“There’s only one path to safety, and that’s the path of action.”
So Alice said, “O high priest the great idol, the humblest thy slaves took the school umbrella for a divining-rod, and the song inver–what’s-it’s-name?”
“Invocation perhaps?” said Albert’s uncle.
“Yes; and then I went about and about and the others got tired, so the divining-rod fell on a certain spot, and I said, ‘Dig’, and we dug–it was where the loose board is for the gas men–and then there really and truly was a half-sovereign lying under the boards, and here it is.”
Albert’s uncle took it and looked at it.
great high priest will bite it to see if it’s good,” he said, and he did. “I congratulate he went on; “you are
——————————————————————————– Page 260those favoured by the Immortals. First you find half-crowns in the garden, and now The high priest advises you to tell your Father, and ask if you may keep it. My hero has become penitent, but impatient. I must pull him out this scrape. Ye have my leave to depart.”
course we know from Kipling that that means, “You’d better bunk, and be sharp about so we came away. I do like Albert’s uncle. I shall be like that when I’m a man. He gave us our Jungle books, and he is awfully clever, though he does have to write grown-up tales.
We told Father about it that night. He was kind. He said we might certainly have the half-sovereign, and he hoped we should enjoy ourselves with our treasure-trove. Then he said, “Your Mother’s Indian Uncle is coming to dinner here to-morrow night. So will you not drag the furniture about overhead, please, more than you’re absolutely obliged; and H.O. might slippers or something. I can always distinguish the note H.O.’s boots.” We said we would be quiet, and Father went on–
——————————————————————————– Page 261“This Indian Uncle is not used to and he is coming to talk business with me. It is really important that he should be quiet. Do you think, Dora, that perhaps bed at six for H.O. and No�l–” But H.O. said, “Father, I really and truly won’t make a noise. I’ll stand on my head all the evening sooner than disturb the Indian Uncle with my boots.”
And Alice said No�l never made a row anyhow.
So Father laughed and said, “All right.” And he said we might do as we liked with the half-sovereign. “Only for goodness” sake don’t try to go in for business with he said. always a mistake to go into business with an insufficient capital.”
We talked it over all that evening, and we decided that as we were not to go into business with our half-sovereign it was no use not spending it at once, and so we might as well have a right royal feast. The next day we went out and bought the things. We got figs, and almonds and raisins, and a real raw rabbit, and Eliza promised to cook it for us if we would wait till tomorrow, because the Indian Uncle coming to dinner. She was busy cooking nice things for him to eat.