第1章

TomydearsonPaulBland，behindwhoseknowledgeofrailwaysmyignoranceconfidentlyshelters。 ChapterI。Thebeginningofthings。 Theywerenotrailwaychildrentobeginwith。Idon’tsupposetheyhadeverthoughtaboutrailwaysexceptasameansofgettingtoMaskelyneandCook’s，thePantomime，ZoologicalGardens，andMadameTussaud’s。Theywerejustordinarysuburbanchildren，andtheylivedwiththeirFatherandMotherinanordinaryred—brick—frontedvilla，withcolouredglassinthefrontdoor，atiledpassagethatwascalledahall，abath—roomwithhotandcoldwater，electricbells，Frenchwindows，andagooddealofwhitepaint，and’everymodernconvenience’，asthehouse—agentssay。 Therewerethreeofthem。Robertawastheeldest。Ofcourse，Mothersneverhavefavourites，butiftheirMotherHADhadafavourite，itmighthavebeenRoberta。NextcamePeter，whowishedtobeanEngineerwhenhegrewup;andtheyoungestwasPhyllis，whomeantextremelywell。 Motherdidnotspendallhertimeinpayingdullcallstodullladies，andsittingdullyathomewaitingfordullladiestopaycallstoher。Shewasalmostalwaysthere，readytoplaywiththechildren，andreadtothem，andhelpthemtodotheirhome—lessons。 Besidesthissheusedtowritestoriesforthemwhiletheywereatschool，andreadthemaloudaftertea，andshealwaysmadeupfunnypiecesofpoetryfortheirbirthdaysandforothergreatoccasions，suchasthechristeningofthenewkittens，ortherefurnishingofthedoll’shouse，orthetimewhentheyweregettingoverthemumps。 Thesethreeluckychildrenalwayshadeverythingtheyneeded： prettyclothes，goodfires，alovelynurserywithheapsoftoys，andaMotherGoosewall—paper。Theyhadakindandmerrynursemaid，andadogwhowascalledJames，andwhowastheirveryown。TheyalsohadaFatherwhowasjustperfect——nevercross，neverunjust，andalwaysreadyforagame——atleast，ifatanytimehewasNOTready，healwayshadanexcellentreasonforit，andexplainedthereasontothechildrensointerestinglyandfunnilythattheyfeltsurehecouldn’thelphimself。 Youwillthinkthattheyoughttohavebeenveryhappy。Andsotheywere，buttheydidnotknowHOWhappytilltheprettylifeintheRedVillawasoveranddonewith，andtheyhadtoliveaverydifferentlifeindeed。 Thedreadfulchangecamequitesuddenly。 Peterhadabirthday——histenth。Amonghisotherpresentswasamodelenginemoreperfectthanyoucouldeverhavedreamedof。Theotherpresentswerefullofcharm，buttheEnginewasfullerofcharmthananyoftheotherswere。 Itscharmlastedinitsfullperfectionforexactlythreedays。 Then，owingeithertoPeter’sinexperienceorPhyllis’sgoodintentions，whichhadbeenratherpressing，ortosomeothercause，theEnginesuddenlywentoffwithabang。Jameswassofrightenedthathewentoutanddidnotcomebackallday。AlltheNoah’sArkpeoplewhowereinthetenderwerebrokentobits，butnothingelsewashurtexceptthepoorlittleengineandthefeelingsofPeter。 Theotherssaidhecriedoverit——butofcourseboysoftendonotcry，howeverterriblethetragediesmaybewhichdarkentheirlot。 Hesaidthathiseyeswereredbecausehehadacold。Thisturnedouttobetrue，thoughPeterdidnotknowitwaswhenhesaidit，thenextdayhehadtogotobedandstaythere。Motherbegantobeafraidthathemightbesickeningformeasles，whensuddenlyhesatupinbedandsaid： \"Ihategruel——Ihatebarleywater——Ihatebreadandmilk。IwanttogetupandhavesomethingREALtoeat。\" \"Whatwouldyoulike？\"Motherasked。 \"Apigeon—pie，\"saidPeter，eagerly，\"alargepigeon—pie。Averylargeone。\" SoMotheraskedtheCooktomakealargepigeon—pie。Thepiewasmade。Andwhenthepiewasmade，itwascooked。Andwhenitwascooked，Peteratesomeofit。Afterthathiscoldwasbetter。 Mothermadeapieceofpoetrytoamusehimwhilethepiewasbeingmade。ItbeganbysayingwhatanunfortunatebutworthyboyPeterwas，thenitwenton： HehadanenginethathelovedWithallhisheartandsoul，AndifhehadawishonearthItwastokeepitwhole。 Oneday——myfriends，prepareyourminds; I’mcomingtotheworst—— Quitesuddenlyascrewwentmad，Andthentheboilerburst！ WithgloomyfacehepickeditupAndtookittohisMother，ThoughevenhecouldnotsupposeThatshecouldmakeanother; ForthosewhoperishedonthelineHedidnotseemtocare，HisenginebeingmoretohimThanallthepeoplethere。 AndnowyouseethereasonwhyOurPeterhasbeenill： Hesootheshissoulwithpigeon—pieHisgnawinggrieftokill。 HewrapshimselfinblanketswarmAndsleepsinbedtilllate，DeterminedthustoovercomeHismiserablefate。 Andifhiseyesareratherred，Hiscoldmustjustexcuseit： Offerhimpie;youmaybesureHeneverwillrefuseit。 Fatherhadbeenawayinthecountryforthreeorfourdays。AllPeter’shopesforthecuringofhisafflictedEnginewerenowfixedonhisFather，forFatherwasmostwonderfullycleverwithhisfingers。Hecouldmendallsortsofthings。Hehadoftenactedasveterinarysurgeontothewoodenrocking—horse;oncehehadsaveditslifewhenallhumanaidwasdespairedof，andthepoorcreaturewasgivenupforlost，andeventhecarpentersaidhedidn’tseehiswaytodoanything。AnditwasFatherwhomendedthedoll’scradlewhennooneelsecould;andwithalittleglueandsomebitsofwoodandapen—knifemadealltheNoah’sArkbeastsasstrongontheirpinsasevertheywere，ifnotstronger。 Peter，withheroicunselfishness，didnotsayanythingabouthisEnginetillafterFatherhadhadhisdinnerandhisafter—dinnercigar。TheunselfishnesswasMother’sidea——butitwasPeterwhocarrieditout。Andneededagooddealofpatience，too。 AtlastMothersaidtoFather，\"Now，dear，ifyou’requiterested，andquitecomfy，wewanttotellyouaboutthegreatrailwayaccident，andaskyouradvice。\" \"Allright，\"saidFather，\"fireaway！\" SothenPetertoldthesadtale，andfetchedwhatwasleftoftheEngine。 \"Hum，\"saidFather，whenhehadlookedtheEngineoververycarefully。 Thechildrenheldtheirbreaths。 \"IsthereNOhope？\"saidPeter，inalow，unsteadyvoice。 \"Hope？Rather！Tonsofit，\"saidFather，cheerfully;\"butit’llwantsomethingbesideshope——abitofbrazingsay，orsomesolder，andanewvalve。Ithinkwe’dbetterkeepitforarainyday。Inotherwords，I’llgiveupSaturdayafternoontoit，andyoushallallhelpme。\" \"CANgirlshelptomendengines？\"Peteraskeddoubtfully。 \"Ofcoursetheycan。Girlsarejustascleverasboys，anddon’tyouforgetit！Howwouldyouliketobeanengine—driver，Phil？\" \"Myfacewouldbealwaysdirty，wouldn’tit？\"saidPhyllis，inunenthusiastictones，\"andIexpectIshouldbreaksomething。\" \"Ishouldjustloveit，\"saidRoberta——\"doyouthinkIcouldwhenI’mgrownup，Daddy？Orevenastoker？\" \"Youmeanafireman，\"saidDaddy，pullingandtwistingattheengine。\"Well，ifyoustillwishit，whenyou’regrownup，we’llseeaboutmakingyouafire—woman。IrememberwhenIwasaboy——\" Justthentherewasaknockatthefrontdoor。 \"Whoonearth！\"saidFather。\"AnEnglishman’shouseishiscastle，ofcourse，butIdowishtheybuiltsemi—detachedvillaswithmoatsanddrawbridges。\" Ruth——shewastheparlour—maidandhadredhair——cameinandsaidthattwogentlemenwantedtoseethemaster。 \"I’veshownthemintotheLibrary，Sir，\"saidshe。 \"Iexpectit’sthesubscriptiontotheVicar’stestimonial，\"saidMother，\"orelseit’sthechoirholidayfund。Getridofthemquickly，dear。Itdoesbreakupaneveningso，andit’snearlythechildren’sbedtime。\" ButFatherdidnotseemtobeabletogetridofthegentlemenatallquickly。 \"IwishweHADgotamoatanddrawbridge，\"saidRoberta;\"then，whenwedidn’twantpeople，wecouldjustpullupthedrawbridgeandnooneelsecouldgetin。IexpectFatherwillhaveforgottenaboutwhenhewasaboyiftheystaymuchlonger。\" MothertriedtomakethetimepassbytellingthemanewfairystoryaboutaPrincesswithgreeneyes，butitwasdifficultbecausetheycouldhearthevoicesofFatherandthegentlemenintheLibrary，andFather’svoicesoundedlouderanddifferenttothevoicehegenerallyusedtopeoplewhocameabouttestimonialsandholidayfunds。 ThentheLibrarybellrang，andeveryoneheavedabreathofrelief。 \"They’regoingnow，\"saidPhyllis;\"he’srungtohavethemshownout。\" Butinsteadofshowinganybodyout，Ruthshowedherselfin，andshelookedqueer，thechildrenthought。 \"Please’m，\"shesaid，\"theMasterwantsyoutojuststepintothestudy。Helookslikethedead，mum;Ithinkhe’shadbadnews。 You’dbestprepareyourselffortheworst，’m——p’rapsit’sadeathinthefamilyorabankbustedor——\" \"That’lldo，Ruth，\"saidMothergently;\"youcango。\" ThenMotherwentintotheLibrary。Therewasmoretalking。Thenthebellrangagain，andRuthfetchedacab。Thechildrenheardbootsgooutanddownthesteps。Thecabdroveaway，andthefrontdoorshut。ThenMothercamein。Herdearfacewasaswhiteasherlacecollar，andhereyeslookedverybigandshining。Hermouthlookedlikejustalineofpalered——herlipswerethinandnottheirpropershapeatall。 \"It’sbedtime，\"shesaid。\"Ruthwillputyoutobed。\" \"ButyoupromisedweshouldsituplatetonightbecauseFather’scomehome，\"saidPhyllis。 \"Father’sbeencalledaway——onbusiness，\"saidMother。\"Come，darlings，goatonce。\" Theykissedherandwent。RobertalingeredtogiveMotheranextrahugandtowhisper： \"Itwasn’tbadnews，Mammy，wasit？Isanyonedead——or——\" \"Nobody’sdead——no，\"saidMother，andshealmostseemedtopushRobertaaway。\"Ican’ttellyouanythingtonight，mypet。Go，dear，goNOW。\" SoRobertawent。 Ruthbrushedthegirls’hairandhelpedthemtoundress。（Motheralmostalwaysdidthisherself。）WhenshehadturneddownthegasandleftthemshefoundPeter，stilldressed，waitingonthestairs。 \"Isay，Ruth，what’sup？\"heasked。 \"Don’taskmenoquestionsandIwon’ttellyounolies，\"thered— headedRuthreplied。\"You’llknowsoonenough。\" LatethatnightMothercameupandkissedallthreechildrenastheylayasleep。ButRobertawastheonlyonewhomthekisswoke，andshelaymousey—still，andsaidnothing。 \"IfMotherdoesn’twantustoknowshe’sbeencrying，\"shesaidtoherselfassheheardthroughthedarkthecatchingofherMother’sbreath，\"weWON’Tknowit。That’sall。\" Whentheycamedowntobreakfastthenextmorning，Motherhadalreadygoneout。 \"ToLondon，\"Ruthsaid，andleftthemtotheirbreakfast。 \"There’ssomethingawfulthematter，\"saidPeter，breakinghisegg。 \"Ruthtoldmelastnightweshouldknowsoonenough。\" \"DidyouASKher？\"saidRoberta，withscorn。 \"Yes，Idid！\"saidPeter，angrily。\"IfyoucouldgotobedwithoutcaringwhetherMotherwasworriedornot，Icouldn’t。Sothere。\" \"Idon’tthinkweoughttoasktheservantsthingsMotherdoesn’ttellus，\"saidRoberta。 \"That’sright，MissGoody—goody，\"saidPeter，\"preachaway。\" \"I’Mnotgoody，\"saidPhyllis，\"butIthinkBobbie’srightthistime。\" \"Ofcourse。Shealwaysis。Inherownopinion，\"saidPeter。 \"Oh，DON’T！\"criedRoberta，puttingdownheregg—spoon;\"don’tlet’sbehorridtoeachother。I’msuresomedirecalamityishappening。 Don’tlet’smakeitworse！\" \"Whobegan，Ishouldliketoknow？\"saidPeter。 Robertamadeaneffort，andanswered：—— \"Idid，Isuppose，but——\" \"Well，then，\"saidPeter，triumphantly。Butbeforehewenttoschoolhethumpedhissisterbetweentheshouldersandtoldhertocheerup。 Thechildrencamehometooneo’clockdinner，butMotherwasnotthere。Andshewasnotthereattea—time。 Itwasnearlysevenbeforeshecamein，lookingsoillandtiredthatthechildrenfelttheycouldnotaskheranyquestions。Shesankintoanarm—chair。Phyllistookthelongpinsoutofherhat，whileRobertatookoffhergloves，andPeterunfastenedherwalking— shoesandfetchedhersoftvelvetyslippersforher。 Whenshehadhadacupoftea，andRobertahadputeau—de—Cologneonherpoorheadthatached，Mothersaid：—— \"Now，mydarlings，Iwanttotellyousomething。Thosemenlastnightdidbringverybadnews，andFatherwillbeawayforsometime。Iamveryworriedaboutit，andIwantyoualltohelpme，andnottomakethingsharderforme。\" \"Asifwewould！\"saidRoberta，holdingMother’shandagainstherface。 \"Youcanhelpmeverymuch，\"saidMother，\"bybeinggoodandhappyandnotquarrellingwhenI’maway\"——RobertaandPeterexchangedguiltyglances——\"forIshallhavetobeawayagooddeal。\" \"Wewon’tquarrel。Indeedwewon’t，\"saideverybody。Andmeantit，too。 \"Then，\"Motherwenton，\"Iwantyounottoaskmeanyquestionsaboutthistrouble;andnottoaskanybodyelseanyquestions。\" Petercringedandshuffledhisbootsonthecarpet。 \"You’llpromisethis，too，won’tyou？\"saidMother。 \"IdidaskRuth，\"saidPeter，suddenly。\"I’mverysorry，butI did。\" \"Andwhatdidshesay？\" \"ShesaidIshouldknowsoonenough。\" \"Itisn’tnecessaryforyoutoknowanythingaboutit，\"saidMother; \"it’saboutbusiness，andyouneverdounderstandbusiness，doyou？\" \"No，\"saidRoberta;\"isitsomethingtodowithGovernment？\"ForFatherwasinaGovernmentOffice。 \"Yes，\"saidMother。\"Nowit’sbed—time，mydarlings。Anddon’tYOU worry。It’llallcomerightintheend。\" \"Thendon’tYOUworryeither，Mother，\"saidPhyllis，\"andwe’llallbeasgoodasgold。\" Mothersighedandkissedthem。 \"We’llbeginbeinggoodthefirstthingtomorrowmorning，\"saidPeter，astheywentupstairs。 \"WhynotNOW？\"saidRoberta。 \"There’snothingtobegoodABOUTnow，silly，\"saidPeter。 \"WemightbegintotrytoFEELgood，\"saidPhyllis，\"andnotcallnames。\" \"Who’scallingnames？\"saidPeter。\"BobbieknowsrightenoughthatwhenIsay’silly’，it’sjustthesameasifIsaidBobbie。\" \"WELL，\"saidRoberta。 \"No，Idon’tmeanwhatyoumean。Imeanit’sjusta——whatisitFathercallsit？——agermofendearment！Goodnight。\" Thegirlsfoldeduptheirclotheswithmorethanusualneatness—— whichwastheonlywayofbeinggoodthattheycouldthinkof。 \"Isay，\"saidPhyllis，smoothingoutherpinafore，\"youusedtosayitwassodull——nothinghappening，likeinbooks。NowsomethingHAS happened。\" \"IneverwantedthingstohappentomakeMotherunhappy，\"saidRoberta。\"Everything’sperfectlyhorrid。\" Everythingcontinuedtobeperfectlyhorridforsomeweeks。 Motherwasnearlyalwaysout。Mealsweredullanddirty。Thebetween—maidwassentaway，andAuntEmmacameonavisit。AuntEmmawasmucholderthanMother。Shewasgoingabroadtobeagoverness。Shewasverybusygettingherclothesready，andtheywereveryugly，dingyclothes，andshehadthemalwayslitteringabout，andthesewing—machineseemedtowhir——onandonalldayandmostofthenight。AuntEmmabelievedinkeepingchildrenintheirproperplaces。Andtheymorethanreturnedthecompliment。TheirideaofAuntEmma’sproperplacewasanywherewheretheywerenot。 Sotheysawverylittleofher。Theypreferredthecompanyoftheservants，whoweremoreamusing。Cook，ifinagoodtemper，couldsingcomicsongs，andthehousemaid，ifshehappenednottobeoffendedwithyou，couldimitateahenthathaslaidanegg，abottleofchampagnebeingopened，andcouldmewliketwocatsfighting。TheservantsnevertoldthechildrenwhatthebadnewswasthatthegentlemenhadbroughttoFather。Buttheykepthintingthattheycouldtellagreatdealiftheychose——andthiswasnotcomfortable。 OnedaywhenPeterhadmadeaboobytrapoverthebath—roomdoor，andithadactedbeautifullyasRuthpassedthrough，thatred—hairedparlour—maidcaughthimandboxedhisears。 \"You’llcometoabadend，\"shesaidfuriously，\"younastylittlelimb，you！Ifyoudon’tmendyourways，you’llgowhereyourpreciousFather’sgone，soItellyoustraight！\" RobertarepeatedthistoherMother，andnextdayRuthwassentaway。 ThencamethetimewhenMothercamehomeandwenttobedandstayedtheretwodaysandtheDoctorcame，andthechildrencreptwretchedlyaboutthehouseandwonderediftheworldwascomingtoanend。 Mothercamedownonemorningtobreakfast，verypaleandwithlinesonherfacethatusednottobethere。Andshesmiled，aswellasshecould，andsaid：—— \"Now，mypets，everythingissettled。We’regoingtoleavethishouse，andgoandliveinthecountry。Suchaduckydearlittlewhitehouse。Iknowyou’llloveit。\" Awhirlingweekofpackingfollowed——notjustpackingclothes，likewhenyougototheseaside，butpackingchairsandtables，coveringtheirtopswithsackingandtheirlegswithstraw。 Allsortsofthingswerepackedthatyoudon’tpackwhenyougototheseaside。Crockery，blankets，candlesticks，carpets，bedsteads，saucepans，andevenfendersandfire—irons。 Thehousewaslikeafurniturewarehouse。Ithinkthechildrenenjoyeditverymuch。Motherwasverybusy，butnottoobusynowtotalktothem，andreadtothem，andeventomakeabitofpoetryforPhyllistocheerherupwhenshefelldownwithascrewdriverandranitintoherhand。 \"Aren’tyougoingtopackthis，Mother？\"Robertaasked，pointingtothebeautifulcabinetinlaidwithredturtleshellandbrass。 \"Wecan’ttakeeverything，\"saidMother。 \"Butweseemtobetakingalltheuglythings，\"saidRoberta。 \"We’retakingtheusefulones，\"saidMother;\"we’vegottoplayatbeingPoorforabit，mychickabiddy。\" Whenalltheuglyusefulthingshadbeenpackedupandtakenawayinavanbymeningreen—baizeaprons，thetwogirlsandMotherandAuntEmmasleptinthetwospareroomswherethefurniturewasallpretty。Alltheirbedshadgone。AbedwasmadeupforPeteronthedrawing—roomsofa。 \"Isay，thisislarks，\"hesaid，wrigglingjoyously，asMothertuckedhimup。\"Idolikemoving！Iwishwemovedonceamonth。\" Motherlaughed。 \"Idon’t！\"shesaid。\"Goodnight，Peterkin。\" AssheturnedawayRobertasawherface。Sheneverforgotit。 \"Oh，Mother，\"shewhisperedalltoherselfasshegotintobed，\"howbraveyouare！HowIloveyou！Fancybeingbraveenoughtolaughwhenyou’refeelinglikeTHAT！\" Nextdayboxeswerefilled，andboxesandmoreboxes;andthenlateintheafternoonacabcametotakethemtothestation。 AuntEmmasawthemoff。TheyfeltthatTHEYwereseeingHERoff，andtheyweregladofit。 \"But，oh，thosepoorlittleforeignchildrenthatshe’sgoingtogoverness！\"whisperedPhyllis。\"Iwouldn’tbethemforanything！\" Atfirsttheyenjoyedlookingoutofthewindow，butwhenitgrewdusktheygrewsleepierandsleepier，andnooneknewhowlongtheyhadbeeninthetrainwhentheywererousedbyMother’sshakingthemgentlyandsaying：—— \"Wakeup，dears。We’rethere。\" Theywokeup，coldandmelancholy，andstoodshiveringonthedraughtyplatformwhilethebaggagewastakenoutofthetrain。 Thentheengine，puffingandblowing，settoworkagain，anddraggedthetrainaway。Thechildrenwatchedthetail—lightsoftheguard’svandisappearintothedarkness。 Thiswasthefirsttrainthechildrensawonthatrailwaywhichwasintimetobecomesoverydeartothem。Theydidnotguessthenhowtheywouldgrowtolovetherailway，andhowsoonitwouldbecomethecentreoftheirnewlife，norwhatwondersandchangesitwouldbringtothem。Theyonlyshiveredandsneezedandhopedthewalktothenewhousewouldnotbelong。Peter’snosewascolderthanheeverrememberedittohavebeenbefore。Roberta’shatwascrooked，andtheelasticseemedtighterthanusual。Phyllis’sshoe—laceshadcomeundone。 \"Come，\"saidMother，\"we’vegottowalk。Therearen’tanycabshere。\" Thewalkwasdarkandmuddy。Thechildrenstumbledalittleontheroughroad，andoncePhyllisabsentlyfellintoapuddle，andwaspickedupdampandunhappy。Therewerenogas—lampsontheroad，andtheroadwasuphill。Thecartwentatafoot’space，andtheyfollowedthegrittycrunchofitswheels。Astheireyesgotusedtothedarkness，theycouldseethemoundofboxesswayingdimlyinfrontofthem。 Alonggatehadtobeopenedforthecarttopassthrough，andafterthattheroadseemedtogoacrossfields——andnowitwentdownhill。 Presentlyagreatdarklumpishthingshowedovertotheright。 \"There’sthehouse，\"saidMother。\"Iwonderwhyshe’sshuttheshutters。\" \"Who’sSHE？\"askedRoberta。 \"ThewomanIengagedtocleantheplace，andputthefurniturestraightandgetsupper。\" Therewasalowwall，andtreesinside。 \"That’sthegarden，\"saidMother。 \"Itlooksmorelikeadripping—panfullofblackcabbages，\"saidPeter。 Thecartwentonalongbythegardenwall，androundtothebackofthehouse，andhereitclatteredintoacobble—stonedyardandstoppedatthebackdoor。 Therewasnolightinanyofthewindows。 Everyonehammeredatthedoor，butnoonecame。 ThemanwhodrovethecartsaidheexpectedMrs。Vineyhadgonehome。 \"Youseeyourtrainwasthatlate，\"saidhe。 \"Butshe’sgotthekey，\"saidMother。\"Whatarewetodo？\" \"Oh，she’llhaveleftthatunderthedoorstep，\"saidthecartman; \"folksdohereabouts。\"Hetookthelanternoffhiscartandstooped。 \"Ay，hereitis，rightenough，\"hesaid。 Heunlockedthedoorandwentinandsethislanternonthetable。 \"Gote’eracandle？\"saidhe。 \"Idon’tknowwhereanythingis。\"Motherspokeratherlesscheerfullythanusual。 Hestruckamatch。Therewasacandleonthetable，andhelightedit。Byitsthinlittleglimmerthechildrensawalargebarekitchenwithastonefloor。Therewerenocurtains，nohearth—rug。 Thekitchentablefromhomestoodinthemiddleoftheroom。Thechairswereinonecorner，andthepots，pans，brooms，andcrockeryinanother。Therewasnofire，andtheblackgrateshowedcold，deadashes。 Asthecartmanturnedtogooutafterhehadbroughtintheboxes，therewasarustling，scamperingsoundthatseemedtocomefrominsidethewallsofthehouse。 \"Oh，what’sthat？\"criedthegirls。 \"It’sonlytherats，\"saidthecartman。Andhewentawayandshutthedoor，andthesuddendraughtofitblewoutthecandle。 \"Oh，dear，\"saidPhyllis，\"Iwishwehadn’tcome！\"andsheknockedachairover。 \"ONLYtherats！\"saidPeter，inthedark。 ChapterII。Peter’scoal—mine。 \"Whatfun！\"saidMother，inthedark，feelingforthematchesonthetable。\"Howfrightenedthepoormicewere——Idon’tbelievetheywereratsatall。\" Shestruckamatchandrelightedthecandleandeveryonelookedateachotherbyitswinky，blinkylight。 \"Well，\"shesaid，\"you’veoftenwantedsomethingtohappenandnowithas。Thisisquiteanadventure，isn’tit？ItoldMrs。Vineytogetussomebreadandbutter，andmeatandthings，andtohavesupperready。Isupposeshe’slaiditinthedining—room。Solet’sgoandsee。\" Thedining—roomopenedoutofthekitchen。Itlookedmuchdarkerthanthekitchenwhentheywentinwiththeonecandle。Becausethekitchenwaswhitewashed，butthedining—roomwasdarkwoodfromfloortoceiling，andacrosstheceilingtherewereheavyblackbeams。Therewasamuddledmazeofdustyfurniture——thebreakfast— roomfurniturefromtheoldhomewheretheyhadlivedalltheirlives。Itseemedaverylongtimeago，andaverylongwayoff。 Therewasthetablecertainly，andtherewerechairs，buttherewasnosupper。 \"Let’slookintheotherrooms，\"saidMother;andtheylooked。Andineachroomwasthesamekindofblunderinghalf—arrangementoffurniture，andfire—ironsandcrockery，andallsortsofoddthingsonthefloor，buttherewasnothingtoeat;eveninthepantrytherewereonlyarustycake—tinandabrokenplatewithwhiteningmixedinit。 \"Whatahorridoldwoman！\"saidMother;\"she’sjustwalkedoffwiththemoneyandnotgotusanythingtoeatatall。\" \"Thenshan’twehaveanysupperatall？\"askedPhyllis，dismayed，steppingbackontoasoap—dishthatcrackedresponsively。 \"Oh，yes，\"saidMother，\"onlyit’llmeanunpackingoneofthosebigcasesthatweputinthecellar。Phil，domindwhereyou’rewalkingto，there’sadear。Peter，holdthelight。\" Thecellardooropenedoutofthekitchen。Therewerefivewoodenstepsleadingdown。Itwasn’tapropercellaratall，thechildrenthought，becauseitsceilingwentupashighasthekitchen’s。A bacon—rackhungunderitsceiling。Therewaswoodinit，andcoal。 Alsothebigcases。 Peterheldthecandle，allononeside，whileMothertriedtoopenthegreatpacking—case。Itwasverysecurelynaileddown。 \"Where’sthehammer？\"askedPeter。 \"That’sjustit，\"saidMother。\"I’mafraidit’sinsidethebox。 Butthere’sacoal—shovel——andthere’sthekitchenpoker。\" Andwiththeseshetriedtogetthecaseopen。 \"Letmedoit，\"saidPeter，thinkinghecoulddoitbetterhimself。 Everyonethinksthiswhenheseesanotherpersonstirringafire，oropeningabox，oruntyingaknotinabitofstring。 \"You’llhurtyourhands，Mammy，\"saidRoberta;\"letme。\" \"IwishFatherwashere，\"saidPhyllis;\"he’dgetitopenintwoshakes。Whatareyoukickingmefor，Bobbie？\" \"Iwasn’t，\"saidRoberta。 Justthenthefirstofthelongnailsinthepacking—casebegantocomeoutwithascrunch。Thenalathwasraisedandthenanother，tillallfourstoodupwiththelongnailsinthemshiningfiercelylikeironteethinthecandle—light。 \"Hooray！\"saidMother;\"herearesomecandles——theveryfirstthing！ Yougirlsgoandlightthem。You’llfindsomesaucersandthings。 Justdropalittlecandle—greaseinthesaucerandstickthecandleuprightinit。\" \"Howmanyshallwelight？\" \"Asmanyaseveryoulike，\"saidMother，gaily。\"Thegreatthingistobecheerful。Nobodycanbecheerfulinthedarkexceptowlsanddormice。\" Sothegirlslightedcandles。TheheadofthefirstmatchflewoffandstucktoPhyllis’sfinger;but，asRobertasaid，itwasonlyalittleburn，andshemighthavehadtobeaRomanmartyrandbeburnedwholeifshehadhappenedtoliveinthedayswhenthosethingswerefashionable。 Then，whenthedining—roomwaslightedbyfourteencandles，Robertafetchedcoalandwoodandlightedafire。 \"It’sverycoldforMay，\"shesaid，feelingwhatagrown—upthingitwastosay。 Thefire—lightandthecandle—lightmadethedining—roomlookverydifferent，fornowyoucouldseethatthedarkwallswereofwood，carvedhereandthereintolittlewreathsandloops。 Thegirlshastily’tidied’theroom，whichmeantputtingthechairsagainstthewall，andpilingalltheoddsandendsintoacornerandpartlyhidingthemwiththebigleatherarm—chairthatFatherusedtositinafterdinner。 \"Bravo！\"criedMother，cominginwithatrayfullofthings。\"Thisissomethinglike！I’lljustgetatableclothandthen——\" Thetableclothwasinaboxwithaproperlockthatwasopenedwithakeyandnotwithashovel，andwhentheclothwasspreadonthetable，arealfeastwaslaidoutonit。 Everyonewasvery，verytired，buteveryonecheeredupatthesightofthefunnyanddelightfulsupper。Therewerebiscuits，theMarieandtheplainkind，sardines，preservedginger，cookingraisins，andcandiedpeelandmarmalade。 \"WhatagoodthingAuntEmmapackedupalltheoddsandendsoutoftheStorecupboard，\"saidMother。\"Now，Phil，DON’Tputthemarmaladespooninamongthesardines。\" \"No，Iwon’t，Mother，\"saidPhyllis，andputitdownamongtheMariebiscuits。 \"Let’sdrinkAuntEmma’shealth，\"saidRoberta，suddenly;\"whatshouldwehavedoneifshehadn’tpackedupthesethings？Here’stoAuntEmma！\" Andthetoastwasdrunkingingerwineandwater，outofwillow— patternedtea—cups，becausetheglassescouldn’tbefound。 TheyallfeltthattheyhadbeenalittlehardonAuntEmma。Shewasn’tanicecuddlypersonlikeMother，butafterallitwasshewhohadthoughtofpackinguptheoddsandendsofthingstoeat。 ItwasAuntEmma，too，whohadairedallthesheetsready;andthemenwhohadmovedthefurniturehadputthebedsteadstogether，sothebedsweresoonmade。 \"Goodnight，chickies，\"saidMother。\"I’msuretherearen’tanyrats。ButI’llleavemydooropen，andthenifamousecomes，youneedonlyscream，andI’llcomeandtellitexactlywhatIthinkofit。\" Thenshewenttoherownroom。Robertawoketohearthelittletravellingclockchimetwo。Itsoundedlikeachurchclockeversofaraway，shealwaysthought。Andsheheard，too，Motherstillmovingaboutinherroom。 NextmorningRobertawokePhyllisbypullingherhairgently，butquiteenoughforherpurpose。 \"Wassermarrer？\"askedPhyllis，stillalmostwhollyasleep。 \"Wakeup！wakeup！\"saidRoberta。\"We’reinthenewhouse——don’tyouremember？Noservantsoranything。Let’sgetupandbegintobeuseful。We’lljustcreepdownmouse—quietly，andhaveeverythingbeautifulbeforeMothergetsup。I’vewokePeter。He’llbedressedassoonasweare。\" Sotheydressedquietlyandquickly。Ofcourse，therewasnowaterintheirroom，sowhentheygotdowntheywashedasmuchastheythoughtwasnecessaryunderthespoutofthepumpintheyard。Onepumpedandtheotherwashed。Itwassplashybutinteresting。 \"It’smuchmorefunthanbasinwashing，\"saidRoberta。\"Howsparklytheweedsarebetweenthestones，andthemossontheroof——oh，andtheflowers！\" Theroofofthebackkitchenslopeddownquitelow。Itwasmadeofthatchandithadmossonit，andhouse—leeksandstonecropandwallflowers，andevenaclumpofpurpleflag—flowers，atthefarcorner。 \"Thisisfar，far，farandawayprettierthanEdgecombeVilla，\"saidPhyllis。\"Iwonderwhatthegarden’slike。\" \"Wemustn’tthinkofthegardenyet，\"saidRoberta，withearnestenergy。\"Let’sgoinandbegintowork。\" Theylightedthefireandputthekettleon，andtheyarrangedthecrockeryforbreakfast;theycouldnotfindalltherightthings，butaglassash—traymadeanexcellentsalt—cellar，andanewishbaking—tinseemedasifitwoulddotoputbreadon，iftheyhadany。 Whenthereseemedtobenothingmorethattheycoulddo，theywentoutagainintothefreshbrightmorning。 \"We’llgointothegardennow，\"saidPeter。Butsomehowtheycouldn’tfindthegarden。Theywentroundthehouseandroundthehouse。Theyardoccupiedtheback，andacrossitwerestablesandoutbuildings。Ontheotherthreesidesthehousestoodsimplyinafield，withoutayardofgardentodivideitfromtheshortsmoothturf。Andyettheyhadcertainlyseenthegardenwallthenightbefore。 Itwasahillycountry。Downbelowtheycouldseethelineoftherailway，andtheblackyawningmouthofatunnel。Thestationwasoutofsight。Therewasagreatbridgewithtallarchesrunningacrossoneendofthevalley。 \"Nevermindthegarden，\"saidPeter;\"let’sgodownandlookattherailway。Theremightbetrainspassing。\" \"Wecanseethemfromhere，\"saidRoberta，slowly;\"let’ssitdownabit。\" Sotheyallsatdownonagreatflatgreystonethathadpusheditselfupoutofthegrass;itwasoneofmanythatlayaboutonthehillside，andwhenMothercameouttolookforthemateighto’clock，shefoundthemdeeplyasleepinacontented，sun—warmedbunch。 Theyhadmadeanexcellentfire，andhadsetthekettleonitatabouthalf—pastfive。Sothatbyeightthefirehadbeenoutforsometime，thewaterhadallboiledaway，andthebottomwasburnedoutofthekettle。Alsotheyhadnotthoughtofwashingthecrockerybeforetheysetthetable。 \"Butitdoesn’tmatter——thecupsandsaucers，Imean，\"saidMother。 \"BecauseI’vefoundanotherroom——I’dquiteforgottentherewasone。 Andit’smagic！AndI’veboiledthewaterforteainasaucepan。\" Theforgottenroomopenedoutofthekitchen。Intheagitationandhalfdarknessthenightbeforeitsdoorhadbeenmistakenforacupboard’s。Itwasalittlesquareroom，andonitstable，allnicelysetout，wasajointofcoldroastbeef，withbread，butter，cheese，andapie。 \"Pieforbreakfast！\"criedPeter;\"howperfectlyripping！\" \"Itisn’tpigeon—pie，\"saidMother;\"it’sonlyapple。Well，thisisthesupperweoughttohavehadlastnight。AndtherewasanotefromMrs。Viney。Herson—in—lawhasbrokenhisarm，andshehadtogethomeearly。She’scomingthismorningatten。\" Thatwasawonderfulbreakfast。Itisunusualtobeginthedaywithcoldapplepie，butthechildrenallsaidtheywouldratherhaveitthanmeat。 \"Youseeit’smorelikedinnerthanbreakfasttous，\"saidPeter，passinghisplateformore，\"becausewewereupsoearly。\" ThedaypassedinhelpingMothertounpackandarrangethings。Sixsmalllegsquiteachedwithrunningaboutwhiletheirownerscarriedclothesandcrockeryandallsortsofthingstotheirproperplaces。 ItwasnottillquitelateintheafternoonthatMothersaid：—— \"There！That’lldoforto—day。I’llliedownforanhour，soastobeasfreshasalarkbysupper—time。\" Thentheyalllookedateachother。Eachofthethreeexpressivecountenancesexpressedthesamethought。Thatthoughtwasdouble，andconsisted，likethebitsofinformationintheChild’sGuidetoKnowledge，ofaquestionandananswer。 Q。Whereshallwego？ A。Totherailway。 Sototherailwaytheywent，andassoonastheystartedfortherailwaytheysawwherethegardenhadhiddenitself。Itwasrightbehindthestables，andithadahighwallallround。 \"Oh，nevermindaboutthegardennow！\"criedPeter。\"Mothertoldmethismorningwhereitwas。It’llkeeptillto—morrow。Let’sgettotherailway。\" Thewaytotherailwaywasalldownhilloversmooth，shortturfwithhereandtherefurzebushesandgreyandyellowrocksstickingoutlikecandiedpeelfromthetopofacake。 Thewayendedinasteeprunandawoodenfence——andtherewastherailwaywiththeshiningmetalsandthetelegraphwiresandpostsandsignals。 Theyallclimbedontothetopofthefence，andthensuddenlytherewasarumblingsoundthatmadethemlookalongthelinetotheright，wherethedarkmouthofatunnelopeneditselfinthefaceofarockycliff;nextmomentatrainhadrushedoutofthetunnelwithashriekandasnort，andhadslidnoisilypastthem。Theyfelttherushofitspassing，andthepebblesonthelinejumpedandrattledunderitasitwentby。 \"Oh！\"saidRoberta，drawingalongbreath;\"itwaslikeagreatdragontearingby。Didyoufeelitfanuswithitshotwings？\" \"Isupposeadragon’slairmightlookverylikethattunnelfromtheoutside，\"saidPhyllis。 ButPetersaid：—— \"Ineverthoughtweshouldevergetasneartoatrainasthis。 It’sthemostrippingsport！\" \"Betterthantoy—engines，isn’tit？\"saidRoberta。 （IamtiredofcallingRobertabyhername。Idon’tseewhyI should。Nooneelsedid。EveryoneelsecalledherBobbie，andI don’tseewhyIshouldn’t。） \"Idon’tknow;it’sdifferent，\"saidPeter。\"ItseemssooddtoseeALLofatrain。It’sawfullytall，isn’tit？\" \"We’vealwaysseenthemcutinhalfbyplatforms，\"saidPhyllis。 \"IwonderifthattrainwasgoingtoLondon，\"Bobbiesaid。 \"London’swhereFatheris。\" \"Let’sgodowntothestationandfindout，\"saidPeter。 Sotheywent。 Theywalkedalongtheedgeoftheline，andheardthetelegraphwireshummingovertheirheads。Whenyouareinthetrain，itseemssuchalittlewaybetweenpostandpost，andoneafteranotherthepostsseemtocatchupthewiresalmostmorequicklythanyoucancountthem。Butwhenyouhavetowalk，thepostsseemfewandfarbetween。 Butthechildrengottothestationatlast。 Neverbeforehadanyofthembeenatastation，exceptforthepurposeofcatchingtrains——orperhapswaitingforthem——andalwayswithgrown—upsinattendance，grown—upswhowerenotthemselvesinterestedinstations，exceptasplacesfromwhichtheywishedtogetaway。 Neverbeforehadtheypassedcloseenoughtoasignal—boxtobeabletonoticethewires，andtohearthemysterious’ping，ping，’ followedbythestrong，firmclickingofmachinery。 Theverysleepersonwhichtherailslaywereadelightfulpathtotravelby——justfarenoughaparttoserveasthestepping—stonesinagameoffoamingtorrentshastilyorganisedbyBobbie。 Thentoarriveatthestation，notthroughthebookingoffice，butinafreebootingsortofwaybytheslopingendoftheplatform。 Thisinitselfwasjoy。 Joy，too，itwastopeepintotheporters’room，wherethelampsare，andtheRailwayalmanaconthewall，andoneporterhalfasleepbehindapaper。 Therewereagreatmanycrossinglinesatthestation;someofthemjustranintoayardandstoppedshort，asthoughtheyweretiredofbusinessandmeanttoretireforgood。Trucksstoodontherailshere，andononesidewasagreatheapofcoal——notalooseheap，suchasyouseeinyourcoalcellar，butasortofsolidbuildingofcoalswithlargesquareblocksofcoaloutsideusedjustasthoughtheywerebricks，andbuiltuptilltheheaplookedlikethepictureoftheCitiesofthePlainin’BibleStoriesforInfants。’Therewasalineofwhitewashnearthetopofthecoalywall。 WhenpresentlythePorterloungedoutofhisroomatthetwice— repeatedtinglingthrillofagongoverthestationdoor，Petersaid，\"Howdoyoudo？\"inhisbestmanner，andhastenedtoaskwhatthewhitemarkwasonthecoalfor。 \"Tomarkhowmuchcoaltherebe，\"saidthePorter，\"soaswe’llknowifanyonenicksit。Sodon’tyougooffwithnoneinyourpockets，younggentleman！\" Thisseemed，atthetimebutamerryjest，andPeterfeltatoncethatthePorterwasafriendlysortwithnononsenseabouthim。ButlaterthewordscamebacktoPeterwithanewmeaning。 Haveyouevergoneintoafarmhousekitchenonabakingday，andseenthegreatcrockofdoughsetbythefiretorise？Ifyouhave，andifyouwereatthattimestillyoungenoughtobeinterestedineverythingyousaw，youwillrememberthatyoufoundyourselfquiteunabletoresistthetemptationtopokeyourfingerintothesoftroundofdoughthatcurvedinsidethepanlikeagiantmushroom。 Andyouwillrememberthatyourfingermadeadentinthedough，andthatslowly，butquitesurely，thedentdisappeared，andthedoughlookedquitethesameasitdidbeforeyoutouchedit。Unless，ofcourse，yourhandwasextradirty，inwhichcase，naturally，therewouldbealittleblackmark。 Well，itwasjustlikethatwiththesorrowthechildrenhadfeltatFather’sgoingaway，andatMother’sbeingsounhappy。Itmadeadeepimpression，buttheimpressiondidnotlastlong。 TheysoongotusedtobeingwithoutFather，thoughtheydidnotforgethim;andtheygotusedtonotgoingtoschool，andtoseeingverylittleofMother，whowasnowalmostalldayshutupinherupstairsroomwriting，writing，writing。Sheusedtocomedownattea—timeandreadaloudthestoriesshehadwritten。Theywerelovelystories。 Therocksandhillsandvalleysandtrees，thecanal，andaboveall，therailway，weresonewandsoperfectlypleasingthattheremembranceoftheoldlifeinthevillagrewtoseemalmostlikeadream。 Motherhadtoldthemmorethanoncethattheywere’quitepoornow，’ butthisdidnotseemtobeanythingbutawayofspeaking。Grown— uppeople，evenMothers，oftenmakeremarksthatdon’tseemtomeananythinginparticular，justforthesakeofsayingsomething，seemingly。Therewasalwaysenoughtoeat，andtheyworethesamekindofniceclothestheyhadalwaysworn。 ButinJunecamethreewetdays;theraincamedown，straightaslances，anditwasvery，verycold。Nobodycouldgoout，andeverybodyshivered。TheyallwentuptothedoorofMother’sroomandknocked。 \"Well，whatisit？\"askedMotherfrominside。 \"Mother，\"saidBobbie，\"mayn’tIlightafire？Idoknowhow。\" AndMothersaid：\"No，myducky—love。Wemustn’thavefiresinJune——coalissodear。Ifyou’recold，goandhaveagoodrompintheattic。That’llwarmyou。\" \"But，Mother，itonlytakessuchaverylittlecoaltomakeafire。\" \"It’smorethanwecanafford，chickeny—love，\"saidMother，cheerfully。\"Nowrunaway，there’sdarlings——I’mmadlybusy！\" \"Mother’salwaysbusynow，\"saidPhyllis，inawhispertoPeter。 Peterdidnotanswer。Heshruggedhisshoulders。Hewasthinking。 Thought，however，couldnotlongkeepitselffromthesuitablefurnishingofabandit’slairintheattic。Peterwasthebandit，ofcourse。Bobbiewashislieutenant，hisbandoftrustyrobbers，and，induecourse，theparentofPhyllis，whowasthecapturedmaidenforwhomamagnificentransom——inhorse—beans——wasunhesitatinglypaid。 Theyallwentdowntoteaflushedandjoyousasanymountainbrigands。 ButwhenPhylliswasgoingtoaddjamtoherbreadandbutter，Mothersaid：—— \"JamORbutter，dear——notjamANDbutter。Wecan’taffordthatsortofrecklessluxurynowadays。\" Phyllisfinishedthesliceofbreadandbutterinsilence，andfolloweditupbybreadandjam。Petermingledthoughtandweaktea。 Afterteatheywentbacktotheatticandhesaidtohissisters：—— \"Ihaveanidea。\" \"What’sthat？\"theyaskedpolitely。 \"Ishan’ttellyou，\"wasPeter’sunexpectedrejoinder。 \"Oh，verywell，\"saidBobbie;andPhilsaid，\"Don’t，then。\" \"Girls，\"saidPeter，\"arealwayssohastytempered。\" \"Ishouldliketoknowwhatboysare？\"saidBobbie，withfinedisdain。\"Idon’twanttoknowaboutyoursillyideas。\" \"You’llknowsomeday，\"saidPeter，keepinghisowntemperbywhatlookedexactlylikeamiracle;\"ifyouhadn’tbeensokeenonarow，Imighthavetoldyouaboutitbeingonlynoble—heartednessthatmademenottellyoumyidea。ButnowIshan’ttellyouanythingatallaboutit——sothere！\" Anditwas，indeed，sometimebeforehecouldbeinducedtosayanything，andwhenhediditwasn’tmuch。Hesaid：—— \"TheonlyreasonwhyIwon’ttellyoumyideathatI’mgoingtodoisbecauseitMAYbewrong，andIdon’twanttodragyouintoit。\" \"Don’tyoudoitifit’swrong，Peter，\"saidBobbie;\"letmedoit。\" ButPhyllissaid：—— \"_I_shouldliketodowrongifYOU’REgoingto！\" \"No，\"saidPeter，rathertouchedbythisdevotion;\"it’saforlornhope，andI’mgoingtoleadit。AllIaskisthatifMotheraskswhereIam，youwon’tblab。\" \"Wehaven’tgotanythingTOblab，\"saidBobbie，indignantly。 \"Oh，yes，youhave！\"saidPeter，droppinghorse—beansthroughhisfingers。\"I’vetrustedyoutothedeath。YouknowI’mgoingtodoaloneadventure——andsomepeoplemightthinkitwrong——Idon’t。