Дети железной дороги

           "Oh,botherit!MybootlacehascomeundoneAGAIN!"

           "Whenyou’remarried,"saidPeter,"yourbootlacewillcomeundonegoingupthechurchaisle,andyourmanthatyou’regoingtogetmarriedtowilltumbleoveritandsmashhisnoseinontheornamentedpavement;andthenyou’llsayyouwon’tmarryhim,andyou’llhavetobeanoldmaid."

           "Ishan’t,"saidPhyllis."I’dmuchrathermarryamanwithhisnosesmashedinthannotmarryanybody."

           "Itwouldbehorridtomarryamanwithasmashednose,allthesame,"wentonBobbie."Hewouldn’tbeabletosmelltheflowersatthewedding.Wouldn’tthatbeawful!"

           "Bothertheflowersatthewedding!"criedPeter."Look!thesignal’sdown.Wemustrun!"

           Theyran.Andoncemoretheywavedtheirhandkerchiefs,withoutatallmindingwhetherthehandkerchiefswerecleanornot,tothe9.15.

           "TakeourlovetoFather!"criedBobbie.Andtheothers,too,shouted:—

           "TakeourlovetoFather!"

           Theoldgentlemanwavedfromhisfirst-classcarriagewindow.Quiteviolentlyhewaved.Andtherewasnothingoddinthat,forhealwayshadwaved.Butwhatwasreallyremarkablewasthatfromeverywindowhandkerchiefsfluttered,newspaperssignalled,handswavedwildly.Thetrainsweptbywitharustleandroar,thelittlepebblesjumpedanddancedunderitasitpassed,andthechildrenwereleftlookingateachother.

           "Well!"saidPeter.