so! And, I say, we
didn't surrender, did we?"

"Aren't you glad now I wished for a castle?" asked Cyril.

"I think I am _now_," said Anthea slowly. "But I wouldn't wish for it
again, I think, Squirrel dear!"

"Oh, it was simply splendid!" said Jane unexpectedly. "I wasn't
frightened a bit."

"Oh, I say!" Cyril was beginning, but Anthea stopped him.

"Look here," she said, "it's just come into my head. This is the very
first thing we've wished for that hasn't got us into a row. And there
hasn't been the least little scrap of a row about this. Nobody's raging
downstairs, we're safe and sound, we've had an awfully jolly day--at
least, not jolly exactly, but you know what I mean. And we know now how
brave Robert is--and Cyril too, of course," she added hastily, "and
Jane as well. And we haven't got into a row with a single grown-up."

The door was opened suddenly and fiercely.

"You ought to be ashamed of yourselves," said the voice of Martha, and
they could tell by her voice that she was very angry indeed. "I thought
you couldn't last through the day without getting up to some mischief! A
person can't take a breath of air on the front doorstep but you must be
emptying the water jug on their heads! Off you go to bed, the lot of
you, and try to get up better children in the morning. Now then--don't
let me have to tell you twice. If I find any of you not in bed in ten
minutes I'll let you know it, that's all! A new cap, and everything!"

She flounced out amid a disregarded chorus of regrets and apologies. The
children were very sorry, but really it was not their faults.

You can't help it if you are pouring water on a besieging foe, and your
castle suddenly changes into your house--and everything changes with it
except the water, and that happens to fall on somebody else's clean cap.

"I don't know why the water didn't change into nothing, though," said
Cyril.

"Why should it?" asked Robert. "Water's water all the world over."

"I expect the castle well was the same as ours in the stable-yard," said
Jane. And that was really the case.

"I thought we couldn't get through a wish-day without a row," said
Cyril; "it was much too good to be true. Come on, Bobs, my military
hero. If we lick into bed sharp she won't be so furious, and perhaps
she'll bring us up some supper. I'm jolly hungry! Good-night, kids."

"Good-night. I hope the castle won't come creeping back in the night,"
said Jane.

"Of course it won't,"