By three bells that morning they were all stirring their stumps[legs]; for there was a big sea running; and Tootles, the bo'sun,was among them, with a rope's end in his hand and chewingtobacco. They all donned pirate clothes cut off at the knee,shaved smartly, and tumbled up, with the true nautical roll andhitching their trousers.

It need not be said who was the captain. Nibs and John werefirst and second mate. There was a woman aboard. The rest weretars [sailors] before the mast, and lived in the fo'c'sle. Peterhad already lashed himself to the wheel; but he piped all handsand delivered a short address to them; said he hoped they woulddo their duty like gallant hearties, but that he knew they werethe scum of Rio and the Gold Coast, and if they snapped at him hewould tear them. The bluff strident words struck the notesailors understood, and they cheered him lustily. Then a fewsharp orders were given, and they turned the ship round, and nosedher for the mainland.

Captain Pan calculated, after consulting the ship's chart, thatif this weather lasted they should strike the Azores about the21st of June, after which it would save time to fly.

Some of them wanted it to be an honest ship and others were infavour of keeping it a pirate; but the captain treated them asdogs, and they dared not express their wishes to him even in around robin [one person after another, as they had to Cpt. Hook]. Instant obedience was the only safe thing. Slightly got a dozenfor looking perplexed when told to take soundings. The generalfeeling was that Peter was honest just now to lull Wendy'ssuspicions, but that there might be a change when the new suitwas ready, which, against her will, she was making for him out ofsome of Hook's wickedest garments. It was afterwards whisperedamong them that on the first night he wore this suit he sat longin the cabin with Hook's cigar-holder in his mouth and one handclenched, all but for the forefinger, which he bent and heldthreateningly aloft like a hook.

Instead of watching the ship, however, we must now return tothat desolate home from which three of our characters had takenheartless flight so long ago. It seems a shame to have neglectedNo. 14 all this time; and yet we may be sure that Mrs. Darlingdoes not blame us. If we had returned sooner to look withsorrowful sympathy at her, she would probably have cried, "Don'tbe silly; what do I matter? Do go back and keep an eye on thechildren." So long as mothers are like this their children willtake advantage of them; and they may lay to [bet on] that.

Even now we venture into that familiar nursery only because itslawful occupants are on their way home; we are merely hurrying onin advance of them to see that their beds are properly aired andthat Mr. and Mrs. Darling do not go out for the evening. We areno more than servants. Why on earth should their beds beproperly aired, seeing that they left them in such a thanklesshurry? Would it not serve them jolly well right if they cameback and found that their parents were spending the week-end inthe country? It would be the moral lesson they have been in needof ever since we met them; but if we contrived things in this wayMrs. Darling would never forgive us.

One thing I should like to do immensely, and that is to tellher, in the way authors have, that the children are coming back,that indeed they will be here on Thursday week. This would spoilso completely the surprise to which Wendy and John and Michaelare looking forward. They have been planning it out on the ship: mother's rapture, father's shout of joy, Nana's leap through theair to embrace them first, when what they ought to be preparedfor is a good hiding. How delicious to spoil it all by breakingthe news in advance; so that when they enter grandly Mrs. Darlingmay not even offer Wendy her mouth, and Mr. Darling may exclaimpettishly, "Dash it all, here are those boys again." However, weshould get no thanks even for this. We are beginning to knowMrs. Darling by this time, and may be sure that she would upbraidus for depriving the children of their little pleasure.

"But, my dear madam, it is ten days till Thursday week; so thatby telling you what's what, we can save you ten days ofunhappiness."

"Yes, but at what a cost! By depriving the children of tenminutes of delight."

"Oh, if you look at it in that way!"

"What other way is there in which to look at it?"

You see, the woman had no proper spirit. I had meant to sayextraordinarily nice things about her; but I despise her, and notone of them will I say now. She does not really need to be toldto have things ready, for they are ready. All the beds are aired,and she never leaves the house, and observe, the window is open. For all the use we are to her, we might well go back to the ship. However, as we are here we may as well stay and look on. That isall we are, lookers-on. Nobody really wants us. So let us watchand say jaggy things, in the hope that some of them will hurt.

The only change to be seen in the night-nursery is that betweennine and six the kennel is no longer there. When the childrenflew away, Mr. Darling felt in his bones that all the blame washis for having chained Nana up, and that from first to last shehad been wiser than he. Of course, as we have seen, he was quitea simple man; indeed be might have passed for a boy again if hehad been able to take his baldness off; but he had also a noblesense of justice and a lion's courage to do what seemed right tohim; and having thought the matter out with anxious care afterthe flight of the children, he went down on all fours and crawledinto the kennel. To all Mrs. Darling's dear invitations to himto come out he replied sadly but firmly:

"No, my own one, this is the place for me."

In the bitterness of his remorse he swore that he would neverleave the kennel until his children came back. Of course thiswas a pity; but whatever Mr. Darling did he had to do in excess, otherwise he soon gave up doing it. And there never was a morehumble man than the once proud George Darling, as he sat in thekennel of an evening talking with his wife of their children andall their pretty ways.

Very touching was his deference to Nana. He would not let hercome into the kennel, but on all other matters he followed herwishes implicitly.

Every morning the kennel was carried with Mr. Darling in it toa cab, which conveyed him to his office, and he returned home inthe same way at six. Something of the strength of character ofthe man will be seen if we remember how sensitive he was to theopinion of neighbours: this man whose every movement nowattracted surprised attention. Inwardly he must have sufferedtorture; but he preserved a calm exterior even when the youngcriticised his little home, and he always lifted his hatcourteously to any lady who looked inside.

It may have been Quixotic, but it was magnificent. Soon theinward meaning of it leaked out, and the great heart of thepublic was touched. Crowds followed the cab, cheering itlustily; charming girls scaled it to get his autograph;interviews appeared in the better class of papers, and societyinvited him to dinner and added, "Do come in the kennel."

On that eventful Thursday week, Mrs. Darling was in the night-nursery awaiting George's return home; a very sad-eyed woman. Now that we look at her closely and remember the gaiety of her inthe old days, all gone now just because she has lost her babes, Ifind I won't be able to say nasty things about her after all. Ifshe was too fond of her rubbishy children, she couldn't help it. Look at her in her chair, where she has fallen asleep. Thecorner of her mouth, where one looks first, is almost witheredup. Her hand moves restlessly on her breast as if she had apain there. Some like Peter best, and some like Wendy best, butI like her best. Suppose, to make her happy, we whisper to herin her sleep that the brats are coming back. They are reallywithin two miles of the window now, and flying strong, but allwe need whisper is that they are on the way. Let's.

It is a pity we did it, for she has started up, calling theirnames; and there is no one in the room but Nana.

"O Nana, I dreamt my dear ones had come back."

Nana had filmy eyes, but all she could do was put her pawgently on her mistress's lap; and they were sitting together thuswhen the kennel was brought back. As Mr. Darling puts his headout to kiss his wife, we see that his face is more worn than ofyore, but has a softer expression.

He gave his hat to Liza, who took it scornfully; for she had noimagination, and was quite incapable of understanding the motivesof such a man. Outside, the crowd who had accompanied the cabhome were still cheering, and he was naturally not unmoved.

"Listen to them," he said; "it is very gratifying."

"Lots of little boys," sneered Liza.

"There were several adults to-day," he assured her with a faintflush; but when she tossed her head he had not a word of reproof forher. Social success had not spoilt him; it had made him sweeter. For some time he sat with his head out of the kennel, talking withMrs. Darling of this success, and pressing her hand reassuringlywhen she said she hoped his head would not be turned by it.

"But if I had been a weak man," he said. "Good heavens, if Ihad been a weak man!"

"And, George," she said timidly, "you are as full of remorse asever, aren't you?"

"Full of remorse as ever, dearest! See my punishment: livingin a kennel."

"But it is punishment, isn't it, George? You are sure you arenot enjoying it?"

"My love!"

You may be sure she begged his pardon; and then, feelingdrowsy, he curled round in the kennel.

"Won't you play me to sleep," he asked, "on the nursery piano?"and as she was crossing to the day-nursery he addedthoughtlessly, "And shut that window. I feel a draught."

"O George, never ask me to do that. The window must always beleft open for them, always, always."

Now it was his turn to beg her pardon; and she went into theday-nursery and played, and soon he was asleep; and while heslept, Wendy and John and Michael flew into the room.

Oh no. We have written it so, because that was the charmingarrangement planned by them before we left the ship; butsomething must have happened since then, for it is not they whohave flown in, it is Peter and Tinker Bell.

Peter's first words tell all.

"Quick Tink," he whipered, "close the window; bar it! That'sright. Now you and I must get away by the door; and when Wendycomes she will think her mother has barred her out; and she willhave to go back with me."

Now I understand what had hitherto puzzled me, why when Peterhad exterminated the pirates he did not return to the island andleave Tink to escort the children to the mainland. This trickhad been in his head all the time.

Instead of feeling that he was behaving badly he danced withglee; then he peeped into the day-nursery to see who was playing. He whispered to Tink, "It's Wendy's mother! She is a prettylady, but not so pretty as my mother. Her mouth is full ofthimbles, but not so full as my mother's was."

Of course he knew nothing whatever about his mother; but hesometimes bragged about her.

He did not know the tune, which was "Home, Sweet Home," but heknew it was saying, "Come back, Wendy, Wendy, Wendy"; and hecried exultantly, "You will never see Wendy again, lady, for thewindow is barred!"

He peeped in again to see why the music had stopped, and now hesaw that Mrs. Darling had laid her head on the box, and that twotears were sitting on her eyes.

"She wants me to unbar the window," thought Peter, "but Iwon't, not I!"

He peeped again, and the tears were still there, or another twohad taken their place.

"She's awfully fond of Wendy," he said to himself. He wasangry with her now for not seeing why she could not have Wendy.

The reason was so simple: "I'm fond of her too. We can't bothhave her, lady."

But the lady would not make the best of it, and he was unhappy. He ceased to look at her, but even then she would not let go ofhim. He skipped about and made funny faces, but when he stoppedit was just as if she were inside him, knocking.

"Oh, all right," he said at last, and gulped. Then he unbarredthe window. "Come on, Tink," he cried, with a frightful sneer atthe laws of nature; "we don't want any silly mothers"; and heflew away.

Thus Wendy and John and Michael found the window open for themafter all, which of course was more than they deserved. Theyalighted on the floor, quite unashamed of themselves, and theyoungest one had already forgotten his home.

"John," he said, looking around him doubtfully, "I think I havebeen here before."

"Of course you have, you silly. There is your old bed."

"So it is," Michael said, but not with much conviction.

"I say," cried John, "the kennel!" and he dashed across to lookinto it.

"Perhaps Nana is inside it," Wendy said.

But John whistled. "Hullo," he said, "there's a man insideit."

"It's father!" exclaimed Wendy.

"Let me see father," Michael begged eagerly, and he took a goodlook. "He is not so big as the pirate I killed," he said withsuch frank disappointment that I am glad Mr. Darling was asleep;it would have been sad if those had been the first words he heardhis little Michael say.

Wendy and John had been taken aback somewhat at finding theirfather in the kennel.

"Surely," said John, like one who had lost faith in his memory,"he used not to sleep in the kennel?"

"John," Wendy said falteringly, "perhaps we don't remember theold life as well as we thought we did."

A chill fell upon them; and serve them right.

"It is very careless of mother," said that young scoundrelJohn, "not to be here when we come back."

It was then that Mrs. Darling began playing again.

"It's mother!" cried Wendy, peeping.

"So it is!" said John.

"Then are you not really our mother, Wendy?" asked Michael, whowas surely sleepy.

"Oh dear!" exclaimed Wendy, with her first real twinge ofremorse [for having gone], "it was quite time we came back,"

"Let us creep in," John suggested, "and put our hands over hereyes."

But Wendy, who saw that they must break the joyous news moregently, had a better plan.

"Let us all slip into our beds, and be there when she comes in,just as if we had never been away."

And so when Mrs. Darling went back to the night-nursery to seeif her husband was asleep, all the beds were occupied. Thechildren waited for her cry of joy, but it did not come. She sawthem, but she did not believe they were there. You see, she sawthem in their beds so often in her dreams that she thought thiswas just the dream hanging around her still.

She sat down in the chair by the fire, where in the old daysshe had nursed them.

They could not understand this, and a cold fear fell upon allthe three of them.

"Mother!" Wendy cried.

"That's Wendy," she said, but still she was sure it was thedream.

"Mother!"

"That's John," she said.

"Mother!" cried Michael. He knew her now.

"That's Michael," she said, and she stretched out her arms forthe three little selfish children they would never envelop again. Yes, they did, they went round Wendy and John and Michael, whohad slipped out of bed and run to her.

"George, George!" she cried when she could speak; and Mr.Darling woke to share her bliss, and Nana came rushing in. Therecould not have been a lovelier sight; but there was none to seeit except a little boy who was staring in at the window. He hadhad ecstasies innumerable that other children can never know; buthe was looking through the window at the one joy from which hemust be for ever barred.