BA THIS SIDE OF THE DOOR BECAUSE the game of hide-and-seek was still going on, it took Edmund and Lue time to find the others. But when at last they were all together (which happened in the long room, where the suit of armour was) Lucy burst out: "Peter! Susan! Its all true. Edmund has seen it too. There is a try you get th the wardrobe. Edmund and I both got i one another in there, in the wood. Go on, Edmund; tell them all about it.」
"Whats all this about, Ed?" said Peter.
And now we e to one of the nastiest things in this story. Up to that moment Edmund had been feeling sick, and sulky, and annoyed with Lucy for being right, but he hadnt made up his mind what to do. Wheer suddenly asked him the question he decided all at oo do the mea and most spiteful thing he could think of. He decided to let Lucy down.
"Tell us, Ed," said Susan.
And Edmund gave a very superior look as if he were far older than Lucy (there was really only a years difference) and then a little snigger and said, "Oh, yes, Lud I have been playing - pretending that all her story about a try in the wardrobe is true. just for fun, of course. Theres nothing there really.」
Poor Lucy gave Edmund one look and rushed out of the room.
Edmund, who was being a nastier person every mihought that he had scored a great success, a on at oo say, "There she goes again. Whats the matter with her? Thats the worst of young kids, they always -」
"Look here," said Peter, turning on him savagely, "shut up! Youve been perfectly beastly to Lu ever since she started this nonsense about the wardrobe, and now you go playing games with her about it aing her off again. I believe you did it simply out of spite.」
"But its all nonsense," said Edmund, very taken aback.
"Of course its all nonsense," said Peter, "thats just the point. Lu erfectly all right when we left home, but since weve been down here she seems to be either going queer in the head or else turning into a most frightful liar. But whichever it is, what good do you think youll do by jeering and nagging at her one day and encihe ?」
"I thought - I thought," said Edmund; but he couldnt think of anything to say.
"You didnt think anything at all," said Peter; "its just spite. Youve always liked beily to anyone smaller than yourself; weve seen that at school before now.」
"Do stop it," said Susan; "it wont make things aer having a row between you two.
Lets go and find Lucy.」
It was not surprising that when they found Lucy, a good deal later, everyone could see that she had been g. Nothing they could say to her made any difference. She stuck to her story and said:
"I dont care what you think, and I dont care what you say. You tell the Professor or you write to Mother or you do anything you like. I know Ive met a Faun in there and - I wish Id stayed there and you are all beasts, beasts.」
It was an unpleasant evening. Lucy was miserable and Edmund was beginning to feel that his plan wasnt w as well as he had expected. The two older ones were really beginning to think that Lucy was out of her mind. They stood in the passage talking about it in whispers long after she had goo bed.
The result was the m they decided that they really would go and tell the whole thing to the Professor. "Hell write to Father if he thinks there is really something wrong with Lu," said Peter; "its getting beyond us." So they went and