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[56] <h2>CHAPTER VIII. Home Again.</h2> <div> <ANTIMG class="drop-cap" src="images/drop-e.jpg" width-obs="168" height-obs="173" alt="E" /></div> EARLY next morning the family started back to the farm, leaving with regret the beautiful valley, to which they promised themselves they would certainly return at some future day. Beautiful indeed was the homeward drive in the freshness of the morning, and when the Bungalow was reached the children found a most delightful surprise awaiting them. For there on the piazza was Papa Doctor, who had come down, unannounced, by an early train. Busy as he was, he declared that he could no longer exist without a peep at his family, and moreover announced his intention of carrying them all off home with him. Indeed the little folk were so glad to see him that they raised no very serious objections to the home-going plan. So it fell out that after luncheon trunks were packed, and the whole party, including Tim in a large wicker cage, returned to town by a late afternoon train. The children knew that Dr. North’s patients could not spare him,[57] and so uttered not a single word of disappointment at the rather abrupt termination of their outing. The Teddy bears were greatly delighted to get home again. They had been hugely bored by the visit to the farm where there was not very much for them to do in the way of making mischief. Nor did they delay their plans for a single night, but that evening, as soon as everything was quiet in the nursery, Peter Pan proceeded to put into execution the scheme that he had concocted one afternoon, while being carried through the house in Sally’s arms, when he had been seized with a great curiosity to investigate the whole place. To be sure, Rough House was asleep by Sally’s bed, but Peter Pan moved cautiously, and silently marshalling his little family they crept out of the nursery and down the first flight of stairs. In the lower hall they paused to take breath and decide what to do next. The big drawing-room was the nearest at hand and into this they scurried, somewhat awed by the thick darkness that was broken only by a few stray moonbeams drifting in through the lace curtains. Guided by these, Peter Pan at last found the inevitable button, and all the beauties of the fine, large room lay revealed to the admiring gaze of the Teddy bears. There were beautiful gilt chairs with elegantly carved frames and backs and seats of tufted satin; elegant, spindle-legged tables inlaid[58] with pearl; curio cabinets that contained precious mementos of a recent trip abroad; beautiful paintings and one or two fine bits of statuary; and in one corner a grand piano upon which Bedelia instantly longed to lay her devastating paws. But tug as they might, their united efforts were inadequate to lift the heavy carved lid. So, much disappointed, they turned their attention to the curio cabinets. These they found to be easy of access, as the keys had not been removed from the locks, and they were soon enjoying the costly trifles with which they were filled, and many of which they succeeded in breaking before they grew tired. When at last they had exhausted the resources of the drawing-room, they all trailed into the library which lay just beyond and was separated from it by heavy silk portieres. Here were rows upon rows of books behind glass doors, but there were keys in the locks and a library step-ladder was in evidence. The whole family swarmed up the steps, dragging out the books and tumbling them over in their eager haste to find pictures. Only pictures of animals interested them. At last they discovered a set of Natural History and here they found representations of creatures that resembled themselves and with these they were greatly delighted. [59] So eager were they to get at them, each one wishing to have the same book at the same time, that they flung the volumes about, tearing the pages and soiling the rich bindings. <div class="figcenter"> <ANTIMG src="images/illus064.jpg" width-obs="463" height-obs="362" alt="Bears messing up the library" /></div> One of the twins even tore off a piece and tasted it to try if it were good to eat, for by this time he was growing hungry. He regretted his meal later on, however, for it made him very ill indeed. At length, wearied of examining the heavy books, they turned their attention to Dr. North’s desk, a splendid specimen of carved oak[60] and Spanish leather. Here they upset the ink, tore up whatever paper they could lay paws on and broke in two or three pieces a costly eastern dagger with which they attempted to pry open the drawers of the desk. Luckily, however, these were fast locked, and finding nothing else to engross their attention decided that it was time to look for something to eat. Peter Pan was very much disappointed at not finding anything of that description in the library, as only the day before he had heard Sally’s governess remark that she fairly devoured her books. And he had imagined that they would find a great feast awaiting them in the library. However, it was finally decided to invade the dining-room and thither the hungry group proceeded without delay, leaving the library looking as if a whirlwind had swept through it. Here they found everything in excellent order and the table laid for breakfast, which was contrary to all rules and regulations. But the new maid was lazy and found that she could sleep a little longer in the morning by laying the table the night before. The Teddy bears immediately made a rush for the table, falling over each other in their eagerness to get to the chairs, into which they climbed, pulling the napkins out of the rings and confident that a fine meal was awaiting them. Great, therefore, was their dismay, when they were unable to discover the smallest evidence of anything to eat. [61] This was more amazing than their experience in the library. If people did not eat in the dining-rooms where on earth did they eat? Bedelia could find no answer for this conundrum propounded by her husband with a tragic gesture. But she was far too hungry to be staggered by conundrums and started on a voyage of discovery, with the result that on the sideboard she espied a silver fruit dish filled with grapes and oranges and a plate filled with biscuits. The grapes they left severely alone as belonging religiously to nurse’s bonnet. But on the oranges and biscuits they feasted until well nigh ready to burst, and finally departed leaving a sorry mess behind them. Of course they never for a moment thought of turning out the lights, but left them flaring in all the rooms they had visited. After their hearty meal they were not quite as lively as they had been when hungry and were forced to conduct themselves in a more leisurely manner. They now decided to mount to the top floor and look into things from the attic down. <div class="figleft"> <ANTIMG src="images/illus067.jpg" width-obs="262" height-obs="302" alt="bear sitting back to us" /></div> Cautiously they toiled up the first flight, for it was a much more difficult task to climb up than it was to hop down from step to step. And at the very top they were confronted by a sight that made them ready to stand on their heads for pure joy. [62] Now a Teddy bear is the most inquisitive of all created creatures and is usually quite ready to risk his neck in order to find out something that has piqued his curiosity. During all their stay in the house there was one room the door of which they had never seen open, although it was directly opposite Sally’s and they had been filled with the most burning curiosity and speculation as to what it might contain. Of course they could not understand that the room belonged to the dear little absent son, and was being kept closed up, having been swept and garnished, against his return. However, the door, which so long remained a locked mystery, now stood wide open, inviting them, as it were, to enter. And you may be sure that they were anything but slow in availing themselves of the invitation. Into the room they tumbled pell mell, in their usual unseemly manner, each one trying to be first regardless of any respect for their elders. Only the baby cub, Little Breeches, who was beginning to feel tired, hung on to his mother’s hind leg and so was dragged into prominence without any effort at all on his own part. <hr class="chap" /></div> <div style="break-after:column;"></div>

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