The Flamp, The Ameliorator, and The Schoolboy's Apprentice

 By E. V. LUCAS

LONDON: GRANT RICHARDS1900

_First printed October_ 1897_Reprinted December_ 1897 " _August_ 1899 " _December_ 1900

_CONTENTS_

_The Flamp_

_The Ameliorator_

_The Schoolboy's Apprentice_

The Flamp

_TO MOLLY AND HILDA_. 

 _That sunny afternoon in May, _ _How stealthily we crept away, _ _We three--(Good things are done in threes:_ _That is, good things in threes are done_ _When you make two and I make one. )--_ _To hatch our small conspiracies!_

 _Between the blossomy apple-trees_ _(You recollect?) we sped, and then_ _Safe in the green heart of the wood_ _We breathed again. _ _The purple flood the bluebells made_ _Washed round about us where we stood, _ _While voices, where the others played, _ _Assured us we were not pursued. _

 _A fence to climb or wriggle through, _ _A strip of meadow wet with dew_ _To cross, and lo! before us flared_ _The clump of yellow gorse we shared_ _With five young blackbirds and their mother. _ _There, close beside our partners' nest, _ _And free from Mr. C. (that pest!), _ _And careless of the wind and damp, _ _We framed the story of_ The Flamp. 

 _And O! Collaborators kind, _ _The wish is often in my mind, _ _That we, in just such happy plight, --_ _With Chanctonbury Ring in sight, --_ _Some day may frame another. _

 E. V. L. 1896. 

The Flamp

I

Once upon a time there dwelt in a far country two children, a sister anda brother, named Tilsa and Tobene. Tilsa was twelve and Tobene was ten, and they had grown up, as it were, hand in hand. Their father died whenTobene was only a little piece of pink dimpled dough, and when theirmother died too, a few years after, old Alison was told to pack up thethings and journey with Tilsa and Tobene to the children's grandfather, the Liglid (or Lord Mayor) of Ule, whom they had never yet seen. 

Old Alison was their nurse, and she had been their father's nurse beforethem. Nothing worth knowing was unknown to old Alison: she could tellthem where the fairies danced by night, and the names and habits of thedifferent people who live in the stars, and the reason why thrushes'eggs have black spots and hedge sparrows' none, and how to make Toffeeof Paradise, and a thousand useful and wonderful things beside. 

Alison was old and wrinkled and bent, but there was not a warmer heartin all the world, and no tongue could say kinder words than hers, and nohands minister so lovingly to those who needed help. It was said thatAlison had only to look at a sore place and it was healed again. If anyone loved her more than Tilsa it was Tobene; and if any one loved hermore than Tobene it was Tilsa; and old Alison's love for them was asstrong. 

On the day appointed, the three travellers set forth in a chariot drivenby postilions, and in the course of a week's journeying through strangecountries came at last to Ule. 

At the southern gate they were met by the Liglid. They discovered him tobe more than a mere person--a Personage!--with white hair, and littlebeady eyes, and a red nose, and a gold-laced hat. 

'Welcome, ' said he, 'welcome, Tilsa and Tobene, to the city or Ule. ' Andthen he kissed the air an inch or two from the cheek of hisgrandchildren and led the way to his house. 

II

Ule was a little city in the midst of a wide plain, and round about itwas a stout wall. One straight, white road crossed the plain from end toend, entering the city at the northern gate and leaving it by thesouthern gate. The borders of the plain were blue mountains whose peaksreached the sky, and among these peaks the sun made his bed. At least, so said the good people of Ule. 

Nothing could shake their faith, for did they not every morning see himrise from the eastern peaks, fresh and ready for the day's work ofwarming the air of Ule, and encouraging the trees of Ule to bear fruitand the buds of Ule to spread into flowers? And every evening did theynot see him, tired and faint, sink to rest amid the western peaks? Therare strangers who came now and then to the city and heard this story, were apt to smile unbelievingly and ask laughingly how, after laying hishead among the pillows on the western side of the plain, the sun wasable to wake up on the opposite side, many miles distant?

But this question presented no difficulty to the good people of Ule. 'Why, ' they would reply a little irritably, for they liked to think thatthe sun was theirs and theirs only, 'surely the sun can walk in hissleep as well--nay, better--than ordinary folk? A baby could see that!'they would add with a laugh. 

So it was settled that the sun spent all his time in the neighbourhoodof Ule. If the citizens had ever travelled away from their native part, perhaps they would have thought otherwise; but they rarely, or never, did. 

'What!' they would say, in pained astonishment, 'leave Ule! Why?'

'To see the world, ' the rash stranger who had made the suggestion mightreply. 

'The world? This is the world, ' would be the answer. 

And they really believed that it was. The knowledge that thousands ofother places, no whit less happy than themselves, or even more happy, were in existence would have made the Ulians quite bad-tempered. Andbeyond doubt they were in need of no other cause to excite their anger, for had they not the Flamp?

III

The Flamp was a monster who dwelt in a cave somewhere in the mountainsthat surrounded the plain. Once every year, on Christmas night, theFlamp came into the city and threw the population into a frenzy ofterror. That on this night of the year, a night set apart for joyfulnessand festivity, the Loathly Beast (for so he was called by orators in theCity Council when they had used the word Flamp often enough) shouldinvade their city, seeking his prey, seemed to the Ulians an act of thegrossest cruelty and injustice. Almost as soon as darkness had fallen onChristmas Day, the noises in the city would cease, and the house-holdersand their families would sit within barred doors, with uplifted fingers, holding their breath, and listening, listening. Then in the far distance_flob! flob!_ faint, _FLOB!! FLOB!!_ less faint, _FLOB!!! FLOB!!!_less faint, every moment louder, coming nearer and nearer, until theearth shook, and the Flamp's flobbing, flamping feet filled the air withdeafening thuds. 

All keys were turned, all bolts were drawn, all blinds were down, by thetime he entered the city. Not a light was visible. The Flamp was heardsniffing at this door, fumbling at the handle of that, knocking atanother, while the _shuff! shuff!_ of his sides against the walls wasquite audible. Now and then he would sit down in the road and sighdeeply, and the trembling listeners near by could hear the splashing ofhis tears on the stones. 

After passing through every street, the Flamp would turn out of the gateonce more, and swing off across the plain to his cave in the mountains, the earth would cease to tremble, and fainter and fainter would soundhis footfalls: _FLOB!!! FLOB!!! FLOB!! FLOB!! flob!_ flob! untilat last all was still again. Then with white faces and shaking limbs thecitizens would crawl to bed, bemoaning their lot. 

The next day the streets were examined to see if any damage had beendone, but nothing was ever found except pools of water where the Flamphad sat down to sigh and weep. One strange thing was observed afterevery visit of the Flamp: these pools were always opposite houses wherethere were children. 

'He comes for the children, ' was the natural conclusion of the people. 'See how the Monster cries with rage and disappointment when he findsall doors barred to him. '

Measures had of course been taken to keep the Flamp out of Ule. Thegates were barricaded: he broke them down as easily as you break newtoys; spring guns were placed in the roads: they went off, the bulletsstruck his hide, and, rebounding, smashed several windows, while oneeven ricochetted against the statue of the Liglid in the market-placeand chipped off a piece of his Excellency's nose; poisoned meat wasspread about temptingly: in the morning it was found all gatheredtogether on the doorstep of the Sanitary Inspector. Thus in time itbecame clear that the Flamp was not to be checked, and for many yearsbefore the time of our story no other attempts had been made. 

IV

The first knowledge of the Flamp which came to Tilsa and Tobene wasgained at breakfast on Christmas morning, when the Liglid warned them ofthe precautions necessary in the city at night, and besought them tomake no noise lest the attention of the Loathly Beast should be drawn totheir house. 

'But what is the Flamp?' asked Tilsa. 

'What!' said the Liglid. 'A monster, a dreadful monster!'

'What is it like?' Tobene asked. 

'Like?' said the Liglid, 'like? Why, no one knows. No one has seen it. But we can hear it--oh, horrible, horrible!' and the little man coveredhis eyes and shuddered. 

'Why does it come?' Tilsa went on. 

'To eat us, ' said the Liglid. 

'How many people has it eaten?' said Tobene. 

'Eh!' the Liglid replied. 'Well, I don't--well, I can't exactly--well, Idon't think it has ever eaten any one yet. But it wants to and meansto. '

'Then how do you know it wants to eat you?' Tilsa persisted. 

'Because, ' said the Liglid, 'because it sounds like it. '

At night the Flamp came, and the city trembled and the earth shook. Before the Liglid's house it sat down and wept and sighed for fully fiveminutes, while within doors the Liglid turned all the colours of therainbow with fright. 'His face was fine, ' said Tobene afterwards: 'justlike those whirligig things at the end of magic-lantern shows. ' Fromwhich remark you may judge that Tobene did not share his grandfather'salarm, nor did Tilsa, nor old Alison. 

The next morning there was a pool outside the Liglid's house largeenough to sail a boat on. 

V

One day not long after the Flamp's visit, Tilsa ran into old Alison'sroom to ask something, and was surprised and grieved to find her nurserocking to and fro in her chair, with her face covered. Now and thenbetween her fingers trickled the tears, and Alison sighed deeply. 

'What is it?' Tilsa asked, kneeling beside her. 'Can I do anything, dearAlison?'

'Only stay here, dearie, ' sobbed the old woman. 'I was rememberinghappier days. Stay here, Tilsa dear. All I want is sympathy. '

So Tilsa stayed, and Alison soon was herself again. 'Thank you, dearie, 'she said as she wiped her eyes and jumped up ready to set to work again;'you have done me a world of good. Always be sympathetic if you can. Noone knows how grateful it is. '

It was nearly bed-time, and Tilsa went downstairs to say good-night tothe Liglid. On the way her little white forehead was puckered into lineslike a railway map. 

She entered her grandfather's room softly. The old man was seated on oneside of his desk; on the other was the Town Clerk of Ule. Between themwas a large sheet of paper with these words at the top:

 'A BILL FOR THE CIRCUMVENTION OF THE FLAMP. '

They were too busy to notice Tilsa's entrance. 

'We must hurry it through the House, ' the Liglid was saying, 'or therewon't be time. Rigmarola is a long way off. '

'How long will it take to march the troops here?' the Town Clerk asked. 

'Fully six months, ' said the Liglid, 'and then they must be drilled. They don't fight Flamps every day, and they may find it difficult to fixupon a mode of attack. What a pity it is, ' he added, 'that Ule has noarmy. '

'It will be expensive, ' said the Town Clerk. 

'Money, ' the Liglid remarked, 'is no object where the circumvention ofthe Flamp is concerned. The city has suffered long enough. '

'True, ' said the Town Clerk. 

Tilsa now ventured to interrupt. 'Grandpapa, ' she said, 'I've come tosay good-night. '

'Eh!' said the old man, now seeing her for the first time. 'Good-night?Oh yes! good-night, my dear'; and after his wont he kissed the air aninch from her cheek. 

Tilsa did not at once run out of the room as she generally did, ratherglad to have done with the ceremony; instead, she spoke again. 'Grandpapa, I think I know what the Flamp wants when he comes to thetown. '

'Eh!' cried the Liglid, who was intent on his Bill again. 'Eh! I thoughtyou'd gone to bed. You know what the Flamp comes for?' he continued. 

'Yes, ' said Tilsa, 'it's not to eat people at all, or to do any harm;it's for sympathy. '

'Rubbish!' said the Liglid. 'Nonsense--don't meddle with things youdon't understand. Run off to bed at once. '

VI

For a long time Tilsa lay awake, putting two and two together and makingfour every time. Then she jumped out of bed and pattered with her barefeet into Tobene's room. 

'Toby, ' she said, gently shaking him. 'Toby!'

Tobene thrust out his arms and looked at her with eyes that saw nothing. 

'Toby, ' Tilsa said again. 'It's me--Tilsa. '

'Yes, ' he said in the tone of one who is not much interested. 'What isit?'

'I've found out, ' said Tilsa, 'what the Flamp comes for every year. '

'What?' said Tobene. 

'Sympathy, ' said Tilsa. 

'What's sympathy?' said Tobene. 

'Oh, it's putting your arms round people and being sorry for them. '

'Pooh, ' said Tobene, 'if that's sympathy, you must be wrong. He's toobig. '

But Tilsa was not in the least discouraged. 

'No, Toby, ' she said, 'I'm right. And, Toby, Toby, darling, I want to goand find the Flamp and say I'm sorry for him, and I want you to comewith me. '

'Me?' cried Tobene, now wide awake. 

'Of course, ' said Tilsa. 'We've never done anything alone yet, and Idon't want to begin now. '

'Well, I suppose it's all right, ' Tobene faltered. 'But he's dreffulbig, isn't he?'

'I'm afraid he is rather large, ' said Tilsa, as cheerfully as she could. 

'And isn't he mighty ferocious?'

'Well, ' said Tilsa, 'they say so, but nobody's sure. And you know, Tobydear, what silly things the people here say about the sun shiningnowhere else but on the plain. We know better than that, don't we? Well, very likely they're just as wrong about the Flamp. So you will go, Toby, won't you?'

'Yes, I'll go, ' said Tobene. 'When shall we start?'

'Now, ' said Tilsa. 'I want you to dress directly without making anynoise. I'm going to write a little note to Alison, --she's too old tocome with us, --and then I'll be ready too. '

Tilsa hurried back to her room, and wrote the following note to oldAlison:--

 MY VERY DEAR ALISON--Toby and me are going to try and find the Flamp and give him simpithy, which I am sure is what he wants, because he cries and makes a noise just like you did to-day, only louder, and that is what you said you wanted, dear Alison. Please don't be frightened, because you said we ought always to give simpithy when we can, however much it costs us. Please tell grandpapa if the Flamp is what I think he is there won't be any need to sircumvent him. With love and kisses, your loving TILSA. 

Tilsa slipped the note under Alison's door and then fetched Tobene fromhis room. They went first to the larder and packed a small basket withfood. Tobene's vote was for blancmange and jam tarts, but Tilsa saidthat bread and biscuits were better. 

'How about salt?' Toby asked. 

'Salt?' said Tilsa, 'what for?'

'To put on the Flamp's tail and catch him, ' said Toby. 'Else how are yougoing to hug him, Tilsa?'

VII

The two little explorers squeezed through the bars of the northern gateand for an hour or more hurried as fast as they could along the whiteroad. They had no plan. All that Tilsa knew was that the Flamp livedsomewhere in the mountains, but whether it was north or south, east orwest, she could not say. 

At the end of the second hour, Tilsa felt certain that it was time toleave the road, because day was not far off and they were very weary. 

'Cheer up, Toby, ' she said. 'We'll soon lie down and have some sleep. I'm going to shut my eyes and I want you to turn me round three times, and whichever way I walk then, that way we shall go. '

This was done, and Tilsa struck off to the left of the road into theplain. Then after walking for nearly an hour longer, they came to alittle dell with a pool at the bottom and bushes growing on its sides, and here Tilsa stopped. The two children lay down together under a bushand at once fell asleep. 

When Tilsa awoke, it was broad day. She roused Tobene, and they went tothe pool and splashed some water over their faces and hands, and thenTilsa opened the basket. Breakfast consisted only of bread and butterand biscuits, but as they were hungry it was better than a banquet. Thereal business of the day was yet to begin, and Tilsa was wondering howto set about learning the road, when both children were startled by awee voice. 

'I call that piggish, ' it said. 'And inconsiderate too. '

Not seeing any speaker, neither child replied but only stared at eachother in puzzlement. 

'Yes, ' the tiny voice continued, 'people can be too tidy. Droppingcrumbs is a bad habit in the house, I know, but out of doors it becomesa virtue. People who get up first thing in the morning to gorgethemselves with bread and biscuits in this greedy way, and then drop nocrumbs--well, piggish and inconsiderate is what I call them. '

The accusation aroused Tilsa. 'We didn't gorge, ' she said, 'whoever youare, and we've slept here all night. But here are some crumbs for you, anyway, ' and so saying, she broke up a piece of bread and scattered iton the ground. 

Immediately a little fiery-crested wren hopped down from a branch of thebush and began to peck among the grass. 

'Thank you, ' he said when he had finished; 'but if you had done itwithout being asked it would have been better. '

'We didn't see you, ' said Tobene in excuse. 

'Doesn't matter, ' the wren replied; 'birds is everywhere, and alwayshungry. Wherever you drop crumbs you may be sure they'll be acceptable. Remember that. Now, is there anything I can do for you?'

'Well, ' said Tilsa, 'we want to know the way to the Flamp. '

'Before I tell you, ' said the wren, 'you must inform me whether I amspeaking to a boy or a girl. '

'I am a girl, ' said Tilsa. 'Toby here is a boy. '

'Very well, ' the wren answered. 'Then I must talk to Toby. I make it arule never to join in friendly conversation with women. They wear myfeathers in their hats. '

'But men shoot you, ' Tobene interposed, angry that Tilsa should betreated in this way. 

'True, ' said the wren, 'true. But so long as there are men, birds mustexpect to be shot. It's all in the day's work and must be endured. Butfor one's body to go to the milliner's is intolerable. Intolerable. ' Thelittle creature suddenly swallowed its rage, and continued more sweetly:'Now, as to the Flamp. What you want, Toby, is a Flamp compass. '

'What's that?' Tobene asked. 

'Why, an ordinary compass points to the north, doesn't it? Well, a Flampcompass points to the Flamp, ' said the wren. 'Then you can find theway. '

'But where are we to get one?' was Tobene's very natural question. 

'The hedgehog makes them, ' said the wren. 'On the other side of thisdell you will see a line of bushes. The hedgehog lives under thefourteenth. Knock on the ground three times and he'll come out. Now Imust be off. Good-morning. ' And with these words the fiery-crested wrenflitted away. 

At the fourteenth bush the children knocked three times on the ground. 

'Well?' said a surly voice. 

'Please we want a Flamp compass, ' said Tilsa. 

At once the hedgehog appeared. 'I beg your pardon, ' he said in softertones, 'but I mistook you for the rates and taxes, or I shouldn't havespoke so short. I wasn't expecting customers so early. A Flamp compass?Why, I don't think I have one in stock. You see, since the Flamps diedoff, the demand has been so small that very few are made. There's myown, which has been in the family for years, but I shouldn't care topart with that except at a high price. '

'How much would you call a high price, sir?' Tilsa inquired a littleanxiously. 

'Well, I couldn't let it go for anything less than a Ribston pippin, orits value, ' said the hedgehog. 'But I'm open to offers, ' he continued. 

'Toby, ' said Tilsa, 'turn out your pockets. '

Tobene did so, and Tilsa examined the produce with a doubtful face. 

'Please, sir, ' she said, 'would you like for the Flamp compass, whichyou say is an old one, a piece of string, two marbles, sometoffee--although I'm afraid it's rather mixed up with string--eightnuts, a screw, a peg-top, and a knife?'

'The knife will be useful, ' said Toby, who was looking on a littleruefully, but convinced that Tilsa, as usual, was doing the right thingand therefore must be supported, 'in case any one tries to snub you. '

'Ah, you needn't trouble about that, ' said the hedgehog. 'It's adifficult matter to snub me. You see, ' he added, 'by the nature of hisconstruction a hedgehog is not easily sat upon. But to business. Considering that the times are hard, I don't mind accepting your offer, miss. '

So saying, to Tilsa's immense delight, the hedgehog retired under thebush again, and came out carrying the Flamp compass. 'Is there anythingelse I can do for you?' he asked. 'Any periwinkle brooms or mallowcheeses this morning? We have a nice stock of thistle-clocks just in. '

'No, thank you, ' Tilsa replied as they hurried off. 'Nothing moreto-day. Good-morning. '

The compass was neatly contrived of the cup of an acorn, through thebottom of which ran a hedgehog's prickle. Balanced on the point was theneedle, a spear of dried grass, and over all was a spider's web to serveas glass. 

VIII

No matter how the Flamp compass was twisted, the needle pointed steadilyto the mountains before them, and the children marched bravely forward. They were hungry and tired, but Tilsa would as soon have thought ofasking Tobene to carry her as of turning back. As for Tobene, he put onefoot before the other as firmly as he was able, and tried to forget theloss of his treasures. 

The worst part of the journey was clambering over the hot rocks when themountains were reached, and the travellers did at last lose theirresolute cheerfulness, and had just sat down in the shade to have a goodcry, when they suddenly heard the sound of singing. Not exactly singing;rather a melancholy droning, or chanting, as of a dirge. Listeningintently, they could make out these words:

 _I'm not in the least in love with life; I might be, p'raps, if I had a wife To care for me in a wifely way, Or a neighbour or two to say good-day, Or a chum To come And give me the news in a friendly talk, Or share a duet or a meal or a walk. But all alone in the world am I, And I sit in a cave, And try to behave As a good Flamp should, with philosophy. I shan't last long, for the cave is damp, And nothing's so bad for a Flamp As cramp. .. . _

'It's the Flamp!' said both children together, fearfully. 

The chanting began again, and Tilsa and Tobene jumped up and, followingthe sound of the voice, came to a wide and heavily-trodden path betweentwo rocks. They plodded along it until, rounding a crag, they perceivedimmediately before them a yawning cave. Although the singer was out ofsight, the noise made by him was now almost overwhelming and so dismalthat the children were on the point of joining in the lamentationthemselves. 

A few steps more brought them in sight of the melancholy songster. Seated in a corner of the cave, with his massive head on his fore-paws, the picture of dejection, was the most enormous creature they had everseen or dreamed about. He was rather like an elephant, but much moreimmense and without a trunk: a huge, ungainly, slate-coloured animal. 

He did not hear them, but sat rocking to and fro in his corner, moaninglugubriously. 

'Toby, ' said Tilsa, who now was not in the least alarmed, 'can youcough?'

'I'll try, ' said Toby, and he coughed. 

The Flamp took down one paw from its desert of face and peered out. Thenhe sprang to his feet and rubbed his heavy, watery, blue eyes in blankastonishment. Tilsa and Tobene did not move. They stood still, gazinginto the Flamp's great, mournful face, now wrinkled up with surprise andexcitement. 

Then the Flamp spoke--'What?' he said, 'kids? Real kids? Flesh-and-bloodkids? Human, rollicking, kind-hearted kids?'

'We are real children, ' Tilsa replied at length, 'if that is what youmean, and, oh, we are so glad to have found you! The hedgehog's compasstold us to come this way, or we should never have reached you at all. '

'Then you set out intending to find me?' said the Flamp. 'Well, that isa good one. How is it you're not scared, like all the rest of them?'

'I don't know, ' said Tilsa. 'I can't think. But we weren't, were we, Toby?'

'No, ' said Tobene. 

'And what made you come?' the Flamp asked. 

'We--we--' Tilsa faltered. 'Well, sir, we thought you wanted sympathy, like Alison did. And so we came to--to try and give you some. '

'And so I do, ' the Flamp gasped out. 'And so I do, ' and he lifted up hisright paw, and brushed it across his eyes. 'You see, it's preciouslittle of it I get. It's very hard, I can assure you, my dears, to bethe last of one's race. Why, the land was full of Flamps once, and afellow need never be in want of company, but now--now they're all dead, all but me, and I'm not long for this life. ' The Flamp sighed anddropped a tear, which splashed heavily. 

Tilsa felt very sorry. 'Poor--' she began to say, but stopped abruptly. She was intending to say 'Poor Flamp, ' but that now seemed to her toofamiliar; so she altered it to 'Poor gentleman!' although when the wordwas out, it seemed equally unsuitable. 

Tobene said nothing aloud, but nudged Tilsa and whispered, 'Aren't yougoing to try throwing your arms round him, Tilsa? It's time, isn't it?'

'Hush!' said Tilsa severely. 

The Flamp went on: 'And I doubt if any one is keener on company than Iam. Over in the city yonder, you know, they have a season calledChristmas, when every one is supposed to be friends with every one else;and I thought to myself, That's the time for me. I won't ask for much, Ithought, but if just one night in the year they'll look pleased to seeme, and say, 'How do?' why I'll be very grateful to them and a dealhappier during the months that follow. It wasn't much to ask, was it?But I suppose I didn't go to work the right way, or perhaps I had twolegs too many. Anyway, they misunderstood me: thought I'd come to dothem harm or something, and tried shooting me and poisoning me andbarricading themselves in. Wouldn't even give me a moment's sight of akid's face. I didn't try any other night. It seemed to me that if at aseason of goodwill they would behave like that, my chances at anordinary time would be less than nothing. But men can't understandanimals. Children can, though they're apt to grow out of it. Thankgoodness, there's _some_ children that stay childlike to the end, however old they may be. ' He brushed his paw across his eyes again. 

Soon he went on: 'So I've had to live alone, with no company but my ownvoice. Maybe you heard me singing as you came. It wasn't much of a song, I admit, for elegance of rhyme and metre don't seem to come easy, but asong like that is more comfort than you'd believe. ' He paused again. 

Then he turned radiantly to his visitors. 'And you've trudged all theway from the city just to be kind to me, have you? Well, that is good ofyou! Bless your hearts, no one knows how much a deed like that means. Why, it's as good as smush even to know that any one is thinking of youkindly, let alone doing things. I haven't felt so cheery and comfortablefor years. But you must be hungry. Now tell me what you would like toeat and I'll try and get it for you, and afterwards you must tell me allabout yourselves. '

Tilsa looked at Tobene, and Tobene at Tilsa. 

Then Tobene spoke to the Flamp for the first time. 'You said just nowthat something was as good as smush. Please, what is smush? because ifit's something to eat, I should like that. '

The Flamp laughed all over: 'Splendid, ' he cried, 'splendid! Somethingto eat? I should rather think it is. You couldn't have made a betterchoice. You shall have smush. Sit down here while I get it ready. '

Tilsa and Tobene sat down, and the Flamp retreated farther into thecave. There was a noise of pots and pans. 

'Isn't he a whopper?' said Tobene. 

'Tremendous, ' said Tilsa. 'And what a dear old thing!'

'Yes, ' Tobene continued, 'and what a set of donkeys those people at Ulehave been all these years. Why, he's as jolly as Alison, in a differentway. Do you think he'll give us a ride, Tilsa?'

'Of course he will, ' said a deep voice above them. 'But you must eatsome smush first, ' and looking up, they saw the Flamp on his hind legs, towering into the roof of the cave, and in his paws a large dish andsome plates and spoons. 'Now then, ' he said, 'eat as much as you can. '

(All that the historian can do towards a description of smush is to saythat its colour is pink, and its taste quite indescribable but blessedin the highest degree. When asked about it afterwards, Tilsa and Tobene, even to their old age, would become purple and inarticulate withenthusiasm. Perhaps if each of you thinks of all the most deliciousthings you have ever eaten, you will come a little nearer to an idea ofwhat smush is like. )

After they had finished, Tilsa told the Flamp all about herself, andTobene, and old Alison, and her grandfather the Liglid of Ule. 

'I expect, ' she said, 'they are looking for us now. And I think, sir, ifyou don't mind, it would be better if you were to go back with us, andthen we could let everybody see how kind and gentle you are, andgrandpapa won't go on trying to circumvent you. '

'Circumvent?' said the Flamp. 'What's that?'

'I don't know what it means, ' said Tilsa, 'except that it's somethinghorrid. And someone named Bill's going to do it. '

'All right, ' said the Flamp, 'we will go back together, and the soonerthe better, I think, or that dear old Alison of yours will be nervous. Although I should like to keep you here, you know. But you'll promise tocome again, won't you, and stay a long time?'

'O yes, ' cried Tilsa and Tobene together, 'we should just think wewill!'

IX

That night the two children slept soundly in a corner of the cave, whilethe Flamp sat by and watched them. In the morning, after a breakfast ofsmush, they climbed on the monster's back and started for the city at agood swinging pace. 

'It was like riding on a cloud, ' said Tobene afterwards: 'so high up. '

They were well within sight of Ule when--'Look, ' said Tobene suddenly, pointing in the direction of a speck on the white road, 'what's that?'

'It moves, ' said Tilsa. 'It's a person. '

'We'll soon see what it is, ' the Flamp grunted, lengthening his stride. The earth shook as his feet beat upon it. 

As they came nearer and nearer, the children saw that the object was awoman. For a moment she stood upright, looking all ways at once asthough panic-stricken, and then she suddenly unfurled a green umbrellaand sank behind it. 

'Why, it's Alison, ' cried Tobene. 'Hurrah!'

'Stop, stop!' cried Tilsa to the Flamp. 'Please don't frighten dear oldAlison. Let us go down and run to her. '

The Flamp at once stopped and lay on his side, and the children slippedto the ground and scampered as fast as they could towards their nurse. The umbrella did not move. As they drew close they heard the old lady'svoice in beseeching tones: 'Please, Mr. Flamp, they're the sweetestchildren in the world, and if you've swallowed them, you mountaineouswretch you, you may as well swallow me too, for all there's left for meto live for! Besides, I'm their nurse, and I might be useful to themdown inside. Ooh! Ooh! Please, Mr. Flamp, they're the sweetest childrenin the world, and if you've swallowed them, you mountaineous wretch you, you----'

'Alison, dear, it's all right, ' Tilsa interrupted, skipping up andpushing the umbrella aside. 'We're as safe and happy as ever we were. '

Alison stared first at one and then at the other of her truant charges. Then--'Well?' she almost screamed, 'is it really you, my dearies?'

'Really!' exclaimed both children at once, and there was such hugging asthe plain of Ule had never before seen. 

Soon Alison furled her umbrella and pointed to the Flamp, who wassmiling and chuckling and soliloquising in the distance. 

('It's as good as smush to see this, ' he was saying. )

'Is that him?' Alison inquired. 

'Yes, ' said Tilsa, 'and he's such a dear, you can't think. '

'Yes, come along and be introduced, ' said Tobene, and without a wordAlison went, being quite assured that if the creature had not harmed hertwo pets it would not harm her. 

'Mr. Flamp, ' said Tobene, 'I want to introduce you to this lady, ournurse Alison. She's the best nurse in the world. You ought to get her totuck you up at night. '

'Tuck _me_ up?' cried the Flamp, and--'Tuck _that_ up?' cried Alison, both together, and they all laughed, and at once Alison was at home andcomfortable. 

They went forward to the city, chatting gaily, but when the wall wasreached, the gates were found to be barricaded. No sound of life wasaudible, no moving thing to be seen. 

'As I expected, ' said the Flamp sadly. 'They heard me coming, and asusual have locked themselves in. What's to be done?'

'The best course, ' remarked old Alison, who was always a wonderfulmanager, whether with the cold mutton or a child in a temper, 'the bestcourse is to wait. You lie down here, Mr. Flamp, and make as littlenoise breathing as you can; and you, Tilsa, darling, take this penciland paper and write a note to your grandfather, to be slipped under thegate. They'll venture out soon and find it. '

The Flamp and Tilsa did as they were bid. This was Tilsa's note to theLiglid:--

 'MY DEAR GRANDPAPA--There is no need to be frightened. Alison and Toby and me are just outside the gates all safe with the Flamp, who is really and truly the sweetest creature you ever saw. He doesn't want to hurt this city at all, he only wants simpithy like I said he did. If you open the gate and tell the people this you can see for yourself how kind and gentle he is, and that there isn't any need of sircumventing him. So please open the gate quickly. Your affectionate grandchild, TILSA. 

The paper was folded and addressed to 'His Excellency the Liglid ofUle, ' and Tobene slipped it under the gate. Then the little party satdown to wait. Old Alison took out her knitting, and as she worked, toldthe others of her adventures in search of them. 'I had to come alone, 'she said: 'every one else was frightened. '

X

One hour passed, two hours, three hours, and then a flag of truceappeared above the ramparts. 

'Here, Mr. Flamp, ' said Alison, 'get up and wave this in reply'; and shegave her handkerchief to the Flamp. 

He mounted slowly on his hind feet, and, stepping to the wall, waved thehandkerchief over it. A few minutes went by, and then the Liglid'sscared face appeared at a loophole. Seeing Tilsa, Tobene, and Alisonsitting comfortably in the shade cast by the Flamp's huge body, heseemed to be reassured. 

'Alison, ' he called out, 'are those really the children?'

'No doubt of it, sir, ' said Alison. 

'Then wait a little longer, ' said the Liglid as he vanished. 

He went at once to the Council Chamber and summoned a meeting of thewise men of Ule. 'Apparently, ' he said, 'we have misjudged this creaturefor many years; but our duty now is simple: to draw up as quickly as maybe an address of welcome to our eccentric visitor. '

An hour later, a procession of the men of eminence of the city, followedby the inhabitants, marched along the streets to the northern gate. Atthe Liglid's word of command, the barricades were removed and the gateflung open. 

Tilsa and Tobene at once ran to their grandfather and kissed him, whileAlison dropped a curtsey. The Flamp stood up and bowed as gracefully ashe could, and the Liglid returned the salute, not without some shakingin the knees. 

In faltering tones, which afterwards grew more steady, he begged of theFlamp the 'honour of his attention for a few moments, ' and forthwithread the address of welcome. It was flowery and extravagant in style, and contained not a few statements which sent a spasm across the Flamp'swide expanse of face, such as might be caused by an attempt to suppresslaughter. 

At the end, the Flamp bowed again and laid a massive paw upon his heart. Then he replied. He began by thanking the Liglid for his kind welcome, continued with the expression of his determination to do in the futureall that he could for the good of the city, and ended with a eulogy ofTilsa and Tobene. 

'They are, if I may use the word, ' he said feelingly, 'kids which anycity should be proud of. And to be the grandfather of such bricks oughtto be as good as smush and a perpetual delight. And their nurse, ma'amAlison here, is an old lady as is worthy of them. '

The crowd cheered these remarks again and again, and Tilsa and Tobene, who were not accustomed to such publicity, hardly knew where to look. Asfor old Alison, she curtseyed and went on with her knitting. 'Children, 'she said to herself, 'that travel in search of Flamps wear out theirstockings. Flattery or no flattery, new stockings must be made. '

Other speeches followed, for Ule was famous for its oratory, the bestbeing from a young statesman who made the admirable suggestion that incommemoration of this auspicious day, a new order of merit should beestablished, called the Order of the Friends of the Flamp, membership tobe conferred upon all persons conspicuous for spontaneous acts ofkindness. Further, he proposed that the first persons to add the lettersF. F. , signifying Friend of the Flamp, to their names, should be Tilsa, Tobene, and old Alison. The project was received with the wildestenthusiasm, and the order was then and there founded. And to the end ofthe history of Ule, no honour was esteemed more highly by the citizensthan the simple affix F. F. 

The formal part of the proceedings being finished, the Liglid proclaimedthe day a general holiday and in the name of the city invited the Flampto a grand banquet. Afterwards came sports of all kinds on the plain, inwhich the Flamp took part, carrying enormous loads of children up anddown at a hand gallop, until the Commissioner of Works begged him tomove more slowly, owing to the danger caused to the public buildings ofUle by the tremor of the earth. Never in the memory of the oldestinhabitant had such a day of jollification and excitement been spent. 

Of course the Flamp was the chief attraction, but Tilsa and Tobene andold Alison were very considerable lions too, and a hundred times theytold the story of their adventures. Presuming on his relationship to theexplorers, the Liglid, it must be confessed, endeavoured to take tohimself some credit for the proceedings, but it is doubtful if he wasbelieved. 

One worthy deed, however, he did perform: he publicly burned the Billfor the Circumvention of the Flamp, amid deafening applause. 

At last, late in the evening, the Flamp said good-bye, promising to comeagain soon, and swung off across the plain, the people waving farewellto him from the city wall. And as he moved along, he chanted to himselfa new song, which, although not much better in rhyme and metre, wasvastly more cheerful than his old dirge. This was the first line of it:

 '_O life, I think, is a jolly good thing. _'

XI

There is no space to tell a thousandth part of the benefits conferred bythe Flamp upon the city which once had used him so ill. Suffice it tosay, that henceforward the Flamp became the guardian of Ule. 

A line of communication was set up between his cave and the city, andwhen wanted he was signalled for; then at a rush he would cross theplain, ready for any duty. 

He helped the people of Ule in countless ways, from overwhelming theattacking force of the King of Unna, without the loss of a single man inthe defending army, to lying on the plain in the heat of summer andcasting a shadow in which picnic parties might have lunch. 

Sometimes the Flamp came when the signal had not been set in motion; andthen it was known that he was again in need of sympathy, and thechildren of the city, headed by Tilsa and Tobene, would run out into theplain to meet him and join in a game, or if it was at night, and he camewithin the walls, the house-holders would join in the song of welcomewhich the Poet Laureate of Ule had written for such occasions. And soonthe Flamp would return to the mountains happy again. 

The Christmas following the Understanding of the Flamp (as theestablishment of these new relations was called) was a time of goodfellowship, such as no Ulian had dreamed to be possible. Christmas atlast really was Christmas. The Flamp as of old came down at evening, butthis year no doors were barred, no blinds were drawn; instead he passedfrom house to house throughout the city, looking in at the upper windowsand receiving a welcome at each, and sometimes a piece of plum-cake, sometimes a packet of sweets, all of which passed down his huge redthroat. Is it necessary to say that his longest stay was at the nurserywindow of the Liglid's house?

In fact Tilsa and Tobene, as you may imagine, were always the Flamp'sfavourites, and every summer it was they, and they alone, who werehonoured by an invitation to stay for a fortnight in the Blue Mountains, where they had such a holiday as falls to the lot of few children. 

So did Ule, under the Flampian influence, become one of the happiestspots in the world, and strangers poured into the city every day tolearn the secret of contentment. 

The Ameliorator

 _TO "EVERSLEY" AND ALL WITHIN IT_

I

THE CITY OF BIRDS

Once upon a time there was a city where the good people were under theprotection of singing-birds of all kinds: nightingales, thrushes, blackbirds, robins, chaffinches, linnets. As you passed through thestreets the song of one at least of these little fellows was certain tostrike pleasantly on the ear; for they would perch on the window-sills, or in the branches of the trees before the houses, and fling out theirglad notes. 

No money could buy the birds. It mattered not how rich a man was, if hewere not merry at heart no bird's voice could be his to gladden thehours with song. 

Fugitives fleeing across the wide plain at night would, once within thegates of the city, pause a moment with raised finger, listeningbreathlessly. Then the still air would be filled with beautiful, consoling music, and 'Hark, ' they would say, 'the nightingale! A goodman lives close by. Let us knock and ask protection. ' And travellershearing a blackbird whistling gaily before a hostelry would know thatwithin doors was brave cheer and jocund company. 

Most of the children in the city had each a bird friend, and it was asad day when the wings spread and the songster flew away, for that meantthat in the heart of the child all was not well. Always, however, whenthe smiles came back, back came also the little feathered companion. 

II

THE FOUR CHILDREN

Now this story is about four children in the city who were friends ofthe birds: Bertram and Beryl, Bobus and Aline. They were for the mostpart good children, but now and again they made up their little mindsthat they knew better than anybody else what was the best thing forthem; and as it generally happened that their elders refused to take thesame view, there came occasionally into their lives intervals ofunhappiness when the whole world was most plainly doing its best tospoil their fun and treat them altogether badly. At least so it seemedin the eyes of Bertram and Beryl, Bobus and Aline. 

And to those who had the care of Bertram and Beryl, Bobus and Aline, itwas apparent one Monday evening that such an interval was about tobegin. Bertram's governess had the greatest difficulty in persuadingthat all-knowing boy that lessons were in the least desirable; Beryl'smother having refused to buy her a new doll, and thus bring her store ofdolls from fifteen to sixteen, could induce Beryl to fall in with noplans whatever; and the barometers of Bobus and Aline were unmistakablyat 'Set Sulks, ' because they too wanted something which was not good forthem. Thus, one Monday evening, was it with Bertram and Beryl, Bobus andAline. 

III

THE NEW HOUSE

On the Tuesday morning that followed, the inhabitants of the City ofBirds, when they came downstairs and began the business of the day, wereastonished to find a new shop in the Market Square; astonished, becauseno one could remember either what the house was like before, or who hadthen lived in it, or indeed that there had been a house there atall--not even the house-agent, who felt more than a little annoyed inconsequence, deeming himself defrauded of his just fees. 

There, however, stood the house, leaving no room for doubt as to itsexistence. There it stood, spick and span, with white window-curtainstied up with red ribbons, and rows of flower-pots on the sills, and ashining brass handle and knocker on the door, and a dark blind in theshop window through which, howsoever noses might be flattened againstthe glass, nothing could be seen. Hanging out over the pavement was aquaint sign-board bearing the words

 'THE AMELIORATOR. '

And, to crown all, in the branches of the silver birch before the housea thrush was singing, while the swallows were already busy under thegable. 

IV

THE BUSINESS CARD

At seven o'clock on the same morning, Bertram awoke. Had any observersbeen present they would have seen him turn over in bed, push his fistsinto the air and fight the sunshine which was streaming through thewindow, and then open his eyes and begin to remember where he was. Thenthey might have seen him yawn to a greater extent than so small a boywould seem to be capable of. It was when Bertram's waking operations hadreached this stage that he remembered what had happened last night: hehad been naughty and had gone to bed early in consequence. But he wasn'tin the least sorry for it, not he, and his governess was a beast. Thesewere his sentiments as he began to dress. 'I shan't wash this morning, 'he said to himself, 'just to spite them. '

It was just as he was turning to leave the room that Bertram caughtsight of something white on the floor underneath the window. Picking itup, he saw that it was a card--a business card--which certainly was notthere last night. 'It must have blown in, ' he thought, and forthwithbegan to read it. This is what he read:--

 THE AMELIORATOR

 begs to inform the Children of the City of Birds that he has set up in Business in their midst, and is ready (although not eager) for their custom. 

 SAD FACES BRIGHTENED WITH THE UTMOST DESPATCH. TEARS DRIED. DISAPPOINTMENTS RELIEVED. SORROWS TURNED TO PLEASURES. BAD GOVERNESSES PUNISHED. HARD LESSONS MADE EASY. UNREASONABLE PARENTS BROUGHT TO THEIR SENSES. TEMPER REPAIRING IN ALL ITS BRANCHES. 

 _Business Hours_--When you wish. 

 TERMS EASY. 

 THE AMELIORATOR, Market Square, City of Birds. 

The words seemed to Bertram too good to be true, and he read them againslowly. '"Sad faces brightened with the utmost despatch. " "Tears dried. "That's for girls of course, ' he remarked (but why he was so emphatic itis difficult to say, since it was only last night that----but that's ofno importance). '"Bad governesses punished. " Hooroo! "Hard lessons madeeasy. " Now this, ' said Bertram, 'is the right kind of fellow, thisA-M-E-L-I-O-R-A-T-O-R, this Ameliorator!' and so saying, he pushed thecard into his pocket and looked out of the window to whistlegood-morning to his robin. But the bird was not there. His face fellagain. 'Pooh, ' he said, 'they're all against me now, but I don't care, 'and as he walked downstairs to breakfast, he made up his mind to bethoroughly fractious. 

V

THE CROSS-GRAINED MORNING

In the City of Birds there were several large green gardens set asidefor children. These gardens were the finest places in the world in whichto play hide-and-seek, because of the summer-houses and grottoes andwinding paths; also there were ponds to sail boats on, and trees toclimb, and caves for robbers, and a little circle of wet grass in themidst of rhododendron bushes for fairies to plot and plan in; and forvery hot afternoons a soft bank where you could lie in the shade of acedar which seemed to bless the earth with its broad hands. 

Every morning after lessons the four children used to meet in one ofthese gardens and play till dinner-time. Sometimes they would playcricket until they were too tired to run another yard, and then leanover the rim of the fountain and watch the goldfish gliding silentlythrough the water, or they would sail their boats on the pond, or joinin the marriage ceremonies of two of the blue ants that lived in thebark of the cedar. There was always plenty of excitement at a blue ant'swedding, on account of the bad behaviour of the company. The bridegroomhad a way of ignoring the solemnity of the occasion and trying to walkto church with one of the bridesmaids, or even the bride's mother, whilesometimes the bride would forget all about her duties, and leave theprocession in order to pick up and stagger away with a ridiculous pieceof wood which she could not possibly really need. Very often the bridehad to be changed as often as six times before the church was reached, where Bertram, who always insisted on being the clergy-man, was waitingto perform the service. Ants, it must be confessed, are not good atgames: they are too busy, or, as Bertram put it, too selfish. Neitherare wood-lice. Just at important moments wood-lice turn sulky and rollthemselves into little balls. Worms are most trust-worthy, althoughnever eager for sensible play; but worms are slimy, and Beryl alwaysrefused to touch them. Spiders, too, have a way of getting down one'sneck. Perhaps frogs are best of all. Frogs are quite satisfactory; theyalways jump when you touch them up. Toads, on the other hand, are sulky;but their eyes are good to look into. 

On this particular morning, Bertram and Beryl, Bobus and Aline met asusual, but for some reason or other they found it impossible to have areally good game; whatever they tried appeared flat and tiresome. Theybegan with cricket and were fairly successful until Bobus hit the ballinto the pond, where it immediately sank. Hitherto it always hadfloated. Cricket, therefore, was over. Hide-and-seek took its place andwas going pretty well until Aline fell and hurt her knee. So no morehide-and-seek. They tried the blue ants, and then the lizards that livedunder the leaves in the violet bed; but met with nothing butunsociableness. The ants were quite nasty at being interfered with, andone of them crawled up Beryl's arm. 

At last the children made up their minds to try no longer, and insteadthey lay on their backs on the grass and grumbled. It was clear that theworld was against them, and what is the good of fighting in the face ofsuch opposition? Bertram began the grumbling. 'Old Tabby, ' hesaid, --that being the way in which he spoke of Miss Tabitha, hisgoverness, --'is a beast. She makes me learn heaps of things which nobodycan ever need to know. '

'And I mayn't have a new doll, ' said Beryl. 

'And I mayn't stay up later than eight, ' said Bobus. 

'And I mayn't eat cake until I've had three pieces of horrid bread andbutter, ' said Aline. 

'It's a shame, ' said all. 

'Yes, ' Bertram went on, 'and my robin wasn't singing this morning. '

'No more was my linnet, ' said Beryl. 

'No more was my chaffinch, ' said Bobus. 

'And no more was my blackbird, ' said Aline. 

'It's a shame, ' said Bertram again; 'everything's against us. Except, 'he added, pulling the card from his pocket, 'except theAmel--Amelior--except the Ameliorator. '

'Why, have you got one too?' Aline asked, producing a card exactly likeit, and as she did so Beryl and Bobus also each showed one. On comparingnotes it seemed that all the cards had come in the night in the samemysterious way. 

The four children looked at each other in silence. They all wanted tosay the same thing, but no one wished to be first. Bertram, as usual, took the lead: 'Let's go and see the Am--what-d'ye-call-him, ' he said. 

VI

THE LITTLE OLD MAN

A few minutes later the children stood hand in hand before the new shopin the Market Square, and as they did so they suddenly discovered thattheir wounded hearts were well again, just as you find that the toothstops aching at the moment you reach the dentist's doorstep. They mighteven then have run home again, had not Bertram, feeling a littledoubtful of the cure and more than a little inquisitive, peeped into theshop. 

'Come in, Bertram, ' said a blithe voice, 'I've been expecting you allthe morning'; and before he and his companions knew where they were thedoor was shut, the four children were inside it, each in a comfortablechair, and in front of them was absolutely the pleasantest little oldman they had ever seen. 

He had a smooth, ruddy face, and white hair, and large round spectaclesbehind which his eyes danced and sparkled, and a comical kindly mouth, and his clothes were of bright colours that merged into each other aseasily as those of the rainbow and were as certain a sign that the sunwas shining somewhere. Moreover there was in his appearance a vague butunmistakable likeness to the one person of all persons whom Bertramloved best, and to the one whom Beryl loved best, and to the one whomlittle Aline loved best, and to the one whom Bobus loved best. Yes, itwas very strange, but although all these people were totally differentthere was something about the little old man that bore resemblance toeach of them. 

VII

THE STOCK IN TRADE

When the children summoned up enough courage to look round, they sawthat the shop was stocked with drawers and bottles and had quite abusiness-like appearance. One bottle was labelled 'Mixture for Sulks, 'and another, 'Bad Temper Lotion. ' Then there were 'Cross-patch Powders'and 'Pills against Meddling. ' In a prominent place Beryl saw two tallflasks, one almost full of water and the other almost empty, and thewater in the one that was nearly full was thick and muddy, but that inthe second was clear as crystal. The flask that was nearly full waslettered 'Tears Shed for Ourselves, ' and the other, 'Tears Shed forOthers. ' But also there were pleasanter things than these: there werecupboards full of sweets, shelves of picture books and fairy stories, and a great store of toys. Also there were many drawers, labelledencouragingly, 'Rewards for Good Humour, ' 'Prizes for Hard Work, ''Prizes for Hard Play, ' 'Presents for Anticipating Wishes, ' 'Gifts forForgetting Number One, ' and so on. 

It took only a short time to see these things, and meanwhile the littleold man was standing in front of the fire, beaming merrily. Then, whenall four had taken a good look, and were feeling rather bad inconsequence, for they could not feel entitled to much beyond pills andpowders, he led them into the inner room--his consulting-room he calledit--saying, 'Come along, little sorrowful ones, and we will inquire intothe great trouble. ' And at once they had some difficulty in rememberingtheir grievance at all, although an hour ago it had seemed to fill thewhole landscape. 

VIII

THE ADVICE

'Now, ' said the Ameliorator, when they were all comfortably inside theinner room, 'I want to tell you about some of my friends. "Ladies first"is a good rule: let me tell you about a little girl I once knew, '--herehe laid his hand on Beryl's head--'who had just such soft hair as this, and just such a gloomy little face. ' Here Beryl smiled, in spite ofherself. 'Yes, ' added the Ameliorator, 'and just such a smile now andthen. And what do you think the trouble was? Why, although she had nofewer than fifteen dolls, all given to her by thoughtful friends, shewanted a new one. These fifteen dolls were very good ones, especiallythe faithful old Arthur John, a wooden gentleman of strong affectionsand no nose worth mentioning, yet nothing would do but she must have anaristocratic pink wax lady in white muslin, that hung in a certain shopwindow and stared hard all day at the little ragamuffins who pressedtheir faces against the pane and said, "O my, ain't she a beauty!" Whythe little girl wanted her I could never understand, because she had noexpression at all, and my young friend had a brother who had declaredthat if any more "sappy wax dummies" were brought into the house, hewould put them to bed in the oven. Still, in spite of this terriblethreat, she did want her, and in her despair she came to me about it. 

'Well, ' added the Ameliorator, 'what do you think I did? I made her sitdown by this very table, and I opened this very drawer, and I took outthese very pictures, and as I showed them to her' (here he began to laybefore the bewildered Beryl picture after picture of ragged streetchildren) 'I told her how these little wretches were forced to run aboutall day in the gutters, whether it was wet or fine, cold or warm, because they had no nurseries, and how they could get very little toeat, and how the only toys they had were bits of wood and old bottles. And then and there I made so bold as to suggest to my discontentedfriend--who of course had every reason to be unhappy, when her mother, who already had given her so many nice things, refused to buy her anexpensive doll--that if she were not only to stop wishing for any morenew toys, but were to send a few of those she already had to be givenaway to some of these children who had none, why I fancied she would notbe altogether miserable any longer. That is what I told her to do, andthat is what she did, and I believe I may truthfully say it was awonderful cure. 

'Then--let me see--yes, ' the Ameliorator continued more briskly, 'thenthere was a boy, or--shall I say, a little man?--who once consulted me. The difficulty, if I remember rightly, was intellectual. O yes!--he wasconvinced that he, being a wise patriarch of eight or nine, knew morethan the lady engaged by his parents to teach him. So he applied to hera not very respectful nickname and refused to learn the lessons that sheset him, and swaggered about calling her a beast, which is not the rightattitude of a gentleman (although old enough to know everything) towardsa lady, and made himself as unpleasant as he could. 

'By some chance, one of my cards fell into his hands: he read it and wasfascinated by the words, "Bad governesses punished. " He came to me toarrange for the punishment. The best way, I told him, is shocks. Thereis nothing like a shock to bring a governess to her senses. "Now, whatis the last thing in the world your governess expects from you?" Iasked. "Why, that you will learn a lesson of your own accord, withoutconstant jogs from her. " So that if he were to do this, I told him, hewould give her a severe shock, and thus punish her. 

'He went away delighted with the plan. Morning after morning he appearedin the schoolroom with his task all prepared, and every morning thegoverness received a new shock. And when I peeped through the window notlong after, there they sat, close together, she happy after herpunishment, and he happy because (only he didn't know this) he had madeher so. For she was unhappy before--very; but young fellows with exaltedideas on their own judgment and knowledge have no time to observe theunhappiness of their governesses or parents, have they, Bertram?'

Bertram did not answer: this shock system of punishment was new to him. He felt muddled, but he began to think he would try it. He was not, however, quite in a condition to see the Ameliorator clearly. 

'And little Bobus doesn't like going to bed?' the Ameliorator asked, turning to Bobus. 'My dear sir, it can be made the best thing in theworld. Let me tell you how to make it so. Directly you get into bed, begin to think what pleasant little surprise you can give some one onthe next day: any one, mother or father, cousin or playmate, nurse orbeggar in the street. You will find this such an exciting game that youwill run to bed eagerly when the time comes, and, what is more, it makesyou readier to get up. At any rate, Bobus, try it. 

'And little Aline, ' the Ameliorator went on, taking Aline's hand andbeaming down upon her with his kindly eyes, which danced more than everbehind his round spectacles, 'little Aline prefers cake to bread andbutter! Dear, dear, this is very sad. If she eats three pieces of breadand butter she may have cake, but not till then. Well, I think I shouldadvise her to eat those three pieces. Little girls who eat only cakegrow up to be weedy and weak, and unable to do half the good things oflife: they can't skate, and they can't dance, and they can't play games. So I should advise Aline to eat the bread and butter. '

IX

THE TOKENS

'Now, ' said the little old man, 'you must run home or you'll be late fordinner. But first let me find some little token of our conversation foreach, ' and so saying, he went to the drawer labelled 'Prizes for HardWork, ' and found something for Bertram; and to the drawer labelled'Gifts for Forgetting Number One, ' and found something for Beryl; and tothe drawer labelled 'Presents for Anticipating Wishes, ' and foundsomething for Bobus; and to the drawer labelled 'Rewards for Hard Play, 'and found something for Aline. 

'Now, good-bye, ' said he, holding open the door. 

But Bertram, who was always the leader, did not move. He seemed still tohave something on his mind. 

'No, no, ' said the Ameliorator, who was a wonderful thought-reader, 'no, no, there is nothing to pay. Why, I have had the pleasure of yourcompany for a whole hour! That's payment enough for any one. Now runalong. '

'But, ' Bertram faltered, still not moving, 'I haven't earned the "Prizefor Hard Work. "'

'No, ' said each of the others, 'I haven't earned mine either. '

'Ah!' said the Ameliorator, 'but you are going to. '

X

THE RETURN

Hand in hand, silently, the four children walked through the city. Andwhen each one reached home, there, in the branches of the tree beforethe house, was its bird in full song. 

The Schoolboy's Apprentice

 _TO L. F. G. _

Once upon a time there was a schoolboy called Chimp. Chimp was not hisname: his name was Alexander Joseph Chemmle. Chimp was short forchimpanzee, an animal which his schoolfellows agreed that he was like. 

Chimp usually spent his holidays in his uncle's family; but one summerhe travelled on a visit to his father, who was British Consul in aforeign port, so far away that the boy had only a few days at homebefore it was time again to join the steamer for England. 

Chimp, who was always adventurous, had been at sea for only a week onthe return journey, when one evening at dusk he lost his hold as he wasclambering out to the end of the main crosstrees, and fell overboard. The other passengers were listening to a concert in the saloon('screeching' Chimp had called it, when he took refuge in the chiefengineer's room), and, work being over, the crew were for'ard smoking, so that there was no one except the first officer and the man at thewheel to hear the shout that Chimp sent up from the water. As a matterof fact both men heard it, but it caused them to do no more than say tothemselves at the same moment, 'There's that boy again! Up to somemischief, I'll be bound. ' No help, therefore, came to Chimp. The greatblack ship glided by, the screw threshed the water into blinding foam, and when he could see and think again, Chimp was alone in the ocean. 

Chimp was a good swimmer. He struck out at once vigorously in thedirection of the island which they had passed at sundown. The sea was assmooth as a pond and quite warm, and after several minutes had passed, the boy turned over on his back and floated comfortably, moving his armsjust enough to give him an impetus towards the shore. Although he wasupset by the accident which had so suddenly substituted the water forthe ship (and it was nearing supper time, and there were always ices forsupper!), Chimp was not a boy at all given to fear, and he could thinkof his new plight with composure. His first calm thought was regret forthe mongoose which he was taking back to school, 'although, ' as he saidto himself, 'the chances are, Porker wouldn't let me keep it, ' Porkerbeing the way in which Chimp spoke of Dr. Cyril Bigley Plowden, Principal of Witherson College. His second feeling was keenness to playRobinson Crusoe in earnest. Chimp and other boys had often onhalf-holidays made believe that an island in the river was JuanFernandez, but the game usually began with one fight to decide whoshould be Robinson, and ended with another to check the arrogance ofFriday. Now, however, he was but an hour or so from an uninhabitedisland (of course it was uninhabited) and bothered by no rival for chiefhonours. He decided that to fall into the sea from a steamer at nightwas a lark. But a little while afterwards he thought of sharks andremembered, with something of a pang, good times in England; then hewondered what would happen on the ship when they missed him; then heglowed at the anticipation of the other boys' envy when they learnedwhere he had been; then he thought of sharks again; and then his feettouched the bottom. 

When Chimp at last crawled out of the water, he was nigh dead beat. Inthe soft still light which the moon poured down he could see beyond thebeach a dark strip which seemed to promise a bed. He staggered blindlyover the stones to this refuge, found that it was grass, and, sinkingupon it, was in a moment asleep. 

The sun was high and hot when Chimp awoke. For a moment he looked aroundhim bewildered, wondering why the dream would not finish: then heremembered everything. At the same moment he was conscious, as heafterwards expressed it, that he had had nothing to eat for a hundredyears. Chimp stood up, yawned the stiffness out of his bones, and setforth to seek for food and claim his kingdom. He made at once for thehighest ground and gathered the island in a bird's-eye view. It seemedto be about eight miles long and three broad, mainly rock, bare and redas a brick. There were a few trees and some wide patches of rank grass. Not a sign of human life was to be seen, but swift green lizards shotacross the ground at Chimp's feet, a million grasshoppers shrilled intohis ears, and white gulls with cruel eyes hovered and wheeled above him. The prospect did not cheer Robinson Crusoe II. , but he set out for theinterior of the island, searching every miniature valley for a spring, every tree and shrub for fruit. But he sought in vain. Then recollectingstories of the toothsomeness of turtles' eggs baked in the sand, Chimpturned to the shore again and explored the coast. At the end of threehours he said disgustedly, 'What a liar Ballantyne was!' and was justsinking down exhausted, when his heart gave a big _plump!_ and stoodstill, for there before him was a well-trodden path. 

At first, hungry as he was, Chimp's feeling was grief at the discoverythat after all the island was not uninhabited, but his regret soon fadedbefore the anticipation of the meal he would devour in the abode towhich the pathway led, and he struck into it with new vigour, taking theinland direction. The path rose with every step. At last, a mile or sofrom the sea, it turned abruptly round a boulder, and Chimp suddenlyfound himself in the presence of an elderly man with a long grey beard, who was sitting at a table in the entrance of a cave, writing. 

The meeting seemed to be the most unexpected thing that had everhappened to either of them, for the elderly man rose with a start thatupset both ink and table, and Chimp caught himself looking round forsomething to cling to for support. Not finding anything, he sat down onthe ground and stared at the elderly man. He would have liked to havegone forward to pick up the ink-bottle, but dared not, on account of apeculiar feeling in his knees. Meanwhile the elderly man stared at theboy, and Chimp wondered if he ever would speak, and if it would be inEnglish when he did. After a long pause the elderly man picked up theink. Then looking at Chimp still more curiously through his spectacles, he spoke. 

'What are you?' he asked, in good English. 

'My name, ' said Chimp, 'is Alexander Joseph Chemmle. '

'No, no, ' the elderly man replied, 'I mean, what are you--what? Not aboy, are you? Not really and truly a boy! Oh say, say you are a boy!'

'Yes, ' said Chimp, although for the moment, so intense and unreasonablewas the other's excitement about the matter, he almost doubted it. 'Yes, I'm a boy. '

'A boy! a boy!' the elderly man exclaimed joyfully. 'Eureka!' Then hegrew calmer, and continued: 'Dear me, this is very interesting. A mostfortunate chance! A boy, you say. How extremely happy an accident. Nowwhat kind of boy might you be?'

Chimp was puzzled. 'I suppose, ' he thought, 'I ought to call myself agood boy, and yet that isn't exactly how Porker would describe me. Andwhat is more, good boys are such saps. ' Then he spoke aloud: 'Well, sir, I'm a fairish specimen of a boy, I think. '

'Good!' said the elderly man. 'Good! An average boy. So much the better. And what does it feel like to be a boy?'

'Whew!' said Chimp to himself, 'I came for breakfast, and all I seem tobe getting is an exam. ' However, he did his best to answer the question. 'Why, sir, ' he said aloud, 'as long as you don't get too many lines andswishings, it feels good to be a boy. But swishing makes it feel badsometimes. '

'Lines?' inquired the other. 'Swishings? What are they?'

'Why, ' said Chimp, 'when Porker canes you, that's swishing, and linesare passages from Virgil which you have to copy out if you makehowlers--I mean, if you make mistakes. '

'Yes, yes, ' said the elderly man, a little vaguely. 'And so it's good tobe a boy?' he added. 

A happy thought struck Chimp. 'It is good, ' he replied; 'but there areother times when it's bad, besides those I mentioned. When--when you'rehungry, for instance. '

'Ah!' exclaimed the elderly man, rising from the table. 'I wasforgetting. You must pardon me, Alexander Joseph Chemmle. I have, Ifear, nothing to offer you but biscuits and tinned meats. Do you carefor tinned meats? I keep most kinds. '

'I like bloater paste, ' Chimp said. 'I always take a pot or two back toschool. '

'Ah!' cried his host eagerly, 'you like bloater paste best? That'sfamous! So do I. A community of taste!'

He disappeared into the cave, and in a minute or so came forth again, bearing the bloater paste and a plate in one hand, and the biscuits anda knife in the other. 'Now, ' he said, 'fall to, and while you are eatingthese I must try to find something else. Tinned pears--do you likethem?'

Chimp mumbled that he did. He was eating with more enjoyment than heever had eaten in his life. Ambrosia was nothing to bloater paste. 

'It is wonderful--our tastes coincide in everything, ' said the elderlyman as he entered the cave again. He returned with a tin of pears andsome marmalade, a jug of water and a glass. Then he sat on a camp stooland observed his guest. 

It was not until Chimp was well forward with the pears that his hostspoke again. 'I am sorry, Alexander Joseph Chemmle, ' he said, 'to havekept you waiting so long, for I take it that this is not your customaryappetite--that you were, in fact, unusually, if not painfully, hungry. But I was so interested by the sight of a real boy that I could think ofnothing else. You see, I have never met with a boy before. '

Chimp opened his eyes as wide almost as his mouth. 'But, ' he began inhis astonishment, 'they are as common as dirt, boys are. There's heapsof them--loads. '

'True, ' the other made answer, 'true. But when one abandons the world, and, embracing the profession of the eremite, devotes one's life tosolitude and reflection, one is deprived of the pleasure of intercoursewith so attractive a personality as that of the average boy. '

'Ye-es, ' dubiously from Chimp. 'But, ' he added, 'you were a boy yourselfonce. '

'No, ' the Hermit made reply. 'Never. '

'Never a boy!' Chimp exclaimed. 'Well, that beats everything. '

'Never, ' repeated the recluse. 'You see, ' he remarked in explanation, 'Iwas articled by my parents to a hermit at a very tender age--to thelearned man, in fact, who preceded me in the tenancy of this modestcell. We plunged immediately into the fascinating study of metaphysics, and the period of boyhood slipped by unnoticed. '

Chimp whistled, --he had no words adequate to the occasion. 

'For many years, ' the Hermit continued, 'I did not feel the loss of thisexperience, being deeply engrossed in other subjects; but now, in thefall of life, I find myself regretting it keenly. Much as I love mystudies, much as I am attached to the solitary life, I sometimes thinkit a finer thing to have been a boy even than to have been a hermit. '

Chimp thought it would be kind of him to say something cheery, yet couldhit upon nothing but, 'Oh no, not at all, ' just as if the Hermit hadapologised for treading on his toe; yet it seemed to please the old man. 

'However, ' he broke off, 'this is by the way. Come, Alexander JosephChemmle, tell me about your adventures; how did you find your way tothis island? How is it you are alone? Tell me everything. '

Chimp, wincing a little at the appalling formality of the Hermit's modeof address, began. By the time his story was finished it was evening, for the Hermit asked numberless questions which sent Chimp off onnumberless side tracks of narrative. At the end of the recital thebloater paste was produced again, and Chimp again ate heartily. 

'Now, ' said the Hermit, 'I will show you something of the island. '

So saying, he took his staff and they set forth. First they visited thespring whence the Hermit brought water, and then climbing to a peak ofrock, the Hermit described the island as it lay beneath them. 

'There, ' said he finally, indicating the little creek to which thefootpath led, 'that is where the boat lands that once a year brings memy provisions. It puts off from my Aunt Amelia's yacht--_The TattooedQuaker_. My Aunt Amelia is the only relative that remains to me. It isshe who supplies the tinned meats and the pears. She really hasadmirable taste, although her choice in names may be a little fantastic. In addition to the provisions, it is my aunt's custom to send a letterbeseeching me to return in the yacht to England, and declaring that if Ido not, that particular supply of food will be the last. For forty yearsshe has done this. She is a noble woman, my Aunt Amelia. '

'When is the boat due?' Chimp asked, thinking more of its possibleeffect upon himself than upon the Hermit. 

'Soon, soon, ' the old man replied, with something very like a sigh. 'Ina fortnight's time, in fact. '

'What a pity!' said Chimp. 'And I say, sir, ' he added, 'how decent to beyou. Only there ought to be some niggers. '

The Hermit sighed. They walked back without speaking, and not tenminutes had passed before Chimp was sound asleep in a corner of thecave, while the Hermit lay gazing at the stars. 

On awaking, Chimp found that the cave was empty. For a moment he thoughthimself still dreaming, but the table laid for breakfast recalled him tofacts, and he fell to thinking of the Hermit. 'Rum old beggar!' hemused. 'A screw loose somewhere, I guess. ' When the Hermit returned, itwas plain that the old man had something on his mind, as the saying is. He spoke not at all at breakfast, except, when laying the table, toremark that potted ham and chicken make a pleasing variety upon bloaterpaste. But after breakfast, placing one seat in the shade for Chimp andone for himself, he talked. 

'I have been thinking deeply, Alexander Joseph Chemmle, ' he began. 'During the night I have reviewed my life, and now more than ever I amconscious of the limiting influence exerted upon a philosopher by theloss of boyhood. The suspicion has been with me for years: it is now acertainty. You are not likely, my young friend, to be with me long, for_The Tattooed Quaker_ will, of course, carry you back to England nextweek. But in the intervening time I want you, so far as is within yourpower, to make a boy of me. I put myself unreservedly in your hands. Consider me your apprentice. Will you do this?' The Hermit watchedChimp's face anxiously. 

Chimp was staggered completely. A screw loose, he had thought; butsurely it was the height of madness for a man to wish to be a boy again. Chimp and his companions spent a large part of their time in wishing tobe men: the other side was not to be believed. But he pulled himselftogether with the thought that to humour this old lunatic might befunny, and would last only a week. After all, to find a cracked man onthe island was better than to find no man at all, now that Ballantynehad been proved to be so wrong. And just then the boy caught a glimpseof the Hermit's anxious eager eyes. 'All right, ' he said quickly, 'I'mgame. But it'll be rather difficult, you know. '

'Difficult!' exclaimed the Hermit, with an expression of mingled painand alarm. 'How? Not seriously, I trust?'

'Oh no!' said Chimp; 'but you're rather old, you see, and boys are notin the habit of wearing beards three feet long; although, ' he addedencouragingly, noting the look of disappointment on the Hermit's face, 'I don't see why they shouldn't. Why, there was a fellow at our schoolwho had whiskers before he was fourteen, and we shaved them too. Tiedhim down and cut off one side one day and the other the next. After thathe bought a razor. '

'Is--is that action typical of the boy?' the Hermit asked. 

'Well, they get up to larks now and then, ' Chimp admitted. 

'As time is short, ' said the Hermit, 'I am disposed to begin thismorning--at once. That is not too soon for you, I hope, Alexander JosephCh----?'

'Oh, please don't, ' Chimp interrupted. 'You know, boys don't call eachother by all their names like that; they either stick to the last one orinvent a nickname. '

'I am sorry to have hurt your feelings, ' said the Hermit. 'If you willtell me your nickname I will call you by it. '

'I think, ' replied Chimp, unwilling to explain his own, 'that perhapswe'd better begin now and give each other fresh ones. '

'Very well, ' said the Hermit, after a minute's thought, 'I shall callyou Simian, or, for the sake of brevity, Sim. '

'Simeon?' cried Chimp. 'Oh, that's not the thing at all! A nicknameshould describe a fellow, you know--it shouldn't be just anotherordinary name. '

'Yes, ' replied his apprentice, 'and I mean to call you Sim, anabbreviation of Simian. And what will you call me?'

Chimp pondered awhile. 'I shall call you, ' he said at length, 'Billykins, because of your long goat's beard. '

And thus began the Hermit's apprenticeship. 

'It is too hot for footer, ' said Chimp, after he had collected histhoughts, 'so we will make a start with a little cricket practice. Cricket, ' he explained, 'is a game--the best game in the world. Youought to see W. G. And Ranji. But of course you don't know who they are. Oh dear, oh dear, what you are missing out here! W. G. , that's W. G. Grace, the champion of the world. Your beard, Billykins, must have beenrather like his a few years ago. And Ranji, that's Ranjitsinhji. '

'Yes, yes, ' the Hermit remarked feebly, depressed by the weight of hisstupendous ignorance. 

Chimp went on with fine authority. 'Now, while I am cramming this sockwith stuff to make a ball, you be sharpening these sticks for wickets. You've got a knife, I suppose?'

The Hermit admitted that he had not. 

'What!' cried Chimp; 'no knife? Why, you'll never be a boy without aknife. Let me look at your pockets?'

The Hermit had but one pocket, and a handkerchief was all it held. 

'Awfully clean, ' was Chimp's contemptuous comment. 'And nothing else?Oh, this will never do! Look at mine now, ' and turning out his pockets, he displayed a double-bladed knife containing several implements, including a corkscrew and an attachment for extracting stones fromhorses' feet, a piece of string, a watch spring, twenty or thirty shot, a button, a magnet, a cog-wheel, a pencil, a match-box, a case offoreign stamps all stuck together with salt water, a whistle, ahalfpenny with a hole in it, and a soaked and swollen cigar which theCaptain had given him. 

'Are all these things quite necessary?' the Hermit asked humbly. 

'No, ' said Chimp, 'not quite all. The knife is, and the string is, and afellow likes his smoke, you know. Collecting stamps is rather decent, but you needn't unless you want to. There's butterflies and birds' eggs, if you like. The other things are useful: the more you have the betterfor you. '

'String, ' said the Hermit, 'I possess--but no pocket-knife. But if youpermit it, I will carry my table-knife in future. 'Tis a simple weapon, I know: but on the other hand you see that on this island theopportunities of extracting stones from horses' hoofs are rare. '

'I suppose it must do, ' said Chimp doubtfully. 'But you must add a fewother things, or we shan't have anything to swap. Boys are great atswapping, you know. '

'Swapping?' the Hermit asked. 

'Yes: when you want one thing, giving another for it. For instance, ifyou had a white rat' (the Hermit shuddered) 'and I gave you a brasscannon for it, that would be a swap. '

'Very well, ' the Hermit replied seriously, 'I will add a few things;but, if you don't mind, not rats of any colour, nor in fact any livestock. '

'Just as you like, ' said the magnanimous Chimp. 'You wouldn't do forBilly Lincolne though: he usually carries half a dozen frogs in histrousers' pockets. '

When the cricket gear was complete, Chimp stepped out twenty-two yardsand pitched the stumps. 'You go in first, ' he said. 

The Hermit seized the bat. 

'Now all you have to do at first, ' Chimp continued, 'is to keep the ballout of the wicket. Hit it any way you like, and hold your bat straight. '

The Hermit obeyed to the letter. To Chimp's intense astonishment hepunished the bowling all round, pulling off balls to square leg in ashameless fashion. 

Chimp was kept busy, and at last he grew almost vexed. 'Well, you mayn'thave much science, ' he cried, as, nearly out of breath, he flung himselfdown after some miles of running, 'but you've got a gorgeous eye. Why, you hit everything. You've played before, haven't you?' he addedsuspiciously. 

The Hermit smiled again. 'A little, ' he admitted. 'Yes, my lateinstructor, the sage to whom I was confided by my parents many, manyyears ago, he and I occasionally had a game together. It was our onlyrecreation. I thought it hardly worth while to mention it, expectingthat all skill had left me. '

'By jingo! though, it hasn't, ' Chimp exclaimed. 'You're a regular W. G. In your way. But, I say, another time you know how to do a thing youmight let a fellow know first. '

'This is too silly, ' was Chimp's persistent thought during the next fewdays, but he kept up the game of make-believe like a hero. As a matterof fact, it was sound amusement to explore the island and plunge onsudden impulses into a score of high-spirited enterprises, although thepresence of the old man panting at his side touched him rather sadly nowand then. The Hermit, however, endured stolidly and pluckily, andneither of them ever let the time appear to drag. 

Chimp and his apprentice bathed together, and hunted for anemones amongthe rocks; they gave chase to butterflies and lizards; they toldstories; they even pretended to be Robinson Crusoe and Friday, the partof Friday falling to the Hermit. 

'You see, Billykins, ' Chimp said, 'you are better suited to the part:you can make such a whacking footprint. '

'I think I am progressing well, Simian, ' remarked Chimp's apprentice atbreakfast one morning, 'although I must admit that many impulses andmovements that come naturally to you are acquired by me with difficulty. Last evening's attempt at leap-frog, for example, has left me so stiffthat I can hardly move, and I assure you that it has never beforeoccurred to me to climb that tree all the years I have known it. Perhapsin a week or so, when my hands are healed, I may try again. But I cansee, Sim, that it must be very good to be a boy--very, very good. '

'Why yes, Billykins, ' Chimp broke in, 'but you don't know reallyanything about it yet. And I'm afraid you can't know on this island. There isn't the company and there isn't the means. I can't even make youan apple-pie bed, when you sleep in a single blanket; and a booby-trapneeds a door. And when there are only two people, and no one else tolaugh, it's no fun to stick a cactus in a fellow's chair. Tuck, too!What do you know about tuck? What can you know about tuck when there'sno shop for chocolate and Turkish Delight and things like that? Tinnedstuff is all very well, but it gets jolly tedious. And birds'-nesting, and ratting, and setting night lines, and dodging game-keepers, andbreaking into orchards! You haven't even elastic to make a catty with, or so simple a contrivance as a fish-hook. Still we might rig up a bowand arrow. '

'But, ' the Hermit objected, 'there is nothing to shoot. '

'Oh yes!' said Chimp, 'sea-gulls. '

'We can't eat sea-gulls, ' his apprentice replied. Then anxiously, 'Boysdon't eat sea-gulls, do they?'

'Why, no, Billykins; but that isn't the thing. Bringing them down is thething. It's sport. '

That evening after tea, Chimp approached his apprentice with a troubledexpression. 

'I think I ought to tell you, Billykins, ' he goaded himself to say, 'that some boys fall in love. Not all, mind. I never did it myself--Ithink it's footle--but lots and lots do. I suppose you'd like to try it, you're so thorough; though I don't see how you're going to manageexactly. '

'You mean, ' said the Hermit, 'on an island so poor in opportunities?Yes, it would be difficult. Still, give me the outline. '

'Well, Billykins, it isn't very clear, ' said Chimp. 'I believe though, that the fellow feels sort of jolly inside while it's going on. But itnever lasts long. '

'And it's not compulsory?' the Hermit asked in some trepidation. 

'Oh no, Billy, not at all. '

'Then we will dismiss love along with sport, ' was the Hermit's decision. 

Thus, in games and rambles and conversation, the time passed by, untilit was the evening before the day that would bring _The TattooedQuaker_, and Chimp and his apprentice were sitting before the cave, watching the sinking sun. 

'Well, ' said the Hermit, 'only a few more hours, Sim, and you will be onthe way home again. Then I must to work once more. My great work on Manand his place in Society, scientifically considered, awaits me. But Ishall miss you, Sim, ' the old man added; 'you have been a very pleasantchapter in my life. Don't forget me altogether, will you; and you'll paymy Aunt Amelia a visit, won't you, and tell her about me?'

Chimp had a little difficulty in replying. He felt girlish, that is tosay, gulpy and tearful. At last, 'Why don't you come back too?' heasked. 

'I?' said the Hermit. 'Oh no, there is no place for Hermits in yourcountry. '

'I don't know about that, ' said Chimp, speaking more naturally again. 'You might make a lot of money showing yourself in caravans at fairs. People would go miles to see a hermit. I paid a penny once to see a fatwoman, and there was no end of a squash in the tent. You must come. I'lltake you to my uncle's, where I live in the vacs. And Jim--that's mycousin--Jim and me'll give you a ripping time. '

The Hermit smiled sadly. 'No, no, ' he said. After a short silence hespoke again. 'Tell me, Sim--I ask merely out of curiosity--are boysalways contented with their surroundings?'

'Not by a long chalk, ' Chimp answered. 'They're always running away. '

'Ah!' said the Hermit. 'How often have you run away?'

'Well, not at all, so far, ' said Chimp, 'although Goring minor and I didget all ready to bunk once, only Mother Porker copped us on the landing. But we meant it, I can tell you. We were going to walk to Portsmouth, sleeping under hay ricks, and hide ourselves as stowaways on board aman-of-war, and show up when we got to sea, and do something heroic toplease the Captain, and after that win loads of prize-money and comeback covered with glory. Boys often do that in books. But old MotherPorker copped us on the landing. '

'Bed-time, ' said the Hermit. 

When they rose the next morning, there, in the offing, heading straightfor the island, was _The Tattooed Quaker_. They hurried to the peak, andthe Hermit waved his handkerchief. The signal was seen on deck, and ananswering flag scurried up to the mast-head. After breakfast Chimp andhis apprentice walked down to the creek to welcome the yacht's boat. 

The Captain looked at Chimp in amazement. 'What, Master Augustus!' hesaid when he had shaken hands with the Hermit and delivered AuntAmelia's letter, 'what! have you got a pupil, then?'

'No, ' replied the Hermit, 'he's not my pupil, he's your passenger'; andso saying, he introduced Chimp, and then stood aside to see what hisaunt had to say; while the crew waited for the Captain's orders to movethe stores from the boat to the cave. 

When the Hermit had finished reading, he returned the letter to itsenvelope and slipped it into his pocket. 

'Well, Master Augustus, are you coming back with us?' said the Captain, exactly as he had asked the question for the past forty years. 

The Hermit laughed in negative reply, exactly as he had laughed once ayear for the past forty years. 

'Now then, my men, be quick, ' said the Captain. 

In the boat was a large hamper in which to convey the stores over therocks to the cave. Two of the sailors held it at each end, and theHermit accompanied them, while Chimp and the Captain strolled awaytogether. Three times the hamper was borne from the boat to the cell. There then remained only a dozen or so of parcels, which the men mighteasily carry in their hands. This time the Hermit did not accompanythem. 

When the last of the stores were safely within the cave the boatswainblew his whistle as a signal that all was ready, and Chimp and theCaptain of _The Tattooed Quaker_ hurried back to the creek. 

'Where is Master Augustus?' the Captain inquired. 'The young gentlemanwants to say good-bye to him. '

'He must be in the cave, ' said Chimp. 'I'll run and see. '

But the cave was empty. Chimp climbed the rock before the entrance andcalled, 'Bi-i-illykins, Bi-i-illykins!' No answer. 'I must have missedhim on his way back to the creek, ' he thought, and hurried to the shoreagain. 

'Be quick!' cried the Captain. 'Time's up!'

'But I can't find him, ' Chimp called, floundering from boulder toboulder. 

'Can't find him?' echoed the Captain. 'That's very rum. I suppose hewants to avoid the pain of parting. Come along; we can't stay any longernow. '

So with a heavy heart Chimp took his place in the boat and watched howwith every stroke of the oars the distance widened between himself andthe island. 

'Weigh the anchor!' cried the Captain, the moment they were on board. 

_The Tattooed Quaker_ was a superb yacht, and in the ardour ofexploration Chimp forgot the Hermit and everything else. He examined thecabin and the berths, he made friends with the steward, he descendedinto the lazarette, where peering into the refrigerator, he found half agame pie, and forthwith devoured it. He conversed learnedly with theengineers about the size of the cylinders; he decided which hammockwould best minister to his own comfort; he overhauled the Captain'sstock of books, and by the time these duties were accomplished _TheTattooed Quaker_ was well out to sea, and the island was only a thinline on the horizon. And then a feeling of sadness for the loss of poorold Billykins, left there all alone again, took hold of the boy, and heretired dismally to his hammock to mope. 

After dinner, however, at which meal he revived marvellously, he was ingay enough spirits to tell the story of the Hermit's apprenticeship. TheCaptain was in ecstasies. 'What a yarn for the old lady!' he remarkedagain and again. 'What a yarn!'

Suddenly, as they sat in the darkling cabin, there appeared in thedoorway a figure which seemed in the gloom to resemble an elderly manwith a long grey beard. 

'Mercy! What's that?' the Captain shouted, leaping from his chair anddrawing back. 'Who are you? What do you want?'

The figure took a step into the room. 'Simian, ' it said, 'don't yourecognise me?'

'Why, it's Billykins!' cried Chimp, running forward and seizing theHermit's hand. 

'Great Heavens! Master Augustus!' exclaimed the Captain. 'Where did youspring from?'

'From the hamper!' said the Hermit. 

Chimp and the Captain stared at each other for a moment, andthen--'What!' roared the Captain, 'a stowaway! Well, you're somethinglike an apprentice, you are!' And he smote the table till the shiptrembled, and laughed like the north wind. 

The Hermit waited patiently till the storm abated, while Chimp gazed athim in wonderment and admiration. 

Then, in the lulls of the Captain's merriment, he explained. 'You see, 'he said, 'this boy has changed me considerably. I see things with neweyes. And when I was standing there by the boat, the desire to run awayand be for ever quit of the island and solitude came strongly upon me. '

'Oh, what a model apprentice!' the Captain exclaimed. 

'So, ' continued the Hermit, a little abashed, 'well--so I crawled intothe hamper. '

'Hooray!' cried Chimp; it's splendid. But aren't you hungry?'

'Hungry?' said the Captain, 'I should think he is. Steward!' he called, 'bring some supper for Master Augustus. '

The steward came running into the cabin and stood transfixed--all eyes. His appearance set the Captain off again; 'Don't be scared, ' he said;'he's alive, right enough. '

'I didn't see the gentleman come aboard, ' the steward found words tosay. 

'No, ' said the Captain, 'no more didn't I. No more didn't no one. MasterAugustus has his own way of coming aboard. '

At this the Hermit laughed too, and the spell being broken, the stewardbrought supper as to a man of flesh and blood. 

'So I'm a runaway, Sim, ' the Hermit said cheerily when he had finished;'and there was no Mother Porker to catch me on the landing. '

'Catch you? No! You're A1 at it!' Chimp replied. 

'Yes, ' resumed the Hermit, stretching his limbs, 'we're going to becomrades again. But when we're in England, mind, no fairs, Sim, nocaravans. '

Chimp laughed. 

'And we'll go and see Ranji, ' said the Hermit. 

THE END

The Dumpy Books for Children. 

Selected by E. V. LUCAS. 

I. THE FLAMP, THE AMELIORATOR, AND THE SCHOOLBOY'S APPRENTICE, _by E. V. LUCAS_

II. MRS. TURNER'S CAUTIONARY STORIES

III. THE BAD FAMILY, _by Mrs. Fenwick_

IV. LITTLE BLACK SAMBO, _by Helen Bannerman_. With Pictures in coloursby the Author

V. THE BOUNTIFUL LADY, _by Thomas Cobb_

VI. A CAT BOOK, Portraits _by H. Officer Smith_, Characteristics _by E. V. LUCAS_