\"There’sthe3。14up，\"saidPerks。\"Youlielowtillshe’sthrough，andthenwe’llgoupalongtomyplace，andseeifthere’sanyofthemstrawberriesripewhatItoldyouabout。\"
\"Ifthereareanyripe，andyouDOgivethemtome，\"saidPhyllis，\"youwon’tmindifIgivethemtothepoorRussian，willyou？\"
Perksnarrowedhiseyesandthenraisedhiseyebrows。
\"Soitwasthemstrawberriesyoucomedownforthisafternoon，eh？\"
saidhe。
ThiswasanawkwardmomentforPhyllis。Tosay\"yes\"wouldseemrudeandgreedy，andunkindtoPerks。Butsheknewifshesaid\"no，\"shewouldnotbepleasedwithherselfafterwards。So——
\"Yes，\"shesaid，\"itwas。\"
\"Welldone！\"saidthePorter;\"speakthetruthandshamethe——\"
\"Butwe’dhavecomedowntheverynextdayifwe’dknownyouhadn’theardthestory，\"Phyllisaddedhastily。
\"Ibelieveyou，Missie，\"saidPerks，andsprangacrossthelinesixfeetinfrontoftheadvancingtrain。
Thegirlshatedtoseehimdothis，butPeterlikedit。Itwassoexciting。
TheRussiangentlemanwassodelightedwiththestrawberriesthatthethreerackedtheirbrainstofindsomeothersurpriseforhim。
Butalltherackingdidnotbringoutanyideamorenovelthanwildcherries。Andthisideaoccurredtothemnextmorning。Theyhadseentheblossomonthetreesinthespring，andtheyknewwheretolookforwildcherriesnowthatcherrytimewashere。Thetreesgrewallupandalongtherockyfaceofthecliffoutofwhichthemouthofthetunnelopened。Therewereallsortsoftreesthere，birchesandbeechesandbabyoaksandhazels，andamongthemthecherryblossomhadshonelikesnowandsilver。
ThemouthofthetunnelwassomewayfromThreeChimneys，soMotherletthemtaketheirlunchwiththeminabasket。Andthebasketwoulddotobringthecherriesbackiniftheyfoundany。Shealsolentthemhersilverwatchsothattheyshouldnotbelatefortea。
Peter’sWaterburyhadtakenitintoitsheadnottogosincethedaywhenPeterdroppeditintothewater—butt。Andtheystarted。Whentheygottothetopofthecutting，theyleanedoverthefenceandlookeddowntowheretherailwaylineslayatthebottomofwhat，asPhyllissaid，wasexactlylikeamountaingorge。
\"Ifitwasn’tfortherailwayatthebottom，itwouldbeasthoughthefootofmanhadneverbeenthere，wouldn’tit？\"
Thesidesofthecuttingwereofgreystone，veryroughlyhewn。
Indeed，thetoppartofthecuttinghadbeenalittlenaturalglenthathadbeencutdeepertobringitdowntothelevelofthetunnel’smouth。Amongtherocks，grassandflowersgrew，andseedsdroppedbybirdsinthecranniesofthestonehadtakenrootandgrownintobushesandtreesthatoverhungthecutting。Nearthetunnelwasaflightofstepsleadingdowntotheline——justwoodenbarsroughlyfixedintotheearth——averysteepandnarrowway，morelikealadderthanastair。
\"We’dbettergetdown，\"saidPeter;\"I’msurethecherrieswouldbequiteeasytogetatfromthesideofthesteps。Yourememberitwastherewepickedthecherryblossomsthatweputontherabbit’sgrave。\"
Sotheywentalongthefencetowardsthelittleswinggatethatisatthetopofthesesteps。AndtheywerealmostatthegatewhenBobbiesaid：——
\"Hush。Stop！What’sthat？\"
\"That\"wasaveryoddnoiseindeed——asoftnoise，butquiteplainlytobeheardthroughthesoundofthewindintreebranches，andthehumandwhirofthetelegraphwires。Itwasasortofrustling，whisperingsound。Astheylisteneditstopped，andthenitbeganagain。
Andthistimeitdidnotstop，butitgrewlouderandmorerustlingandrumbling。
\"Look\"——criedPeter，suddenly——\"thetreeoverthere！\"
Thetreehepointedatwasoneofthosethathaveroughgreyleavesandwhiteflowers。Theberries，whentheycome，arebrightscarlet，butifyoupickthem，theydisappointyoubyturningblackbeforeyougetthemhome。And，asPeterpointed，thetreewasmoving——notjustthewaytreesoughttomovewhenthewindblowsthroughthem，butallinonepiece，asthoughitwerealivecreatureandwerewalkingdownthesideofthecutting。
\"It’smoving！\"criedBobbie。\"Oh，look！andsoaretheothers。
It’slikethewoodsinMacbeth。\"
\"It’smagic，\"saidPhyllis，breathlessly。\"Ialwaysknewthisrailwaywasenchanted。\"
Itreallydidseemalittlelikemagic。Forallthetreesforabouttwentyyardsoftheoppositebankseemedtobeslowlywalkingdowntowardstherailwayline，thetreewiththegreyleavesbringinguptherearlikesomeoldshepherddrivingaflockofgreensheep。
\"Whatisit？Oh，whatisit？\"saidPhyllis;\"it’smuchtoomagicforme。Idon’tlikeit。Let’sgohome。\"
ButBobbieandPeterclungfasttotherailandwatchedbreathlessly。AndPhyllismadenomovementtowardsgoinghomebyherself。
Thetreesmovedonandon。Somestonesandlooseearthfelldownandrattledontherailwaymetalsfarbelow。
\"It’sALLcomingdown，\"Petertriedtosay，buthefoundtherewashardlyanyvoicetosayitwith。And，indeed，justashespoke，thegreatrock，onthetopofwhichthewalkingtreeswere，leanedslowlyforward。Thetrees，ceasingtowalk，stoodstillandshivered。Leaningwiththerock，theyseemedtohesitateamoment，andthenrockandtreesandgrassandbushes，witharushingsound，slippedrightawayfromthefaceofthecuttingandfellonthelinewithablunderingcrashthatcouldhavebeenheardhalfamileoff。
Acloudofdustroseup。
\"Oh，\"saidPeter，inawestrucktones，\"isn’titexactlylikewhencoalscomein？——iftherewasn’tanyrooftothecellarandyoucouldseedown。\"
\"Lookwhatagreatmoundit’smade！\"saidBobbie。
\"Yes，\"saidPeter，slowly。Hewasstillleaningonthefence。
\"Yes，\"hesaidagain，stillmoreslowly。
Thenhestoodupright。
\"The11。29downhasn’tgonebyyet。Wemustletthemknowatthestation，orthere’llbeamostfrightfulaccident。\"
\"Let’srun，\"saidBobbie，andbegan。
ButPetercried，\"Comeback！\"andlookedatMother’swatch。Hewasverypromptandbusinesslike，andhisfacelookedwhiterthantheyhadeverseenit。
\"Notime，\"hesaid;\"it’stwomilesaway，andit’spasteleven。\"
\"Couldn’twe，\"suggestedPhyllis，breathlessly，\"couldn’tweclimbupatelegraphpostanddosomethingtothewires？\"
\"Wedon’tknowhow，\"saidPeter。
\"Theydoitinwar，\"saidPhyllis;\"IknowI’veheardofit。\"
\"TheyonlyCUTthem，silly，\"saidPeter，\"andthatdoesn’tdoanygood。Andwecouldn’tcutthemevenifwegotup，andwecouldn’tgetup。Ifwehadanythingred，wecouldgetdownonthelineandwaveit。\"
\"Butthetrainwouldn’tseeustillitgotroundthecorner，andthenitcouldseethemoundjustaswellasus，\"saidPhyllis;
\"better，becauseit’smuchbiggerthanus。\"
\"Ifweonlyhadsomethingred，\"Peterrepeated，\"wecouldgoroundthecornerandwavetothetrain。\"
\"Wemightwave，anyway。\"
\"They’donlythinkitwasjustUS，asusual。We’vewavedsooftenbefore。Anyway，let’sgetdown。\"
Theygotdownthesteepstairs。Bobbiewaspaleandshivering。
Peter’sfacelookedthinnerthanusual。Phylliswasred—facedanddampwithanxiety。
\"Oh，howhotIam！\"shesaid;\"andIthoughtitwasgoingtobecold;Iwishwehadn’tputonour——\"shestoppedshort，andthenendedinquiteadifferenttone——\"ourflannelpetticoats。\"
Bobbieturnedatthebottomofthestairs。
\"Oh，yes，\"shecried;\"THEY’REred！Let’stakethemoff。\"
Theydid，andwiththepetticoatsrolledupundertheirarms，ranalongtherailway，skirtingthenewlyfallenmoundofstonesandrockandearth，andbent，crushed，twistedtrees。Theyranattheirbestpace。Peterled，butthegirlswerenotfarbehind。Theyreachedthecornerthathidthemoundfromthestraightlineofrailwaythatranhalfamilewithoutcurveorcorner。
\"Now，\"saidPeter，takingholdofthelargestflannelpetticoat。
\"You’renot\"——Phyllisfaltered——\"you’renotgoingtoTEARthem？\"
\"Shutup，\"saidPeter，withbriefsternness。
\"Oh，yes，\"saidBobbie，\"tearthemintolittlebitsifyoulike。
Don’tyousee，Phil，ifwecan’tstopthetrain，there’llbearealliveaccident，withpeopleKILLED。Oh，horrible！Here，Peter，you’llnevertearitthroughtheband！\"
Shetooktheredflannelpetticoatfromhimandtoreitoffaninchfromtheband。Thenshetoretheotherinthesameway。
\"There！\"saidPeter，tearinginhisturn。Hedividedeachpetticoatintothreepieces。\"Now，we’vegotsixflags。\"Helookedatthewatchagain。\"Andwe’vegotsevenminutes。Wemusthaveflagstaffs。\"
Theknivesgiventoboysare，forsomeoddreason，seldomofthekindofsteelthatkeepssharp。Theyoungsaplingshadtobebrokenoff。Twocameupbytheroots。Theleaveswerestrippedfromthem。
\"Wemustcutholesintheflags，andrunthesticksthroughtheholes，\"saidPeter。Andtheholeswerecut。Theknifewassharpenoughtocutflannelwith。Twooftheflagsweresetupinheapsofloosestonesbetweenthesleepersofthedownline。ThenPhyllisandRobertatookeachaflag，andstoodreadytowaveitassoonasthetraincameinsight。
\"Ishallhavetheothertwomyself，\"saidPeter，\"becauseitwasmyideatowavesomethingred。\"
\"They’reourpetticoats，though，\"Phylliswasbeginning，butBobbieinterrupted——
\"Oh，whatdoesitmatterwhowaveswhat，ifwecanonlysavethetrain？\"
PerhapsPeterhadnotrightlycalculatedthenumberofminutesitwouldtakethe11。29togetfromthestationtotheplacewheretheywere，orperhapsthetrainwaslate。Anyway，itseemedaverylongtimethattheywaited。
Phyllisgrewimpatient。\"Iexpectthewatchiswrong，andthetrain’sgoneby，\"saidshe。
Peterrelaxedtheheroicattitudehehadchosentoshowoffhistwoflags。AndBobbiebegantofeelsickwithsuspense。
Itseemedtoherthattheyhadbeenstandingthereforhoursandhours，holdingthosesillylittleredflannelflagsthatnoonewouldevernotice。Thetrainwouldn’tcare。Itwouldgorushingbythemandtearroundthecornerandgocrashingintothatawfulmound。Andeveryonewouldbekilled。Herhandsgrewverycoldandtrembledsothatshecouldhardlyholdtheflag。Andthencamethedistantrumbleandhumofthemetals，andapuffofwhitesteamshowedfarawayalongthestretchofline。
\"Standfirm，\"saidPeter，\"andwavelikemad！Whenitgetstothatbigfurzebushstepback，butgoonwaving！Don’tstandONtheline，Bobbie！\"
Thetraincamerattlingalongvery，veryfast。
\"Theydon’tseeus！Theywon’tseeus！It’sallnogood！\"criedBobbie。
Thetwolittleflagsonthelineswayedasthenearingtrainshookandloosenedtheheapsofloosestonesthatheldthemup。Oneofthemslowlyleanedoverandfellontheline。Bobbiejumpedforwardandcaughtitup，andwavedit;herhandsdidnottremblenow。
Itseemedthatthetraincameonasfastasever。Itwasverynearnow。
\"Keepofftheline，yousillycuckoo！\"saidPeter，fiercely。
\"It’snogood，\"Bobbiesaidagain。
\"Standback！\"criedPeter，suddenly，andhedraggedPhyllisbackbythearm。
ButBobbiecried，\"Notyet，notyet！\"andwavedhertwoflagsrightovertheline。Thefrontoftheenginelookedblackandenormous。
It’svoicewasloudandharsh。
\"Oh，stop，stop，stop！\"criedBobbie。Nooneheardher。AtleastPeterandPhyllisdidn’t，fortheoncomingrushofthetraincoveredthesoundofhervoicewithamountainofsound。Butafterwardssheusedtowonderwhethertheengineitselfhadnotheardher。Itseemedalmostasthoughithad——foritslackenedswiftly，slackenedandstopped，nottwentyyardsfromtheplacewhereBobbie’stwoflagswavedovertheline。Shesawthegreatblackenginestopdead，butsomehowshecouldnotstopwavingtheflags。AndwhenthedriverandthefiremanhadgotofftheengineandPeterandPhyllishadgonetomeetthemandpourouttheirexcitedtaleoftheawfulmoundjustroundthecorner，Bobbiestillwavedtheflagsbutmoreandmorefeeblyandjerkily。
Whentheothersturnedtowardshershewaslyingacrossthelinewithherhandsflungforwardandstillgrippingthesticksofthelittleredflannelflags。
Theengine—driverpickedherup，carriedhertothetrain，andlaidheronthecushionsofafirst—classcarriage。
\"Gonerightoffinafaint，\"hesaid，\"poorlittlewoman。Andnowonder。I’lljust’avealookatthis’eremoundofyours，andthenwe’llrunyoubacktothestationandgetherseento。\"
ItwashorribletoseeBobbielyingsowhiteandquiet，withherlipsblue，andparted。
\"Ibelievethat’swhatpeoplelooklikewhenthey’redead，\"
whisperedPhyllis。
\"DON’T！\"saidPeter，sharply。
TheysatbyBobbieonthebluecushions，andthetrainranback。
BeforeitreachedtheirstationBobbiehadsighedandopenedhereyes，androlledherselfoverandbeguntocry。Thischeeredtheotherswonderfully。Theyhadseenhercrybefore，buttheyhadneverseenherfaint，noranyoneelse，forthematterofthat。Theyhadnotknownwhattodowhenshewasfainting，butnowshewasonlycryingtheycouldthumpheronthebackandtellhernotto，justastheyalwaysdid。Andpresently，whenshestoppedcrying，theywereabletolaughatherforbeingsuchacowardastofaint。
Whenthestationwasreached，thethreeweretheheroesofanagitatedmeetingontheplatform。
Thepraisestheygotfortheir\"promptaction，\"their\"commonsense，\"their\"ingenuity，\"wereenoughtohaveturnedanybody’shead。Phyllisenjoyedherselfthoroughly。Shehadneverbeenarealheroinebefore，andthefeelingwasdelicious。Peter’searsgotveryred。Yethe，too，enjoyedhimself。OnlyBobbiewishedtheyallwouldn’t。Shewantedtogetaway。
\"You’llhearfromtheCompanyaboutthis，Iexpect，\"saidtheStationMaster。
Bobbiewishedshemightneverhearofitagain。ShepulledatPeter’sjacket。
\"Oh，comeaway，comeaway！Iwanttogohome，\"shesaid。
Sotheywent。AndastheywentStationMasterandPorterandguardsanddriverandfiremanandpassengerssentupacheer。
\"Oh，listen，\"criedPhyllis;\"that’sforUS！\"
\"Yes，\"saidPeter。\"Isay，IamgladIthoughtaboutsomethingred，andwavingit。\"
\"HowluckyweDIDputonourredflannelpetticoats！\"saidPhyllis。
Bobbiesaidnothing。Shewasthinkingofthehorriblemound，andthetrustfultrainrushingtowardsit。
\"AnditwasUSthatsavedthem，\"saidPeter。
\"Howdreadfuliftheyhadallbeenkilled！\"saidPhyllis;\"wouldn’tit，Bobbie？\"
\"Wenevergotanycherries，afterall，\"saidBobbie。
Theothersthoughtherratherheartless。
ChapterVII。Forvalour。
Ihopeyoudon’tmindmytellingyouagooddealaboutRoberta。ThefactisIamgrowingveryfondofher。ThemoreIobserveherthemoreIloveher。AndInoticeallsortsofthingsaboutherthatI
like。
Forinstance，shewasquiteoddlyanxioustomakeotherpeoplehappy。Andshecouldkeepasecret，atolerablyrareaccomplishment。Alsoshehadthepowerofsilentsympathy。Thatsoundsratherdull，Iknow，butit’snotsodullasitsounds。Itjustmeansthatapersonisabletoknowthatyouareunhappy，andtoloveyouextraonthataccount，withoutbotheringyoubytellingyouallthetimehowsorrysheisforyou。ThatwaswhatBobbiewaslike。SheknewthatMotherwasunhappy——andthatMotherhadnottoldherthereason。SoshejustlovedMothermoreandneversaidasinglewordthatcouldletMotherknowhowearnestlyherlittlegirlwonderedwhatMotherwasunhappyabout。Thisneedspractice。Itisnotsoeasyasyoumightthink。
Whateverhappened——andallsortsofnice，pleasantordinarythingshappened——suchaspicnics，games，andbunsfortea，Bobbiealwayshadthesethoughtsatthebackofhermind。\"Mother’sunhappy。
Why？Idon’tknow。Shedoesn’twantmetoknow。Iwon’ttrytofindout。ButsheISunhappy。Why？Idon’tknow。Shedoesn’t——\"
andsoon，repeatingandrepeatinglikeatunethatyoudon’tknowthestoppingpartof。
TheRussiangentlemanstilltookupagooddealofeverybody’sthoughts。AlltheeditorsandsecretariesofSocietiesandMembersofParliamenthadansweredMother’slettersaspolitelyastheyknewhow;butnoneofthemcouldtellwherethewifeandchildrenofMr。
Szezcpanskywouldbelikelytobe。（DidItellyouthattheRussian’sveryRussiannamewasthat？）
Bobbiehadanotherqualitywhichyouwillheardifferentlydescribedbydifferentpeople。Someofthemcallitinterferinginotherpeople’sbusiness——andsomecallit\"helpinglamedogsoverstiles，\"
andsomecallit\"loving—kindness。\"Itjustmeanstryingtohelppeople。
SherackedherbrainstothinkofsomewayofhelpingtheRussiangentlemantofindhiswifeandchildren。HehadlearnedafewwordsofEnglishnow。Hecouldsay\"Goodmorning，\"and\"Goodnight，\"and\"Please，\"and\"Thankyou，\"and\"Pretty，\"whenthechildrenbroughthimflowers，and\"Ver’good，\"whentheyaskedhimhowhehadslept。
Thewayhesmiledwhenhe\"saidhisEnglish，\"was，Bobbiefelt，\"justtoosweetforanything。\"Sheusedtothinkofhisfacebecauseshefancieditwouldhelphertosomewayofhelpinghim。
Butitdidnot。YethisbeingtherecheeredherbecauseshesawthatitmadeMotherhappier。
\"Shelikestohavesomeonetobegoodto，evenbesideus，\"saidBobbie。\"AndIknowshehatedtolethimhaveFather’sclothes。
ButIsupposeit’hurtnice，’orshewouldn’thave。\"
FormanyandmanyanightafterthedaywhensheandPeterandPhyllishadsavedthetrainfromwreckbywavingtheirlittleredflannelflags，Bobbieusedtowakescreamingandshivering，seeingagainthathorriblemound，andthepoor，deartrustfulenginerushingontowardsit——justthinkingthatitwasdoingitsswiftduty，andthateverythingwasclearandsafe。AndthenawarmthrillofpleasureusedtorunthroughherattheremembranceofhowsheandPeterandPhyllisandtheredflannelpetticoatshadreallysavedeverybody。
Onemorningalettercame。ItwasaddressedtoPeterandBobbieandPhyllis。Theyopeneditwithenthusiasticcuriosity，fortheydidnotoftengetletters。
Thelettersaid：——
\"DearSir，andLadies，——Itisproposedtomakeasmallpresentationtoyou，incommemorationofyourpromptandcourageousactioninwarningthetrainonthe———inst。，andthusavertingwhatmust，humanlyspeaking，havebeenaterribleaccident。Thepresentationwilltakeplaceatthe———Stationatthreeo’clockonthe30thinst。，ifthistimeandplacewillbeconvenienttoyou。
\"Yoursfaithfully，\"JabezInglewood。
\"Secretary，GreatNorthernandSouthernRailwayCo。\"
Thereneverhadbeenaproudermomentinthelivesofthethreechildren。TheyrushedtoMotherwiththeletter，andshealsofeltproudandsaidso，andthismadethechildrenhappierthanever。
\"Butifthepresentationismoney，youmustsay，’Thankyou，butwe’drathernottakeit，’\"saidMother。\"I’llwashyourIndianmuslinsatonce，\"sheadded。\"Youmustlooktidyonanoccasionlikethis。\"
\"PhilandIcanwashthem，\"saidBobbie，\"ifyou’llironthem，Mother。\"
Washingisratherfun。Iwonderwhetheryou’veeverdoneit？Thisparticularwashingtookplaceinthebackkitchen，whichhadastonefloorandaverybigstonesinkunderitswindow。
\"Let’sputthebathonthesink，\"saidPhyllis;\"thenwecanpretendwe’reout—of—doorswasherwomenlikeMothersawinFrance。\"
\"Buttheywerewashinginthecoldriver，\"saidPeter，hishandsinhispockets，\"notinhotwater。\"
\"ThisisaHOTriver，then，\"saidPhyllis;\"lendahandwiththebath，there’sadear。\"
\"Ishouldliketoseeadeerlendingahand，\"saidPeter，buthelenthis。
\"Nowtorubandscrubandscrubandrub，\"saidPhyllis，hoppingjoyouslyaboutasBobbiecarefullycarriedtheheavykettlefromthekitchenfire。
\"Oh，no！\"saidBobbie，greatlyshocked;\"youdon’trubmuslin。Youputtheboiledsoapinthehotwaterandmakeitallfrothy—lathery—
—andthenyoushakethemuslinandsqueezeit，eversogently，andallthedirtcomesout。It’sonlyclumsythingsliketableclothsandsheetsthathavetoberubbed。\"
ThelilacandtheGloiredeDijonrosesoutsidethewindowswayedinthesoftbreeze。
\"It’sanicedryingday——that’sonething，\"saidBobbie，feelingverygrownup。\"Oh，IdowonderwhatwonderfulfeelingsweshallhavewhenweWEARtheIndianmuslindresses！\"
\"Yes，sodoI，\"saidPhyllis，shakingandsqueezingthemuslininquiteaprofessionalmanner。
\"NOWwesqueezeoutthesoapywater。NO——wemustn’ttwistthem——andthenrinsethem。I’llholdthemwhileyouandPeteremptythebathandgetcleanwater。\"
\"Apresentation！Thatmeanspresents，\"saidPeter，ashissisters，havingdulywashedthepegsandwipedtheline，hungupthedressestodry。\"Whateverwillitbe？\"
\"Itmightbeanything，\"saidPhyllis;\"whatI’vealwayswantedisaBabyelephant——butIsupposetheywouldn’tknowthat。\"
\"Supposeitwasgoldmodelsofsteam—engines？\"saidBobbie。
\"Orabigmodelofthesceneofthepreventedaccident，\"suggestedPeter，\"withalittlemodeltrain，anddollsdressedlikeusandtheengine—driverandfiremanandpassengers。\"
\"DoyouLIKE，\"saidBobbie，doubtfully，dryingherhandsontheroughtowelthathungonarolleratthebackofthescullerydoor，\"doyouLIKEusbeingrewardedforsavingatrain？\"
\"Yes，Ido，\"saidPeter，downrightly;\"anddon’tyoutrytocomeitoverusthatyoudon’tlikeit，too。BecauseIknowyoudo。\"
\"Yes，\"saidBobbie，doubtfully，\"IknowIdo。Butoughtn’twetobesatisfiedwithjusthavingdoneit，andnotaskforanythingmore？\"
\"Whodidaskforanythingmore，silly？\"saidherbrother;\"VictoriaCrosssoldiersdon’tASKforit;butthey’regladenoughtogetitallthesame。Perhapsit’llbemedals。Then，whenI’mveryoldindeed，Ishallshowthemtomygrandchildrenandsay，’Weonlydidourduty，’andthey’llbeawfullyproudofme。\"
\"Youhavetobemarried，\"warnedPhyllis，\"oryoudon’thaveanygrandchildren。\"
\"IsupposeIshallHAVEtobemarriedsomeday，\"saidPeter，\"butitwillbeanawfulbotherhavingherroundallthetime。I’dliketomarryaladywhohadtrances，andonlywokeuponceortwiceayear。\"
\"Justtosayyouwerethelightofherlifeandthengotosleepagain。Yes。Thatwouldn’tbebad，\"saidBobbie。
\"When_I_getmarried，\"saidPhyllis，\"Ishallwanthimtowantmetobeawakeallthetime，sothatIcanhearhimsayhowniceIam。\"
\"Ithinkitwouldbenice，\"saidBobbie，\"tomarrysomeoneverypoor，andthenyou’ddoalltheworkandhe’dloveyoumostfrightfully，andseethebluewoodsmokecurlingupamongthetreesfromthedomestichearthashecamehomefromworkeverynight。I
say——we’vegottoanswerthatletterandsaythatthetimeandplaceWILLbeconvenienttous。There’sthesoap，Peter。WE’REbothascleanasclean。Thatpinkboxofwritingpaperyouhadonyourbirthday，Phil。\"
Ittooksometimetoarrangewhatshouldbesaid。Motherhadgonebacktoherwriting，andseveralsheetsofpinkpaperwithscallopedgiltedgesandgreenfour—leavedshamrocksinthecornerwerespoiledbeforethethreehaddecidedwhattosay。Theneachmadeacopyandsigneditwithitsownname。
Thethreefoldletterran：——
\"DearMr。JabezInglewood，——Thankyouverymuch。Wedidnotwanttoberewardedbutonlytosavethetrain，butwearegladyouthinksoandthankyouverymuch。Thetimeandplaceyousaywillbequiteconvenienttous。Thankyouverymuch。
\"Youraffecatelittlefriend，\"
Thencamethename，andafterit：——
\"P。S。Thankyouverymuch。\"
\"Washingismucheasierthanironing，\"saidBobbie，takingthecleandrydressesofftheline。\"Idolovetoseethingscomeclean。Oh—
—Idon’tknowhowweshallwaittillit’stimetoknowwhatpresentationthey’regoingtopresent！\"
Whenatlast——itseemedaverylongtimeafter——itwasTHEday，thethreechildrenwentdowntothestationatthepropertime。Andeverythingthathappenedwassooddthatitseemedlikeadream。
TheStationMastercameouttomeetthem——inhisbestclothes，asPeternoticedatonce——andledthemintothewaitingroomwhereoncetheyhadplayedtheadvertisementgame。Itlookedquitedifferentnow。Acarpethadbeenputdown——andtherewerepotsofrosesonthemantelpieceandonthewindowledges——greenbranchesstuckup，likehollyandlaurelareatChristmas，overtheframedadvertisementofCook’sToursandtheBeautiesofDevonandtheParisLyonsRailway。TherewerequiteanumberofpeopletherebesidesthePorter——twoorthreeladiesinsmartdresses，andquiteacrowdofgentlemeninhighhatsandfrockcoats——besideseverybodywhobelongedtothestation。Theyrecognizedseveralpeoplewhohadbeeninthetrainonthered—flannel—petticoatday。Bestofalltheirownoldgentlemanwasthere，andhiscoatandhatandcollarseemedmorethaneverdifferentfromanyoneelse’s。Heshookhandswiththemandtheneverybodysatdownonchairs，andagentlemaninspectacles——theyfoundoutafterwardsthathewastheDistrictSuperintendent——beganquitealongspeech——verycleverindeed。Iamnotgoingtowritethespeechdown。First，becauseyouwouldthinkitdull;andsecondly，becauseitmadeallthechildrenblushso，andgetsohotabouttheearsthatIamquiteanxioustogetawayfromthispartofthesubject;andthirdly，becausethegentlemantooksomanywordstosaywhathehadtosaythatIreallyhaven’ttimetowritethemdown。Hesaidallsortsofnicethingsaboutthechildren’sbraveryandpresenceofmind，andwhenhehaddonehesatdown，andeveryonewhowasthereclappedandsaid，\"Hear，hear。\"
Andthentheoldgentlemangotupandsaidthings，too。Itwasverylikeaprize—giving。Andthenhecalledthechildrenonebyone，bytheirnames，andgaveeachofthemabeautifulgoldwatchandchain。
Andinsidethewatcheswereengravedafterthenameofthewatch’snewowner：——
\"FromtheDirectorsoftheNorthernandSouthernRailwayingratefulrecognitionofthecourageousandpromptactionwhichavertedanaccidenton———1905。\"
Thewatcheswerethemostbeautifulyoucanpossiblyimagine，andeachonehadablueleathercasetoliveinwhenitwasathome。
\"Youmustmakeaspeechnowandthankeveryonefortheirkindness，\"
whisperedtheStationMasterinPeter’searandpushedhimforward。
\"Begin’LadiesandGentlemen，’\"headded。
Eachofthechildrenhadalreadysaid\"Thankyou，\"quiteproperly。
\"Oh，dear，\"saidPeter，buthedidnotresistthepush。
\"LadiesandGentlemen，\"hesaidinaratherhuskyvoice。Thentherewasapause，andheheardhisheartbeatinginhisthroat。\"LadiesandGentlemen，\"hewentonwitharush，\"it’smostawfullygoodofyou，andweshalltreasurethewatchesallourlives——butreallywedon’tdeserveitbecausewhatwedidwasn’tanything，really。Atleast，Imeanitwasawfullyexciting，andwhatImeantosay——thankyouallvery，verymuch。\"
ThepeopleclappedPetermorethantheyhaddonetheDistrictSuperintendent，andtheneverybodyshookhandswiththem，andassoonaspolitenesswouldletthem，theygotaway，andtoreupthehilltoThreeChimneyswiththeirwatchesintheirhands。
Itwasawonderfulday——thekindofdaythatveryseldomhappenstoanybodyandtomostofusnotatall。
\"Ididwanttotalktotheoldgentlemanaboutsomethingelse，\"saidBobbie，\"butitwassopublic——likebeinginchurch。\"
\"Whatdidyouwanttosay？\"askedPhyllis。
\"I’lltellyouwhenI’vethoughtaboutitmore，\"saidBobbie。
Sowhenshehadthoughtalittlemoreshewrotealetter。
\"Mydearestoldgentleman，\"itsaid;\"Iwantmostawfullytoaskyousomething。Ifyoucouldgetoutofthetrainandgobythenext，itwoulddo。Idonotwantyoutogivemeanything。Mothersaysweoughtnotto。Andbesides，wedonotwantanyTHINGS。OnlytotalktoyouaboutaPrisonerandCaptive。Yourlovinglittlefriend，\"Bobbie。\"
ShegottheStationMastertogivethelettertotheoldgentleman，andnextdaysheaskedPeterandPhyllistocomedowntothestationwithheratthetimewhenthetrainthatbroughttheoldgentlemanfromtownwouldbepassingthrough。
Sheexplainedherideatothem——andtheyapprovedthoroughly。
Theyhadallwashedtheirhandsandfaces，andbrushedtheirhair，andwerelookingastidyastheyknewhow。ButPhyllis，alwaysunlucky，hadupsetajugoflemonadedownthefrontofherdress。
Therewasnotimetochange——andthewindhappeningtoblowfromthecoalyard，herfrockwassoonpowderedwithgrey，whichstucktothestickylemonadestainsandmadeherlook，asPetersaid，\"likeanylittlegutterchild。\"
Itwasdecidedthatsheshouldkeepbehindtheothersasmuchaspossible。
\"Perhapstheoldgentlemanwon’tnotice，\"saidBobbie。\"Theagedareoftenweakintheeyes。\"
Therewasnosignofweakness，however，intheeyes，orinanyotherpartoftheoldgentleman，ashesteppedfromthetrainandlookedupanddowntheplatform。
Thethreechildren，nowthatitcametothepoint，suddenlyfeltthatrushofdeepshynesswhichmakesyourearsredandhot，yourhandswarmandwet，andthetipofyournosepinkandshiny。
\"Oh，\"saidPhyllis，\"myheart’sthumpinglikeasteam—engine——rightundermysash，too。\"
\"Nonsense，\"saidPeter，\"people’sheartsaren’tundertheirsashes。\"
\"Idon’tcare——mineis，\"saidPhyllis。
\"Ifyou’regoingtotalklikeapoetry—book，\"saidPeter，\"myheart’sinmymouth。\"
\"Myheart’sinmyboots——ifyoucometothat，\"saidRoberta;\"butdocomeon——he’llthinkwe’reidiots。\"
\"Hewon’tbefarwrong，\"saidPeter，gloomily。Andtheywentforwardtomeettheoldgentleman。
\"Hullo，\"hesaid，shakinghandswiththemallinturn。\"Thisisaverygreatpleasure。\"
\"ItWASgoodofyoutogetout，\"Bobbiesaid，perspiringandpolite。
HetookherarmanddrewherintothewaitingroomwheresheandtheothershadplayedtheadvertisementgamethedaytheyfoundtheRussian。PhyllisandPeterfollowed。\"Well？\"saidtheoldgentleman，givingBobbie’sarmakindlittleshakebeforeheletitgo。\"Well？Whatisit？\"
\"Oh，please！\"saidBobbie。
\"Yes？\"saidtheoldgentleman。
\"WhatImeantosay——\"saidBobbie。
\"Well？\"saidtheoldgentleman。
\"It’sallveryniceandkind，\"saidshe。
\"But？\"hesaid。
\"IwishImightsaysomething，\"shesaid。
\"Sayit，\"saidhe。
\"Well，then，\"saidBobbie——andoutcamethestoryoftheRussianwhohadwrittenthebeautifulbookaboutpoorpeople，andhadbeensenttoprisonandtoSiberiaforjustthat。
\"Andwhatwewantmorethananythingintheworldistofindhiswifeandchildrenforhim，\"saidBobbie，\"butwedon’tknowhow。
Butyoumustbemosthorriblyclever，oryouwouldn’tbeaDirectionoftheRailway。AndifYOUknewhow——andwould？We’dratherhavethatthananythingelseintheworld。We’dgowithoutthewatches，even，ifyoucouldsellthemandfindhiswifewiththemoney。\"
Andtheotherssaidso，too，thoughnotwithsomuchenthusiasm。
\"Hum，\"saidtheoldgentleman，pullingdownthewhitewaistcoatthathadthebiggiltbuttonsonit，\"whatdidyousaythenamewas——
Fryingpansky？\"
\"No，no，\"saidBobbieearnestly。\"I’llwriteitdownforyou。Itdoesn’treallylookatalllikethatexceptwhenyousayit。Haveyouabitofpencilandthebackofanenvelope？\"sheasked。
Theoldgentlemangotoutagoldpencil—caseandabeautiful，sweet—
smelling，greenRussianleathernote—bookandopeneditatanewpage。
\"Here，\"hesaid，\"writehere。\"
Shewrotedown\"Szezcpansky，\"andsaid：——
\"That’showyouwriteit。YouCALLitShepansky。\"
Theoldgentlemantookoutapairofgold—rimmedspectaclesandfittedthemonhisnose。Whenhehadreadthename，helookedquitedifferent。
\"THATman？Blessmysoul！\"hesaid。\"Why，I’vereadhisbook！
It’stranslatedintoeveryEuropeanlanguage。Afinebook——anoblebook。Andsoyourmothertookhimin——likethegoodSamaritan。
Well，well。I’lltellyouwhat，youngsters——yourmothermustbeaverygoodwoman。\"
\"Ofcoursesheis，\"saidPhyllis，inastonishment。
\"Andyou’reaverygoodman，\"saidBobbie，veryshy，butfirmlyresolvedtobepolite。
\"Youflatterme，\"saidtheoldgentleman，takingoffhishatwithaflourish。\"AndnowamItotellyouwhatIthinkofyou？\"
\"Oh，pleasedon’t，\"saidBobbie，hastily。
\"Why？\"askedtheoldgentleman。
\"Idon’texactlyknow，\"saidBobbie。\"Only——ifit’shorrid，Idon’twantyouto;andifit’snice，I’dratheryoudidn’t。\"
Theoldgentlemanlaughed。
\"Well，then，\"hesaid，\"I’llonlyjustsaythatI’mverygladyoucametomeaboutthis——veryglad，indeed。AndIshouldn’tbesurprisedifIfoundoutsomethingverysoon。IknowagreatmanyRussiansinLondon，andeveryRussianknowsHISname。Nowtellmeallaboutyourselves。\"
Heturnedtotheothers，buttherewasonlyoneother，andthatwasPeter。Phyllishaddisappeared。
\"Tellmeallaboutyourself，\"saidtheoldgentlemanagain。And，quitenaturally，Peterwasstrickendumb。
\"Allright，we’llhaveanexamination，\"saidtheoldgentleman;\"youtwositonthetable，andI’llsitonthebenchandaskquestions。\"
Hedid，andoutcametheirnamesandages——theirFather’snameandbusiness——howlongtheyhadlivedatThreeChimneysandagreatdealmore。
Thequestionswerebeginningtoturnonaherringandahalfforthreehalfpence，andapoundofleadandapoundoffeathers，whenthedoorofthewaitingroomwaskickedopenbyaboot;asthebootenteredeveryonecouldseethatitslacewascomingundone——andincamePhyllis，veryslowlyandcarefully。
Inonehandshecarriedalargetincan，andintheotherathicksliceofbreadandbutter。
\"Afternoontea，\"sheannouncedproudly，andheldthecanandthebreadandbutterouttotheoldgentleman，whotookthemandsaid：——
\"Blessmysoul！\"
\"Yes，\"saidPhyllis。
\"It’sverythoughtfulofyou，\"saidtheoldgentleman，\"very。\"
\"Butyoumighthavegotacup，\"saidBobbie，\"andaplate。\"
\"Perksalwaysdrinksoutofthecan，\"saidPhyllis，flushingred。
\"Ithinkitwasveryniceofhimtogiveitmeatall——letalonecupsandplates，\"sheadded。
\"SodoI，\"saidtheoldgentleman，andhedranksomeoftheteaandtastedthebreadandbutter。
Andthenitwastimeforthenexttrain，andhegotintoitwithmanygood—byesandkindlastwords。
\"Well，\"saidPeter，whentheywereleftontheplatform，andthetail—lightsofthetraindisappearedroundthecorner，\"it’smybeliefthatwe’velightedacandleto—day——likeLatimer，youknow，whenhewasbeingburned——andthere’llbefireworksforourRussianbeforelong。\"
Andsotherewere。
Itwasn’ttendaysaftertheinterviewinthewaitingroomthatthethreechildrenweresittingonthetopofthebiggestrockinthefieldbelowtheirhousewatchingthe5。15steamawayfromthestationalongthebottomofthevalley。Theysaw，too，thefewpeoplewhohadgotoutatthestationstragglinguptheroadtowardsthevillage——andtheysawonepersonleavetheroadandopenthegatethatledacrossthefieldstoThreeChimneysandtonowhereelse。
\"Whoonearth！\"saidPeter，scramblingdown。
\"Let’sgoandsee，\"saidPhyllis。
Sotheydid。Andwhentheygotnearenoughtoseewhothepersonwas，theysawitwastheiroldgentlemanhimself，hisbrassbuttonswinkingintheafternoonsunshine，andhiswhitewaistcoatlookingwhiterthaneveragainstthegreenofthefield。
\"Hullo！\"shoutedthechildren，wavingtheirhands。
\"Hullo！\"shoutedtheoldgentleman，wavinghishat。
Thenthethreestartedtorun——andwhentheygottohimtheyhardlyhadbreathlefttosay：——
\"Howdoyoudo？\"
\"Goodnews，\"saidhe。\"I’vefoundyourRussianfriend’swifeandchild——andIcouldn’tresistthetemptationofgivingmyselfthepleasureoftellinghim。\"
ButashelookedatBobbie’sfacehefeltthatheCOULDresistthattemptation。
\"Here，\"hesaidtoher，\"yourunonandtellhim。Theothertwowillshowmetheway。\"
Bobbieran。ButwhenshehadbreathlesslypantedoutthenewstotheRussianandMothersittinginthequietgarden——whenMother’sfacehadlightedupsobeautifully，andshehadsaidhalfadozenquickFrenchwordstotheExile——BobbiewishedthatshehadNOT
carriedthenews。FortheRussiansprangupwithacrythatmadeBobbie’sheartleapandthentremble——acryofloveandlongingsuchasshehadneverheard。ThenhetookMother’shandandkisseditgentlyandreverently——andthenhesankdowninhischairandcoveredhisfacewithhishandsandsobbed。Bobbiecreptaway。Shedidnotwanttoseetheothersjustthen。
ButshewasasgayasanybodywhentheendlessFrenchtalkingwasover，whenPeterhadtorndowntothevillageforbunsandcakes，andthegirlshadgotteareadyandtakenitoutintothegarden。
Theoldgentlemanwasmostmerryanddelightful。HeseemedtobeabletotalkinFrenchandEnglishalmostatthesamemoment，andMotherdidnearlyaswell。Itwasadelightfultime。Motherseemedasifshecouldnotmakeenoughfussabouttheoldgentleman，andshesaidyesatoncewhenheaskedifhemightpresentsome\"goodies\"tohislittlefriends。
Thewordwasnewtothechildren——buttheyguessedthatitmeantsweets，forthethreelargepinkandgreenboxes，tiedwithgreenribbon，whichhetookoutofhisbag，heldunheard—oflayersofbeautifulchocolates。
TheRussian’sfewbelongingswerepacked，andtheyallsawhimoffatthestation。
ThenMotherturnedtotheoldgentlemanandsaid：——
\"Idon’tknowhowtothankyouforEVERYTHING。Ithasbeenarealpleasuretometoseeyou。Butweliveveryquietly。IamsosorrythatIcan’taskyoutocomeandseeusagain。\"
Thechildrenthoughtthisveryhard。WhentheyHADmadeafriend——
andsuchafriend——theywoulddearlyhavelikedhimtocomeandseethemagain。
Whattheoldgentlemanthoughttheycouldn’ttell。Heonlysaid：——
\"Iconsidermyselfveryfortunate，Madam，tohavebeenreceivedonceatyourhouse。\"
\"Ah，\"saidMother，\"IknowImustseemsurlyandungrateful——but——\"
\"Youcouldneverseemanythingbutamostcharmingandgraciouslady，\"saidtheoldgentleman，withanotherofhisbows。
Andastheyturnedtogoupthehill，BobbiesawherMother’sface。
\"Howtiredyoulook，Mammy，\"shesaid;\"leanonme。\"
\"It’smyplacetogiveMothermyarm，\"saidPeter。\"I’mtheheadmanofthefamilywhenFather’saway。\"
Mothertookanarmofeach。
\"Howawfullynice，\"saidPhyllis，skippingjoyfully，\"tothinkofthedearRussianembracinghislong—lostwife。Thebabymusthavegrownalotsincehesawit。\"
\"Yes，\"saidMother。
\"IwonderwhetherFatherwillthinkI’VEgrown，\"Phylliswenton，skippingstillmoregaily。\"Ihavegrownalready，haven’tI，Mother？\"
\"Yes，\"saidMother，\"oh，yes，\"andBobbieandPeterfeltherhandstightenontheirarms。
\"PooroldMammy，youAREtired，\"saidPeter。
Bobbiesaid，\"Comeon，Phil;I’llraceyoutothegate。\"
Andshestartedtherace，thoughshehateddoingit。YOUknowwhyBobbiedidthat。MotheronlythoughtthatBobbiewastiredofwalkingslowly。EvenMothers，wholoveyoubetterthananyoneelseeverwill，don’talwaysunderstand。
ChapterVIII。Theamateurfiremen。
\"That’salikelylittlebroochyou’vegoton，Miss，\"saidPerksthePorter;\"Idon’tknowaseverIseeathingmorelikeabuttercupwithoutitWASabuttercup。\"
\"Yes，\"saidBobbie，gladandflushedbythisapproval。\"Ialwaysthoughtitwasmorelikeabuttercupalmostthanevenarealone——
andINEVERthoughtitwouldcometobemine，myveryown——andthenMothergaveittomeformybirthday。\"
\"Oh，haveyouhadabirthday？\"saidPerks;andheseemedquitesurprised，asthoughabirthdaywereathingonlygrantedtoafavouredfew。
\"Yes，\"saidBobbie;\"when’syourbirthday，Mr。Perks？\"ThechildrenweretakingteawithMr。PerksinthePorters’roomamongthelampsandtherailwayalmanacs。Theyhadbroughttheirowncupsandsomejamturnovers。Mr。Perksmadeteainabeercan，asusual，andeveryonefeltveryhappyandconfidential。
\"Mybirthday？\"saidPerks，tippingsomemoredarkbrownteaoutofthecanintoPeter’scup。\"Igiveupkeepingofmybirthdayaforeyouwasborn。\"
\"ButyoumusthavebeenbornSOMETIME，youknow，\"saidPhyllis，thoughtfully，\"evenifitwastwentyyearsago——orthirtyorsixtyorseventy。\"
\"Notsolongasthat，Missie，\"Perksgrinnedasheanswered。\"Ifyoureallywanttoknow，itwasthirty—twoyearsago，comethefifteenthofthismonth。\"
\"Thenwhydon’tyoukeepit？\"askedPhyllis。
\"I’vegotsomethingelsetokeepbesidesbirthdays，\"saidPerks，briefly。
\"Oh！What？\"askedPhyllis，eagerly。\"Notsecrets？\"
\"No，\"saidPerks，\"thekidsandtheMissus。\"
Itwasthistalkthatsetthechildrenthinking，and，presently，talking。Perkswas，onthewhole，thedearestfriendtheyhadmade。
NotsograndastheStationMaster，butmoreapproachable——lesspowerfulthantheoldgentleman，butmoreconfidential。
\"Itseemshorridthatnobodykeepshisbirthday，\"saidBobbie。
\"Couldn’tWEdosomething？\"
\"Let’sgouptotheCanalbridgeandtalkitover，\"saidPeter。\"I
gotanewgutlinefromthepostmanthismorning。HegaveitmeforabunchofrosesthatIgavehimforhissweetheart。She’sill。\"
\"ThenIdothinkyoumighthavegivenhertherosesfornothing，\"
saidBobbie，indignantly。
\"Nyang，nyang！\"saidPeter，disagreeably，andputhishandsinhispockets。
\"Hedid，ofcourse，\"saidPhyllis，inhaste;\"directlyweheardshewasillwegottherosesreadyandwaitedbythegate。Itwaswhenyouweremakingthebrekker—toast。Andwhenhe’dsaid’Thankyou’
fortherosessomanytimes——muchmorethanheneedhave——hepulledoutthelineandgaveittoPeter。Itwasn’texchange。Itwasthegratefulheart。\"
\"Oh，IBEGyourpardon，Peter，\"saidBobbie，\"IAMsosorry。\"
\"Don’tmentionit，\"saidPeter，grandly，\"Iknewyouwouldbe。\"
SothentheyallwentuptotheCanalbridge。Theideawastofishfromthebridge，butthelinewasnotquitelongenough。
\"Nevermind，\"saidBobbie。\"Let’sjuststayhereandlookatthings。Everything’ssobeautiful。\"
Itwas。Thesunwassettinginredsplendouroverthegreyandpurplehills，andthecanallaysmoothandshinyintheshadow——noripplebrokeitssurface。Itwaslikeagreysatinribbonbetweentheduskygreensilkofthemeadowsthatwereoneachsideofitsbanks。
\"It’sallright，\"saidPeter，\"butsomehowIcanalwaysseehowprettythingsaremuchbetterwhenI’vesomethingtodo。Let’sgetdownontothetowpathandfishfromthere。\"
PhyllisandBobbierememberedhowtheboysonthecanal—boatshadthrowncoalatthem，andtheysaidso。
\"Oh，nonsense，\"saidPeter。\"Therearen’tanyboysherenow。Iftherewere，I’dfightthem。\"
Peter’ssisterswerekindenoughnottoremindhimhowhehadNOT
foughttheboyswhencoalhadlastbeenthrown。Insteadtheysaid，\"Allright，then，\"andcautiouslyclimbeddownthesteepbanktothetowing—path。Thelinewascarefullybaited，andforhalfanhourtheyfishedpatientlyandinvain。Notasinglenibblecametonourishhopeintheirhearts。
Alleyeswereintentonthesluggishwatersthatearnestlypretendedtheyhadneverharbouredasingleminnowwhenaloudroughshoutmadethemstart。
\"Hi！\"saidtheshout，inmostdisagreeabletones，\"getoutofthat，can’tyou？\"
Anoldwhitehorsecomingalongthetowing—pathwaswithinhalfadozenyardsofthem。Theysprangtotheirfeetandhastilyclimbedupthebank。
\"We’llslipdownagainwhenthey’vegoneby，\"saidBobbie。
But，alas，thebarge，afterthemannerofbarges，stoppedunderthebridge。