BECAUSEthegameofhide-and-seekwasstillgoingon,ittookEdmundandLucysometimetofindtheothers.Butwhenatlasttheywerealltogether(whichhappenedinthelongroom,wherethesuitofarmourwas),Lucyburstout:
“Peter!Susan!It’salltrue.Edmundhasseenittoo.Thereisacountryyoucangettothroughthewardrobe.EdmundandIbothgotin.Wemetoneanotherinthere,inthewood.Goon,Edmund;tellthemallaboutit.”
“What’sallthisabout,Ed?”saidPeter.
Andnowwecometooneofthenastiestthingsinthisstory.UptothatmomentEdmundhadbeenfeelingsick,andsulky,andannoyedwithLucyforbeingright,buthehadn’tmadeuphismindwhattodo.WhenPetersuddenlyaskedhimthequestionhedecidedallatoncetodothemeanestandmostspitefulthinghecouldthinkof.HedecidedtoletLucydown.
“Tellus,Ed,”saidSusan.
AndEdmundgaveaverysuperiorlookasifhewerefarolderthanLucy(therewasreallyonlyayear’sdifference)andthenalittlesniggerandsaid,“Oh,yes,LucyandIhavebeenplaying-pretendingthatallherstoryaboutacountryinthewardrobeistrue。justforfun,ofcourse.There’snothingtherereally.”
PoorLucygaveEdmundonelookandrushedoutoftheroom。
Edmund,whowasbecominganastierpersoneveryminute,thoughtthathehadscoredagreatsuccess,andwentonatoncetosay,“Thereshegoesagain.What’sthematterwithher?That’stheworstofyoungkids,theyalways-”
“Lookhere,”saidPeter,turningonhimsavagely,“shutup!You’vebeenperfectlybeastlytoLueversinceshestartedthisnonsenseaboutthewardrobe,andnowyougoplayinggameswithheraboutitandsettingheroffagain.Ibelieveyoudiditsimplyoutofspite.”
“Butit’sallnonsense,”saidEdmund,verytakenaback.
“Ofcourseit’sallnonsense,”saidPeter,“that’sjustthepoint。Luwasperfectlyallrightwhenwelefthome,butsincewe’vebeendownheresheseemstobeeithergoingqueerintheheadorelseturningintoamostfrightfulliar.Butwhicheveritis,whatgooddoyouthinkyou’lldobyjeeringandnaggingatheronedayandencouragingherthenext?”
“Ithought-Ithought,”saidEdmund;buthecouldn’tthinkofanythingtosay.
“Youdidn’tthinkanythingatall,”saidPeter;“it’sjustspite.You’vealwayslikedbeingbeastlytoanyonesmallerthanyourself;we’veseenthatatschoolbeforenow.”
“Dostopit,”saidSusan;“itwon’tmakethingsanybetterhavingarowbetweenyoutwo.Let’sgoandfindLucy.”
ItwasnotsurprisingthatwhentheyfoundLucy,agooddeallater,everyonecouldseethatshehadbeencrying.Nothingtheycouldsaytohermadeanydifference.Shestucktoherstoryandsaid:
“Idon’tcarewhatyouthink,andIdon’tcarewhatyousay。YoucantelltheProfessororyoucanwritetoMotheroryoucandoanythingyoulike.IknowI’vemetaFauninthereand-IwishI’dstayedthereandyouareallbeasts,beasts.”
Itwasanunpleasantevening.LucywasmiserableandEdmundwasbeginningtofeelthathisplanwasn’tworkingaswellashehadexpected.ThetwoolderoneswerereallybeginningtothinkthatLucywasoutofhermind.Theystoodinthepassagetalkingaboutitinwhisperslongaftershehadgonetobed.
TheresultwasthenextmorningtheydecidedthattheyreallywouldgoandtellthewholethingtotheProfessor.“He’llwritetoFatherifhethinksthereisreallysomethingwrongwithLu,”saidPeter;“it’sgettingbeyondus.”Sotheywentandknockedatthestudydoor,andtheProfessorsaid“Comein,”andgotupandfoundchairsforthemandsaidhewasquiteattheirdisposal.Thenhesatlisteningtothemwiththetipsofhisfingerspressedtogetherandneverinterrupting,tilltheyhadfinishedthewholestory.Afterthathesaidnothingforquitealongtime.Thenheclearedhisthroatandsaidthelastthingeitherofthemexpected:
“Howdoyouknow,”heasked,“thatyoursister’sstoryisnottrue?”
“Oh,but-”beganSusan,andthenstopped.Anyonecouldseefromtheoldman’sfacethathewasperfectlyserious.ThenSusanpulledherselftogetherandsaid,“ButEdmundsaidtheyhadonlybeenpretending.”
“Thatisapoint,”saidtheProfessor,“whichcertainlydeservesconsideration;verycarefulconsideration.Forinstance-ifyouwillexcusemeforaskingthequestion-doesyourexperienceleadyoutoregardyourbrotheroryoursisterasthemorereliable?Imean,whichisthemoretruthful?”
“That’sjustthefunnythingaboutit,sir,”saidPeter.“Uptillnow,I’dhavesaidLucyeverytime.”
“Andwhatdoyouthink,mydear?”saidtheProfessor,turningtoSusan.
“Well,”saidSusan,“ingeneral,I’dsaythesameasPeter,butthiscouldn’tbetrue-allthisaboutthewoodandtheFaun.”