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back；〃 he said solemnly and meant it； too。
And in the end； you know； he flew away。 Twice he came back from
the window； wanting to kiss his mother； but he feared the delight
of it might waken her； so at last he played her a lovely kiss on
his pipe； and then he flew back to the Gardens。
Many nights and even months passed before he asked the fairies
for his second wish； and I am not sure that I quite know why he
delayed so long。 One reason was that he had so many good…byes to
say； not only to his particular friends； but to a hundred
favourite spots。 Then he had his last sail； and his very last
sail； and his last sail of all； and so on。 Again； a number of
farewell feasts were given in his honour； and another comfortable
reason was that； after all； there was no hurry； for his mother
would never weary of waiting for him。 This last reason
displeased old Solomon； for it was an encouragement to the birds
to procrastinate。 Solomon had several excellent mottoes for
keeping them at their work； such as 〃Never put off laying to…day；
because you can lay to…morrow；〃 and 〃In this world there are no
second chances；〃 and yet here was Peter gaily putting off and
none the worse for it。 The birds pointed this out to each other；
and fell into lazy habits。
But； mind you； though Peter was so slow in going back to his
mother； he was quite decided to go back。 The best proof of this
was his caution with the fairies。 They were most anxious that he
should remain in the Gardens to play to them； and to bring this
to pass they tried to trick him into making such a remark as 〃I
wish the grass was not so wet；〃 and some of them danced out of
time in the hope that he might cry； 〃I do wish you would keep
time！〃 Then they would have said that this was his second wish。
But he smoked their design； and though on occasions he began； 〃I
wish〃 he always stopped in time。 So when at last he said to
them bravely； 〃I wish now to go back to mother for ever and
always；〃 they had to tickle his shoulders and let him go。
He went in a hurry in the end because he had dreamt that his
mother was crying； and he knew what was the great thing she cried
for； and that a hug from her splendid Peter would quickly make
her to smile。 Oh； he felt sure of it； and so eager was he to be
nestling in her arms that this time he flew straight to the
window； which was always to be open for him。
But the window was closed； and there were iron bars on it； and
peering inside he saw his mother sleeping peacefully with her arm
round another little boy。
Peter called； 〃Mother！ mother！〃 but she heard him not； in vain he
beat his little limbs against the iron bars。 He had to fly back；
sobbing； to the Gardens； and he never saw his dear again。 What a
glorious boy he had meant to be to her。 Ah； Peter； we who have
made the great mistake； how differently we should all act at the
second chance。 But Solomon was right； there is no second chance；
not for most of us。 When we reach the window it is Lock…out
Time。 The iron bars are up for life。
XVII
The Little House
Everybody has heard of the Little House in the Kensington
Gardens； which is the only house in the whole world that the
fairies have built for humans。 But no one has really seen it；
except just three or four； and they have not only seen it but
slept in it； and unless you sleep in it you never see it。 This
is because it is not there when you lie down； but it is there
when you wake up and step outside。
In a kind of way everyone may see it； but what you see is not
really it； but only the light in the windows。 You see the light
after Lock…out Time。 David； for instance； saw it quite
distinctly far away among the trees as we were going home from
the pantomime； and Oliver Bailey saw it the night he stayed so
late at the Temple； which is the name of his father's office。
Angela Clare； who loves to have a tooth extracted because then
she is treated to tea in a shop； saw more than one light； she saw
hundreds of them all together； and this must have been the
fairies building the house； for they build it every night and
always in a different part of the Gardens。 She thought one of
the lights was bigger than the others； though she was not quite
sure； for they jumped about so； and it might have been another
one that was bigger。 But if it was the same one； it was Peter
Pan's light。 Heaps of children have seen the light； so that is
nothing。 But Maimie Mannering was the famous one for whom the
house was first built。
Maimie was always rather a strange girl； and it was at night that
she was strange。 She was four years of age； and in the daytime
she was the ordinary kind。 She was pleased when her brother
Tony； who was a magnificent fellow of six； took notice of her；
and she looked up to him in the right way； and tried in vain to
imitate him and was flattered rather than annoyed when he shoved
her about。 Also； when she was batting she would pause though the
ball was in the air to point out to you that she was wearing new
shoes。 She was quite the ordinary kind in the daytime。
But as the shades of night fell； Tony； the swaggerer； lost his
contempt for Maimie and eyed her fearfully； and no wonder； for
with dark there came into her face a look that I can describe
only as a leary look。 It was also a serene look that contrasted
grandly with Tony's uneasy glances。 Then he would make her
presents of his favourite toys （which he always took away from
her next morning） and she accepted them with a disturbing smile。
The reason he was now become so wheedling and she so mysterious
was （in brief） that they knew they were about to be sent to bed。
It was then that Maimie was terrible。 Tony entreated her not to
do it to…night； and the mother and their coloured nurse
threatened her； but Maimie merely smiled her agitating smile。
And by…and…by when they were alone with their night…light she
would start up in bed crying 〃Hsh！ what was that？〃 Tony
beseeches her！ 〃It was nothingdon't； Maimie； don't！〃 and pulls
the sheet over his head。 〃It is coming nearer！〃 she cries； 〃Oh；
look at it； Tony！ It is feeling your bed with its hornsit is
boring for you； oh； Tony； oh！〃 and she desists not until he
rushes downstairs in his combinations； screeching。 When they
came up to whip Maimie they usually found her sleeping
tranquilly； not shamming； you know； but really sleeping； and
looking like the sweetest little angel； which seems to me to make
it almost worse。
But of course it was daytime when they were in the Gardens； and
then Tony did most of the talking。 You could gather from his
talk that he was a very brave boy； and no one was so proud of it
as Maimie。 She would have loved to have a ticket on her saying
that she was his sister。 And at no time did she admire him more
than when he told her； as he often did with splendid firmness；
that one day he meant to remain behind in the Gardens after the
gates were closed。
〃Oh； Tony；〃 she would say； with awful respect； 〃but the fairies
will be so angry！〃
〃I daresay；〃 replied Tony； carelessly。
〃Perhaps；〃 she said； thrilling； 〃Peter Pan will give you a sail
in his boat！〃
〃I shall make him；〃 replied Tony； no wonder she was proud of him。
But they should not have talked so loudly； for one day they were
overheard by a fairy who had been gathering skeleton leaves； from
which the little people weave their summer curtains； and after
that Tony was a marked boy。 They loosened the rails before he
sat on them； so that down he came on the back of his head； they
tripped him up by catching his boot…lace and bribed the ducks to
sink his boat。 Nearly all the nasty accidents you meet with in
the Gardens occur because the fairies have taken an ill…will to
you； and so it behoves you to be careful what you say about them。
Maimie was one of the kind who like to fix a day for doing
things； but Tony was not that kind； and when she asked him which
day he was to remain behind in the Gardens after Lock…out he
merely replied； 〃Just some day；〃 he was quite vague about which
day except when she asked 〃Will it be to…day？〃 and then he could
always say for certain that it would not be to…day。 So she saw
that he was waiting for a real good chance。
This brings us to an afternoon when the Gardens were white with
snow； and there was ice on the Round Pond； not thick enough to
skate on but at least you could spoil it for to…morrow by
flinging stones； and many bright little boys and girls were doing
that。
When Tony and his sister arrived they wanted to go straight to
the pond； but their ayah said they must take a sharp walk first；
and as she said this she glanced at the time…board to see when
the Gardens closed that night。 It read half…past five。 Poor
ayah！ she is the one who laughs continuously because there are so
many white children in the world； but she was