Dora said, "It is wrong to be a robber."
"Yes," said Alice, "you would never know a happy hour. Think of trying to sleep with the stolen jewels under your bed, and remembering all the quantities of policemen and detectives that there are in the world!"
"There are ways of being robbers that are not wrong," said Noël; "if you can rob a robber it is a right act."
"But you can't," said Dora; "he is too clever, and besides, it's wrong anyway."
"Yes you can, and it isn't; and murdering him with boiling oil is a right act, too, so there!" said Noël. "What about Ali Baba? Now then!" And we felt it was a score for Noël.
"What would you do if there was a robber?" said Alice.
H. O. said he would kill him with boiling oil; but Alice explained that she meant a real robber—now—this minute—in the house.
Oswald and Dicky did not say; but Noël said he thought it would only be fair to ask the robber quite politely and quietly to go away, and then if he didn't you could deal with him.
Now what I am going to tell you is a very strange and wonderful thing, and I hope you
