“ThatismorethanIknow,”saidtheProfessor,“andachargeoflyingagainstsomeonewhomyouhavealwaysfoundtruthfulisaveryseriousthing;averyseriousthingindeed.”
“Wewereafraiditmightn’tevenbelying,”saidSusan;“wethoughttheremightbesomethingwrongwithLucy.”
“Madness,youmean?”saidtheProfessorquitecoolly.“Oh,youcanmakeyourmindseasyaboutthat.Onehasonlytolookatherandtalktohertoseethatsheisnotmad.”
“Butthen,”saidSusan,andstopped.Shehadneverdreamedthatagrown-upwouldtalkliketheProfessoranddidn’tknowwhattothink.
“Logic!”saidtheProfessorhalftohimself.“Whydon’ttheyteachlogicattheseschools?Thereareonlythreepossibilities。Eitheryoursisteristellinglies,orsheismad,orsheistellingthetruth.Youknowshedoesn’ttellliesanditisobviousthatsheisnotmadForthemomentthenandunlessanyfurtherevidenceturnsup,wemustassumethatsheistellingthetruth.”
Susanlookedathimveryhardandwasquitesurefromtheexpressiononhisfacethathewasnomakingfunofthem.
“Buthowcoulditbetrue,sir?”saidPeter.
“Whydoyousaythat?”askedtheProfessor.
“Well,foronething,”saidPeter,“ifitwastruewhydoesn’teveryonefindthiscountryeverytimetheygotothewardrobe?Imean,therewasnothingtherewhenwelooked;evenLucydidn’tpretendtherewas.”
“Whathasthattodowithit?”saidtheProfessor.
“Well,sir,ifthingsarereal,they’rethereallthetime.”
“Arethey?”saidtheProfessor;andPeterdid’ntknowquitewhattosay.
“Buttherewasnotime,”saidSusan.“Lucyhadnotimetohavegoneanywhere,eveniftherewassuchaplace.Shecamerunningafterustheverymomentwewereoutoftheroom.Itwaslessthanminute,andshepretendedtohavebeenawayforhours.”
“Thatistheverythingthatmakesherstorysolikelytobetrue,”saidtheProfessor.“Iftherereallyisadoorinthishousethatleadstosomeotherworld(andIshouldwarnyouthatthisisaverystrangehouse,andevenIknowverylittleaboutit)-if,Isay,shehadgotintoanotherworld,Ishouldnotbeatallsurprisedtofindthattheotherworldhadaseparatetimeofitsown;sothathoweverlongyoustayedthereitwouldnevertakeupanyofourtime。Ontheotherhand,Idon’tthinkmanygirlsofheragewouldinventthatideaforthemselves.Ifshehadbeenpretending,shewouldhavehiddenforareasonabletimebeforecomingoutandtellingherstory.”
“Butdoyoureallymean,sir,”saidPeter,“thattherecouldbeotherworlds-allovertheplace,justroundthecorner-likethat?”
“Nothingismoreprobable,”saidtheProfessor,takingoffhisspectaclesandbeginningtopolishthem,whilehemutteredtohimself,“Iwonderwhattheydoteachthemattheseschools.”
“Butwhatarewetodo?”saidSusan.Shefeltthattheconversationwasbeginningtogetoffthepoint.
“Mydearyounglady,”saidtheProfessor,suddenlylookingupwithaverysharpexpressionatbothofthem,“thereisoneplanwhichnoonehasyetsuggestedandwhichiswellworthtrying.”
“What’sthat?”saidSusan.
“Wemightalltrymindingourownbusiness,”saidhe.Andthatwastheendofthatconversation.
AfterthisthingswereagooddealbetterforLucy.PetersawtoitthatEdmundstoppedjeeringather,andneithershenoranyoneelsefeltinclinedtotalkaboutthewardrobeatall.Ithadbecomearatheralarmingsubject.Andsoforatimeitlookedasifalltheadventureswerecomingtoanend;butthatwasnottobe.
ThishouseoftheProfessor’s-whichevenheknewsolittleabout-wassooldandfamousthatpeoplefromalloverEnglandusedtocomeandaskpermissiontoseeoverit.Itwasthesortofhousethatismentionedinguidebooksandeveninhistories;andwellitmightbe,forallmannerofstoriesweretoldaboutit,someofthemevenstrangerthantheoneIamtellingyounow.Andwhenpartiesofsightseersarrivedandaskedtoseethehouse,theProfessoralwaysgavethempermission,andMrs。Macready,thehousekeeper,showedthemround,tellingthemaboutthepicturesandthearmour,andtherarebooksinthelibrary.Mrs。Macreadywasnotfondofchildren,anddidnotliketobeinterruptedwhenshewastellingvisitorsallthethingssheknew.ShehadsaidtoSusanandPeteralmostonthefirstmorning(alongwithagoodmanyotherinstructions),“Andpleaserememberyou’retokeepoutofthewaywheneverI’mtakingapartyoverthehouse.”
“Justasifanyofuswouldwanttowastehalfthemorningtrailingroundwithacrowdofstrangegrown-ups!”saidEdmund,andtheotherthreethoughtthesame.Thatwashowtheadventuresbeganforthesecondtime.
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