The Magic City

濈

The Magic City, by Edith Nesbit

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Title: The Magic City
Author: Edith Nesbit
Illustrator: H. R. Millar
Release Date: February 16, 2007 [EBook #20606]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
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THE MAGIC CITY
BY E. NESBIT
AUTHOR OF 'THE WOULD-BE-GOODS,' 'THE AMULET,' ETC. ETC.
WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY H. R. MILLAR
MACMILLAN AND CO., LIMITED ST. MARTIN'S STREET, LONDON 1910
[Illustration: Page 328 Frontispiece
Three days later Mr. Noah arrived by elephant.]
TO
BARBARA, MAURICE,
AND
STEPHEN CHANT
THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED
BY
E. NESBIT
WELL HALL, ELTHAM, KENT, 1910.

CONTENTS
CHAPTER I
PAGE THE BEGINNING 1
CHAPTER II
DELIVERER OR DESTROYER 30
CHAPTER III
LOST 65
CHAPTER IV
THE DRAGON-SLAYER 94
CHAPTER V
ON THE CARPET 131
CHAPTER VI
THE LIONS IN THE DESERT 160
CHAPTER VII
THE DWELLERS BY THE SEA 187
CHAPTER VIII
UPS AND DOWNS 218
CHAPTER IX
ON THE 'LIGHTNING LOOSE' 245
CHAPTER X
THE GREAT SLOTH 272
CHAPTER XI
THE NIGHT ATTACK 302
CHAPTER XII
THE END 318

ILLUSTRATIONS
PAGE
Three days later Mr. Noah arrived by elephant Frontispiece
'Lor', ain't it pretty!' said the parlour-maid 17
Beyond it he could see dim piles that looked like churches and houses 27
'Here--I say, wake up, can't you?' 33
'Top floor, if you please,' said the gaoler politely 49
And behind him the clatter of hot pursuit 61
He heard quite a loud, strong, big voice say, 'That's better' 85
The gigantic porch lowered frowningly above him 91
He walked on and on and on 97
'Silence, trespasser,' said Mr. Noah, with cold dignity 115
Then something hard and heavy knocked him over 127
Mr. Noah whispered ardently, 'Don't!' 139
So, all down the wide clear floor, Lucy danced 157
On the top of a very large and wobbly camel 169
It was heavy work turning the lions over 179
Slowly they came to the great gate of the castle 193
'If your camel's not quite fresh I can mount you both' 199
They loved looking on 211
A long procession toiled slowly up it of animals in pairs 223
Walked straight into the arms of Helen 243
He induced them to build him a temple of solid gold 261
Plunged headlong over the edge 269
The bucket began to go up 281
Lucy threw herself across the well parapet 287
And all the while it had to go on turning that handle 299
Philip felt that it was best to stop the car among the suburban groves of southernwood 307
They leapt in and disappeared 321
CHAPTER I
THE BEGINNING
Philip Haldane and his sister lived in a little red-roofed house in a little red-roofed town. They had a little garden and a little balcony, and a little stable with a little pony in it--and a little cart for the pony to draw; a little canary hung in a little cage in the little bow-window, and the neat little servant kept everything as bright and clean as a little new pin.
Philip had no one but his sister, and she had no one but Philip. Their parents were dead, and Helen, who was twenty years older than Philip and was really his half-sister, was all the mother he had ever known. And he had never envied other boys their mothers, because Helen was so kind and clever and dear. She gave up almost all her time to him; she taught him all the lessons he learned; she played with him, inventing the most wonderful new games and adventures. So that every morning when Philip woke he knew that he was waking to a new day of joyous and interesting happenings. And this went on till Philip was ten years old, and he had no least shadow of a doubt that it would go on for ever. The beginning of the change came one day when he and Helen had gone for a picnic to the wood where the waterfall was, and as they were driving back behind the stout old pony, who was so good and quiet that Philip was allowed to drive it. They were coming up the last lane before the turning where their house was, and Helen said:
'To-morrow we'll weed the aster bed and have tea in the garden.'
'Jolly,' said Philip, and they turned the corner and came in sight of their white little garden gate. And a man was coming out of it--a man who was not one of the friends they both knew. He turned and came to meet them. Helen put her hand on the reins--a thing which she had always taught Philip was never done--and the pony stopped. The man, who was, as Philip put it to himself, 'tall and tweedy,' came across in front of the pony's nose and stood close by the wheel on the side where Helen sat. She