lot　of　them　for　the　money；　and　they　are　not　bad　fun　for　the　first

two　or　three　dozen；　but　you　get　jolly　sick　of　them　before　you've

let　off　your　sixpenn'orth。　　And　the　only　amusing　way　is　not

allowed：　it　is　putting　them　in　the　fire。



It　always　seems　a　long　time　till　the　evening　when　you　have　got

fireworks　in　the　house；　and　I　think　as　it　was　a　rather　foggy　day　we

should　have　decided　to　let　them　off　directly　after　breakfast；　only

Father　had　said　he　would　help　us　to　let　them　off　at　eight　o'clock

after　he　had　had　his　dinner；　and　you　ought　never　to　disappoint　your

father　if　you　can　help　it。



You　see　we　had　three　good　reasons　for　trying　H。　O。's　idea　of

restoring　the　fallen　fortunes　of　our　house　by　becoming　bandits　on

the　Fifth　of　November。　　We　had　a　fourth　reason　as　well；　and　that

was　the　best　reason　of　the　lot。　　You　remember　Dora　thought　it　would

be　wrong　to　be　bandits。　　And　the　Fifth　of　November　came　while　Dora

was　away　at　Stroud　staying　with　her　godmother。　　Stroud　is　in

Gloucestershire。　　We　were　determined　to　do　it　while　she　was　out　of

the　way；　because　we　did　not　think　it　wrong；　and　besides　we　meant　to

do　it　anyhow。



We　held　a　Council；　of　course；　and　laid　our　plans　very　carefully。　

We　let　H。　O。　be　Captain；　because　it　was　his　idea。　　Oswald　was

Lieutenant。　　Oswald　was　quite　fair；　because　he　let　H。　O。　call

himself　Captain；　but　Oswald　is　the　eldest　next　to　Dora；　after　all。



Our　plan　was　this。　　We　were　all　to　go　up　on　to　the　Heath。　　Our

house　is　in　the　Lewisham　Road；　but　it's　quite　close　to　the　Heath　if

you　cut　up　the　short　way　opposite　the　confectioner's；　past　the

nursery　gardens　and　the　cottage　hospital；　and　turn　to　the　left

again　and　afterwards　to　the　right。　　You　come　out　then　at　the　top　of

the　hill；　where　the　big　guns　are　with　the　iron　fence　round　them；

and　where　the　bands　play　on　Thursday　evenings　in　the　summer。



We　were　to　lurk　in　ambush　there；　and　waylay　an　unwary　traveller。　

We　were　to　call　upon　him　to　surrender　his　arms；　and　then　bring　him

home　and　put　him　in　the　deepest　dungeon　below　the　castle　moat；　then

we　were　to　load　him　with　chains　and　send　to　his　friends　for　ransom。



You　may　think　we　had　no　chains；　but　you　are　wrong；　because　we　used

to　keep　two　other　dogs　once；　besides　Pincher；　before　the　fall　of

the　fortunes　of　the　ancient　House　of　Bastable。　　And　they　were　quite

big　dogs。



It　was　latish　in　the　afternoon　before　we　started。　　We　thought　we

could　lurk　better　if　it　was　nearly　dark。　　It　was　rather　foggy；　and

we　waited　a　good　while　beside　the　railings；　but　all　the　belated

travellers　were　either　grown　up　or　else　they　were　Board　School

children。　　We　weren't　going　to　get　into　a　row　with　grown…up　people

…　especially　strangers　…　and　no　true　bandit　would　ever　stoop　to　ask

a　ransom　from　the　relations　of　the　poor　and　needy。　　So　we　thought

it　better　to　wait。



As　I　said；　it　was　Guy　Fawkes　Day；　and　if　it　had　not　been　we　should

never　have　been　able　to　be　bandits　at　all