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"We were still discussing it, you remember," says Mr. Darling, `
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"when Nana came in with Michael's medicine. You will never carry `
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the bottle in your mouth again, Nana, and it is all my fault." `
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Strong man though he was, there is no doubt that he had behaved `
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rather foolishly over the medicine. If he had a weakness, it was `
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for thinking that all his life he had taken medicine boldly, and `
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so now, when Michael dodged the spoon in Nana's mouth, he had `
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said reprovingly, "Be a man, Michael." `
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"Won't; won't!" Michael cried naughtily. Mrs. Darling left the `
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room to get a chocolate for him, and Mr. Darling thought this `
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showed want of firmness. `
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"Mother, don't pamper him," he called after her. "Michael, `
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when I was your age I took medicine without a murmur. I said, `
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`Thank you, kind parents, for giving me bottles to make we `
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well.'" `
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He really thought this was true, and Wendy, who was now in her `
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night-gown, believed it also, and she said, to encourage `
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Michael, "That medicine you sometimes take, father, is much `
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nastier, isn't it?" `
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"Ever so much nastier," Mr. Darling said bravely, "and I would `
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take it now as an example to you, Michael, if I hadn't lost the `
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bottle." `
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He had not exactly lost it; he had climbed in the dead of night `
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to the top of the wardrobe and hidden it there. What he did not `
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know was that the faithful Liza had found it, and put it back on `
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his wash-stand. `
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"I know where it is, father," Wendy cried, always glad to be of `
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service. "I'll bring it," and she was off before he could stop `
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her. Immediately his spirits sank in the strangest way. `
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"John," he said, shuddering, "it's most beastly stuff. It's `
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that nasty, sticky, sweet kind." `
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"It will soon be over, father," John said cheerily, and then in `
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rushed Wendy with the medicine in a glass. `
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"I have been as quick as I could," she panted. `
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"You have been wonderfully quick," her father retorted, with a `
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vindictive politeness that was quite thrown away upon her. `
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"Michael first," he said doggedly. `
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"Father first," said Michael, who was of a suspicious nature. `
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"I shall be sick, you know," Mr. Darling said threateningly. `
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"Come on, father," said John. `
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"Hold your tongue, John," his father rapped out. `
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Wendy was quite puzzled. "I thought you took it quite easily, `
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father." `
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"That is not the point," he retorted. "The point is, that `
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there is more in my glass that in Michael's spoon." His proud `
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heart was nearly bursting. "And it isn't fair: I would say it `
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though it were with my last breath; it isn't fair." `
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"Father, I am waiting," said Michael coldly. `
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"It's all very well to say you are waiting; so am I waiting." `
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"Father's a cowardly custard." `
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"So are you a cowardly custard." `
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"I'm not frightened." `
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"Neither am I frightened." `
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"Well, then, take it." `
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"Well, then, you take it." `
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Wendy had a splendid idea. "Why not both take it at the same `
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time?" `
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"Certainly," said Mr. Darling. "Are you ready, Michael?" `
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Wendy gave the words, one, two, three, and Michael took his `
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medicine, but Mr. Darling slipped his behind his back. `
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There was a yell of rage from Michael, and "O father!" Wendy `
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exclaimed. `
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"What do you mean by `O father'?" Mr. Darling demanded. "Stop `
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that row, Michael. I meant to take mine, but I -- I missed it." `
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It was dreadful the way all the three were looking at him, just `
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as if they did not admire him. "Look here, all of you," he said `
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entreatingly, as soon as Nana had gone into the bathroom. "I `
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have just thought of a splendid joke. I shall pour my medicine `
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into Nana's bowl, and she will drink it, thinking it is milk!" `
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It was the colour of milk; but the children did not have their `
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father's sense of humour, and they looked at him reproachfully as `
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he poured the medicine into Nana's bowl. "What fun!" he said `
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doubtfully, and they did not dare expose him when Mrs. Darling `
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and Nana returned. `
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"Nana, good dog," he said, patting her, "I have put a little `
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milk into your bowl, Nana." `
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Nana wagged her tail, ran to the medicine, and began lapping `
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it. Then she gave Mr. Darling such a look, not an angry look: `
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she showed him the great red tear that makes us so sorry for `
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noble dogs, and crept into her kennel. `
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Mr. Darling was frightfully ashamed of himself, but he would `
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not give in. In a horrid silence Mrs. Darling smelt the bowl. `
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"O George," she said, "it's your medicine!" `
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"It was only a joke," he roared, while she comforted her boys, `
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and Wendy hugged Nana. "Much good," he said bitterly, "my `
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wearing myself to the bone trying to be funny in this house." `
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And still Wendy hugged Nana. "That's right," he shouted. `
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"Coddle her! Nobody coddles me. Oh dear no! I am only the `
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breadwinner, why should I be coddled--why, why, why!" `
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"George," Mrs. Darling entreated him, "not so loud; the `
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servants will hear you." Somehow they had got into the way of `
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calling Liza the servants. `
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"Let them!" he answered recklessly. "Bring in the whole world. `
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But I refuse to allow that dog to lord it in my nursery for an `
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hour longer." `
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The children wept, and Nana ran to him beseechingly, but he `
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waved her back. He felt he was a strong man again. "In vain, in `
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vain," he cried; "the proper place for you is the yard, and there `
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you go to be tied up this instant." `
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"George, George," Mrs. Darling whispered, "remember what I told `
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you about that boy." `
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Alas, he would not listen. He was determined to show who was `
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master in that house, and when commands would not draw Nana from `
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the kennel, he lured her out of it with honeyed words, and `
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seizing her roughly, dragged her from the nursery. He was `
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ashamed of himself, and yet he did it. It was all owing to his `
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too affectionate nature, which craved for admiration. When he `
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had tied her up in the back-yard, the wretched father went and `
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sat in the passage, with his knuckles to his eyes. `
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In the meantime Mrs. Darling had put the children to bed in `
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unwonted silence and lit their night-lights. They could hear `
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Nana barking, and John whimpered, "It is because he is chaining `
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her up in the yard," but Wendy was wiser. `
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"That is not Nana's unhappy bark," she said, little guessing `
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what was about to happen; "that is her bark when she smells `
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danger." `
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Danger! `
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"Are you sure, Wendy?" `
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"Oh, yes." `
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Mrs. Darling quivered and went to the window. It was securely `
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fastened. She looked out, and the night was peppered with stars. `
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They were crowding round the house, as if curious to see what was `
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to take place there, but she did not notice this, nor that one or `
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two of the smaller ones winked at her. Yet a nameless fear `
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clutched at her heart and made her cry, "Oh, how I wish that I `
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wasn't going to a party to-night!" `
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Even Michael, already half asleep, knew that she was perturbed, `
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and he asked, "Can anything harm us, mother, after the night- `
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lights are lit?" `
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"Nothing, precious," she said; "they are the eyes a mother `
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leaves behind her to guard her children." `
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She went from bed to bed singing enchantments over them, and `
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little Michael flung his arms round her. "Mother," he cried, `
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"I'm glad of you." They were the last words she was to hear from `
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him for a long time. `
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No. 27 was only a few yards distant, but there had been a `
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slight fall of snow, and Father and Mother Darling picked their `
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way over it deftly not to soil their shoes. They were already `
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the only persons in the street, and all the stars were watching `
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them. Stars are beautiful, but they may not take an active part `
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in anything, they must just look on for ever. It is a punishment `
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put on them for something they did so long ago that no star now `
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knows what it was. So the older ones have become glassy-eyed and `
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seldom speak (winking is the star language), but the little ones `
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still wonder. They are not really friendly to Peter, who had a `
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mischievous way of stealing up behind them and trying to blow `
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them out; but they are so fond of fun that they were on his side `
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to-night, and anxious to get the grown-ups out of the way. So `
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