Эдит Несбит - The Story of the Treasure Seekers стр 8.

She told us a lot of other pieces but I cannot remember them, and she talked to us all the way up, and when we got nearly to Cannon Street she said

Ive got two new shillings here! Do you think they would help to smooth the path to Fame?

Noel said, Thank you, and was going to take the shilling. But Oswald, who always remembers what he is told, said

Thank you very much, but Father told us we ought never to take anything from strangers.

Thats a nasty one, said the ladyshe didnt talk a bit like a real lady, but more like a jolly sort of grown-up boy in a dress and hata very nasty one! But dont you think as Noel and I are both poets I might be considered a sort of relation? Youve heard of brother poets, havent you? Dont you think Noel and I are aunt and nephew poets, or some relationship of that kind?

I didnt know what to say, and she went on

Its awfully straight of you to stick to what your Father tells you, but look here, you take the shillings, and heres my card. When you get home tell your Father all about it, and if he says No, you can just bring the shillings back to me.

So we took the shillings, and she shook hands with us and said, Good-bye, and good hunting!

We did tell Father about it, and he said it was all right, and when he looked at the card he told us we were highly honoured, for the lady wrote better poetry than any other lady alive now. We had never heard of her, and she seemed much too jolly for a poet. Good old Kipling! We owe him those two shillings, as well as the Jungle books!

CHAPTER 5. THE POET AND THE EDITOR

It was not bad sportbeing in London entirely on our own hook. We asked the way to Fleet Street, where Father says all the newspaper offices are. They said straight on down Ludgate Hillbut it turned out to be quite another way. At least we didnt go straight on.

We got to St Pauls. Noel would go in, and we saw where Gordon was buriedat least the monument. It is very flat, considering what a man he was.

When we came out we walked a long way, and when we asked a policeman he said wed better go back through Smithfield. So we did. They dont burn people any more there now, so it was rather dull, besides being a long way, and Noel got very tired. Hes a peaky little chap; it comes of being a poet, I think. We had a bun or two at different shopsout of the shillingsand it was quite late in the afternoon when we got to Fleet Street. The gas was lighted and the electric lights. There is a jolly Bovril sign that comes off and on in different coloured lamps. We went to the Daily Recorder office, and asked to see the Editor. It is a big office, very bright, with brass and mahogany and electric lights.

They told us the Editor wasnt there, but at another office. So we went down a dirty street, to a very dull-looking place. There was a man there inside, in a glass case, as if he was a museum, and he told us to write down our names and our business. So Oswald wrote

Then we waited on the stone stairs; it was very draughty. And the man in the glass case looked at us as if we were the museum instead of him. We waited a long time, and then a boy came down and said

The Editor cant see you. Will you please write your business? And he laughed. I wanted to punch his head.

But Noel said, Yes, Ill write it if youll give me a pen and ink, and a sheet of paper and an envelope.

The boy said hed better write by post. But Noel is a bit pig-headed; its his worst fault. So he saidNo, Ill write it now. So I backed him up by saying

Look at the price penny stamps are since the coal strike!

So the boy grinned, and the man in the glass case gave us pen and paper, and Noel wrote. Oswald writes better than he does; but Noel would do it; and it took a very long time, and then it was inky.

    DEAR MR EDITOR, I want you to print my poetry and pay for it, and I am a friend of Mrs Leslies; she is a poet too.

He licked the envelope a good deal, so that that boy shouldnt read it going upstairs; and he wrote Very private outside, and gave the letter to the boy. I thought it wasnt any good; but in a minute the grinning boy came back, and he was quite respectful, and saidThe Editor says, please will you step up?

We stepped up. There were a lot of stairs and passages, and a queer sort of humming, hammering sound and a very funny smell. The boy was now very polite, and said it was the ink we smelt, and the noise was the printing machines.

After going through a lot of cold passages we came to a door; the boy opened it, and let us go in. There was a large room, with a big, soft, blue-and-red carpet, and a roaring fire, though it was only October; and a large table with drawers, and littered with papers, just like the one in Fathers study. A gentleman was sitting at one side of the table; he had a light moustache and light eyes, and he looked very young to be an editornot nearly so old as Father. He looked very tired and sleepy, as if he had got up very early in the morning; but he was kind, and we liked him. Oswald thought he looked clever. Oswald is considered a judge of faces.

Well, said he, so you are Mrs Leslies friends?

I think so, said Noel; at least she gave us each a shilling, and she wished us good hunting!

Good hunting, eh? Well, what about this poetry of yours? Which is the poet?

I cant think how he could have asked! Oswald is said to be a very manly-looking boy for his age. However, I thought it would look duffing to be offended, so I said

This is my brother Noel. He is the poet. Noel had turned quite pale. He is disgustingly like a girl in some ways. The Editor told us to sit down, and he took the poems from Noel, and began to read them. Noel got paler and paler; I really thought he was going to faint, like he did when I held his hand under the cold-water tap, after I had accidentally cut him with my chisel. When the Editor had read the first poemit was the one about the beetlehe got up and stood with his back to us. It was not manners; but Noel thinks he did it to conceal his emotion, as they do in books. He read all the poems, and then he said

I like your poetry very much, young man. Ill give youlet me see; how much shall I give you for it?

As much as ever you can, said Noel. You see I want a good deal of money to restore the fallen fortunes of the house of Bastable.

The gentleman put on some eye-glasses and looked hard at us. Then he sat down.

Thats a good idea, said he. Tell me how you came to think of it. And, I say, have you had any tea? Theyve just sent out for mine.

He rang a tingly bell, and the boy brought in a tray with a teapot and a thick cup and saucer and things, and he had to fetch another tray for us, when he was told to; and we had tea with the Editor of the Daily Recorder. I suppose it was a very proud moment for Noel, though I did not think of that till afterwards. The Editor asked us a lot of questions, and we told him a good deal, though of course I did not tell a stranger all our reasons for thinking that the family fortunes wanted restoring. We stayed about half an hour, and when we were going away he said again

I shall print all your poems, my poet; and now what do you think theyre worth?