wish you could have seen all the honours and kindnesses lavished on
the children and the learned gentleman by those ancient Britons.

You would have thought, to see them, that a child was something to make
a fuss about, not a bit of rubbish to be hustled about the streets and
hidden away in the Workhouse. It wasn't as grand as the entertainment at
Babylon, but somehow it was more satisfying.

'I think you children have some wonderful influence on me,' said the
learned gentleman. 'I never dreamed such dreams before I knew you.'

It was when they were alone that night under the stars where the Britons
had spread a heap Of dried fern for them to sleep on, that Cyril spoke.

'Well,' he said, 'we've made it all right for Imogen, and had a jolly
good time. I vote we get home again before the fighting begins.'

'What fighting?' asked Jane sleepily.

'Why, Julius Caesar, you little goat,' replied her kind brother. 'Don't
you see that if this is the year fifty-five, Julius Caesar may happen at
any moment.'

'I thought you liked Caesar,' said Robert.

'So I do--in the history. But that's different from being killed by his
soldiers.'

'If we saw Caesar we might persuade him not to,' said Anthea.

'YOU persuade CAESAR,' Robert laughed.

The learned gentleman, before anyone could stop him, said, 'I only wish
we could see Caesar some time.'

And, of course, in just the little time the Psammead took to blow itself
out for wish-giving, the five, or six counting the Psammead, found
themselves in Caesar's camp, just outside Caesar's tent. And they saw
Caesar. The Psammead must have taken advantage of the loose wording of
the learned gentleman's wish, for it was not the same time of day as
that on which the wish had been uttered among the dried ferns. It was
sunset, and the great man sat on a chair outside his tent gazing over
the sea towards Britain--everyone knew without being told that it was
towards Britain. Two golden eagles on the top of posts stood on each
side of the tent, and on the flaps of the tent which was very gorgeous
to look at were the letters S.P.Q.R.

The great man turned unchanged on the newcomers the august glance that
he had turned on the violet waters of the Channel. Though they had
suddenly appeared out of nothing, Caesar never showed by the faintest
movement of an eyelid, by the least tightening of that firm mouth, that
they were not some long expected embassy. He waved a calm hand towards
the sent