John rubbed his eyes. Then I shall get up, he said. Of course he was
on the floor already. Hallo, he said, I am up!
Michael was up by this time also, looking as sharp as a knife with six
blades and a saw, but Peter suddenly signed silence. Their faces
assumed the awful craftiness of children listening for sounds from the
grown-up world. All was as still as salt. Then everything was right.
No, stop! Everything was wrong. Nana, who had been barking
distressfully all the evening, was quiet now. It was her silence they
had heard.
Out with the light! Hide! Quick! cried John, taking command for the
only time throughout the whole adventure. And thus when Liza entered,
holding Nana, the nursery seemed quite its old self, very dark, and you
would have sworn you heard its three wicked inmates breathing
angelically as they slept. They were really doing it artfully from
behind the window curtains.
Liza was in a bad temper, for she was mixing the Christmas puddings in
the kitchen, and had been drawn from them, with a raisin still on her
cheek, by Nana s absurd suspicions. She thought the best way of getting
a little quiet was to take Nana to the nursery for a moment, but in
custody of course.
There, you suspicious brute, she said, not sorry that Nana was in
disgrace. They are perfectly safe, aren t they? Every one of the
little angels sound asleep in bed. Listen to their gentle breathing.
Here Michael, encouraged by his success, breathed so loudly that they
were nearly detected. Nana knew that kind of breathing, and she tried
to drag herself out of Liza s clutches.
But Liza was dense. No more of it, Nana, she said sternly, pulling
her out of the room. I warn you if you bark again I shall go straight
for master and missus and bring them home from the party, and then, oh,
won t master whip you, just.
She tied the unhappy dog up again, but do you think Nana ceased to
bark? Bring master and missus home from the party! Why, that was just
31