'I knew it was a dream,' he cried, wildly. 'I've had something
like it before. Did you dream it too, Aunt Selina, and you, Aunt
Amelia? I dreamed that you did, you know.'
Aunt Selina looked at him and then at Aunt Amelia. Then she said
boldly--
'What do you mean? WE haven't been dreaming anything. You must
have dropped off in your chair.'
The curate heaved a sigh of relief.
'Oh, if it's only _I_,' he said; 'if we'd all dreamed it I could
never have believed it, never!'
Afterwards Aunt Selina said to the other aunt--
'Yes, I know it was an untruth, and I shall doubtless be punished
for it in due course. But I could see the poor dear fellow's brain
giving way before my very eyes. He couldn't have stood the strain
of three dreams. It WAS odd, wasn't it? All three of us dreaming
the same thing at the same moment. We must never tell dear Seppy.
But I shall send an account of it to the Psychical Society, with
stars instead of names, you know.'
And she did. And you can read all about it in one of the society's
fat Blue-books.
Of course, you understand what had happened? The intelligent
Phoenix had simply gone straight off to the Psammead, and had
wished Robert and Jane at home. And, of course, they were at home
at once. Cyril and Anthea had not half finished mending the
carpet.
Pages:
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234