  For a long time Tilsa lay awake, putting two and two together and making four every time. Then she jumped out of bed and pattered with her bare feet into Tobene's room. 'Toby,' she said, gently shaking him. 'Toby!' Tobene thrust out his arms and looked at her with eyes that saw nothing. 'Toby,' Tilsa said again. 'It's me—Tilsa.' 'Yes,' he said in the tone of one who is not much interested. 'What is it?' 'I've found out,' said Tilsa, 'what the Flamp comes for every year.' 'What?' said Tobene. 'Sympathy,' said Tilsa. 'What's sympathy?' said Tobene. 'Oh, it's putting your arms round people and being sorry for them.' 'Pooh,' said Tobene, 'if that's sympathy, you must be wrong. He's too big.' But Tilsa was not in the least discouraged. 'No, Toby,' she said, 'I'm right. And, Toby, Toby, darling, I want to go and find the Flamp and say I'm sorry for him, and I want you to come with me.' 'Me?' cried Tobene, now wide awake. 'Of course,' said Tilsa. 'We've never done anything alone yet, and I don't want to begin now.' 'Well, I suppose it's all right,' Tobene faltered. 'But he's drefful big, isn't he?' 'I'm afraid he is rather large,' said Tilsa, as cheerfully as she could. 'And isn't he mighty ferocious?' 'Well,' said Tilsa, 'they say so, but nobody's sure. And you know, Toby dear, what silly things the people here say about the sun shining nowhere else but on the plain. We know better than that, don't we? Well, very likely they're just as wrong about the Flamp. So you will go, Toby, won't you?' 'Yes, I'll go,' said Tobene. 'When shall we start?' 'Now,' said Tilsa. 'I want you to dress directly without making any noise. I'm going to write a little note to Alison,—she's too old to come with us,—and then I'll be ready too.' Tilsa hurried back to her room, and wrote the following note to old Alison:— My very dear Alison—Toby and me are going to try and find the Flamp and give him simpithy, which I am sure is what he wants, because he cries and makes a noise just like you did to-day, only louder, and that is what you said you wanted, dear Alison. Please don't be frightened, because you said we ought always to give simpithy when we can, however much it costs us. Please tell grandpapa if the Flamp is what I think he is there won't be any need to sircumvent him. With love and kisses, your loving Tilsa. Tilsa slipped the note under Alison's door and then fetched Tobene from his room. They went first to the larder and packed a small basket with food. Tobene's vote was for blancmange and jam tarts, but Tilsa said that bread and biscuits were better. 'How about salt?' Toby asked. 'Salt?' said Tilsa, 'what for?' 'To put on the Flamp's tail and catch him,' said Toby. 'Else how are you going to hug him, Tilsa?' |
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