hen."

There was silence. Cyril went on--there was nothing else for it--

"Yes, we took this out of your larder, and some chicken and tongue and
bread. We were very hungry, and we didn't take the custard or jam. We
only took bread and meat and water,--and we couldn't help its being soda
kind,--just the necessaries of life; and we left half-a-crown to pay for
it, and we left a letter. And we're very sorry. And my father will pay a
fine and anything you like, but don't send us to prison. Mother would
be so vexed. You know what you said about not being a disgrace. Well,
don't you go and do it to us--that's all! We're as sorry as we can be.
There!"

"However did you get up to the larder window?" said Mrs. Vicar.

"I can't tell you that," said Cyril firmly.

"Is this the whole truth you've been telling me?" asked the clergyman.

"No," answered Jane suddenly; "it's all true, but it's not the whole
truth. We can't tell you that. It's no good asking. Oh, do forgive us
and take us home!" She ran to the Vicar's wife and threw her arms round
her. The Vicar's wife put her arms round Jane, and the keeper whispered
behind his hand to the Vicar--

"They're all right, sir--I expect it's a pal they're standing by.
Someone put 'em up to it, and they won't peach. Game little kids."

"Tell me," said the Vicar kindly, "are you screening someone else? Had
anyone else anything to do with this?"

"Yes," said Anthea, thinking of the Psammead; "but it wasn't their
fault."

"Very well, my dears," said the Vicar, "then let's say no more about it.
Only just tell us why you wrote such an odd letter."

"I don't know," said Cyril. "You see, Anthea wrote it in such a hurry,
and it really didn't seem like stealing then. But afterwards, when we
found we couldn't get down off the church-tower, it seemed just exactly
like it. We are all very sorry"--

"Say no more about it," said the Vicar's wife; "but another time just
think before you take other people's tongues. Now--some cake and milk
before you go home?"

When Andrew came to say that the horse was put to, and was he expected
to be led alone into the trap that he had plainly seen from the first,
he found the children eating cake and drinking milk and laughing at the
Vicar's jokes. Jane was sitting on the Vicar's wife's lap.

So you see they got off better than they deserved.

The gamekeeper, who was the cook's cousin, asked leave to drive home
with them, and Andrew was only too glad t