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chater five back n thi ide f the dr（第2页）

“ThatismorethanIknow，”saidtheProfessor，“andachargeoflyingagainstsomeonewhomyouhavealwaysfoundtruthfulisaveryseriousthing；averyseriousthingindeed．”

“Wewereafraiditmightn’tevenbelying，”saidSusan；“wethoughttheremightbesomethingwrongwithLucy．”

“Madness，youmean？”saidtheProfessorquitecoolly．“Oh，youcanmakeyourmindseasyaboutthat．Onehasonlytolookatherandtalktohertoseethatsheisnotmad．”

“Butthen，”saidSusan，andstopped．Shehadneverdreamedthatagrown-upwouldtalkliketheProfessoranddidn’tknowwhattothink．

“Logic！”saidtheProfessorhalftohimself．“Whydon’ttheyteachlogicattheseschools？Thereareonlythreepossibilities。Eitheryoursisteristellinglies，orsheismad，orsheistellingthetruth．Youknowshedoesn’ttellliesanditisobviousthatsheisnotmadForthemomentthenandunlessanyfurtherevidenceturnsup，wemustassumethatsheistellingthetruth．”

Susanlookedathimveryhardandwasquitesurefromtheexpressiononhisfacethathewasnomakingfunofthem．

“Buthowcoulditbetrue，sir？”saidPeter．

“Whydoyousaythat？”askedtheProfessor．

“Well，foronething，”saidPeter，“ifitwastruewhydoesn’teveryonefindthiscountryeverytimetheygotothewardrobe？Imean，therewasnothingtherewhenwelooked；evenLucydidn’tpretendtherewas．”

“Whathasthattodowithit？”saidtheProfessor．

“Well，sir，ifthingsarereal，they’rethereallthetime．”

“Arethey？”saidtheProfessor；andPeterdid’ntknowquitewhattosay．

“Buttherewasnotime，”saidSusan．“Lucyhadnotimetohavegoneanywhere，eveniftherewassuchaplace．Shecamerunningafterustheverymomentwewereoutoftheroom．Itwaslessthanminute，andshepretendedtohavebeenawayforhours．”

“Thatistheverythingthatmakesherstorysolikelytobetrue，”saidtheProfessor．“Iftherereallyisadoorinthishousethatleadstosomeotherworld（andIshouldwarnyouthatthisisaverystrangehouse，andevenIknowverylittleaboutit）-if，Isay，shehadgotintoanotherworld，Ishouldnotbeatallsurprisedtofindthattheotherworldhadaseparatetimeofitsown；sothathoweverlongyoustayedthereitwouldnevertakeupanyofourtime。Ontheotherhand，Idon’tthinkmanygirlsofheragewouldinventthatideaforthemselves．Ifshehadbeenpretending，shewouldhavehiddenforareasonabletimebeforecomingoutandtellingherstory．”

“Butdoyoureallymean，sir，”saidPeter，“thattherecouldbeotherworlds-allovertheplace，justroundthecorner-likethat？”

“Nothingismoreprobable，”saidtheProfessor，takingoffhisspectaclesandbeginningtopolishthem，whilehemutteredtohimself，“Iwonderwhattheydoteachthemattheseschools．”

“Butwhatarewetodo？”saidSusan．Shefeltthattheconversationwasbeginningtogetoffthepoint．

“Mydearyounglady，”saidtheProfessor，suddenlylookingupwithaverysharpexpressionatbothofthem，“thereisoneplanwhichnoonehasyetsuggestedandwhichiswellworthtrying．”

“What’sthat？”saidSusan．

“Wemightalltrymindingourownbusiness，”saidhe．Andthatwastheendofthatconversation．

AfterthisthingswereagooddealbetterforLucy．PetersawtoitthatEdmundstoppedjeeringather，andneithershenoranyoneelsefeltinclinedtotalkaboutthewardrobeatall．Ithadbecomearatheralarmingsubject．Andsoforatimeitlookedasifalltheadventureswerecomingtoanend；butthatwasnottobe．

ThishouseoftheProfessor’s-whichevenheknewsolittleabout-wassooldandfamousthatpeoplefromalloverEnglandusedtocomeandaskpermissiontoseeoverit．Itwasthesortofhousethatismentionedinguidebooksandeveninhistories；andwellitmightbe，forallmannerofstoriesweretoldaboutit，someofthemevenstrangerthantheoneIamtellingyounow．Andwhenpartiesofsightseersarrivedandaskedtoseethehouse，theProfessoralwaysgavethempermission，andMrs。Macready，thehousekeeper，showedthemround，tellingthemaboutthepicturesandthearmour，andtherarebooksinthelibrary．Mrs。Macreadywasnotfondofchildren，anddidnotliketobeinterruptedwhenshewastellingvisitorsallthethingssheknew．ShehadsaidtoSusanandPeteralmostonthefirstmorning（alongwithagoodmanyotherinstructions），“Andpleaserememberyou’retokeepoutofthewaywheneverI’mtakingapartyoverthehouse．”

“Justasifanyofuswouldwanttowastehalfthemorningtrailingroundwithacrowdofstrangegrown-ups！”saidEdmund，andtheotherthreethoughtthesame．Thatwashowtheadventuresbeganforthesecondtime．