` In case you should feel cold , ' she whispered . Her face was aglow , but Tony 's was very gloomy . As they turned on the top of the Hump he whispered to her , ` I 'm afraid nurse would see me , so I sha n't be able to do it . ' Maimie admired him more than ever for being afraid of nothing but their ayah , when there were so many unknown terrors to fear , and she said aloud , ` Tony , I shall race you to the gate , ' and in a whisper , ` Then you can hide , ' and off they ran . Tony could always outdistance her easily , but never had she known him speed away so quickly as now , and she was sure he hurried that he might have more time to hide . ` Brave , brave ! ' her doting eyes were crying when she got a dreadful shock ; instead of hiding , her hero had run out at the gate ! At this bitter sight Maimie stopped blankly , as if all her lapful of darling treasures were suddenly spilled , and then for very disdain she could not sob ; in a swell of protest against all puling cowards she ran to St. Govor 's Well and hid in Tony 's stead . When the ayah reached the gate and saw Tony far in front she thought her other charge was with him and passed out . Twilight crept over the Gardens , and hundreds of people passed out , including the last one , who always has to run for it , but Maimie saw them not . She had shut her eyes tight and glued them with passionate tears . When she opened them something very cold ran up her legs and up her arms and dropped into her heart . It was the stillness of the Gardens . Then she heard clang , then from another part clang , then clang , clang far away . It was the Closing of the Gates . Immediately the last clang had died away Maimie distinctly heard a voice say , ` So that 's all right . ' It had a wooden sound and seemed to come from above , and she looked up in time to see an elm-tree stretching out its arms and yawning . -LSB- Illustration : The little people weave their summer curtains from skeleton leaves -RSB- She was about to say , ' I never knew you could speak ! ' when a metallic voice that seemed to come from the ladle at the well remarked to the elm , ' I suppose it is a bit coldish up there ? ' and the elm replied , ` Not particularly , but you do get numb standing so long on one leg , ' and he flapped his arms vigorously just as the cabmen do before they drive off .
XXXXX was quite surprised to see that a number of other tall trees were doing the same sort of thing , and she stole away to the Baby Walk and crouched observantly under a Minorca holly which shrugged its shoulders but did not seem to mind her .
Gardens Govor Maimie Twilight ayah cabmen cowards lapful right terrors