for it seemed to all that yesterday's
adventures were quite enough to last for at least a week. Yet each felt
a little anxious that the others should not think it was afraid, and
presently Cyril, who really was not a coward, began to see that it would
not be at all nice if he should have to think himself one. So he said--

'I say--about that charm--Jane--come out. We ought to talk about it,
anyhow.'

'Oh, if that's all,' said Robert.

Jane obediently wriggled to the front of her house and sat there.

She felt for the charm, to make sure that it was still round her neck.

'It ISN'T all,' said Cyril, saying much more than he meant because he
thought Robert's tone had been rude--as indeed it had.

'We ought to go and look for that Amulet. What's the good of having a
first-class charm and keeping it idle, just eating its head off in the
stable.'

'I'M game for anything, of course,' said Robert; but he added, with
a fine air of chivalry, 'only I don't think the girls are keen today
somehow.'

'Oh, yes; I am,' said Anthea hurriedly. 'If you think I'm afraid, I'm
not.'

'I am though,' said Jane heavily; 'I didn't like it, and I won't go
there again--not for anything I won't.'

'We shouldn't go THERE again, silly,' said Cyril; 'it would be some
other place.'

'I daresay; a place with lions and tigers in it as likely as not.'

Seeing Jane so frightened, made the others feel quite brave. They said
they were certain they ought to go.

'It's so ungrateful to the Psammead not to,' Anthea added, a little
primly.

Jane stood up. She was desperate.

'I won't!' she cried; 'I won't, I won't, I won't! If you make me I'll
scream and I'll scream, and I'll tell old Nurse, and I'll get her to
burn the charm in the kitchen fire. So now, then!'

You can imagine how furious everyone was with Jane for feeling what each
of them had felt all the morning. In each breast the same thought arose,
'No one can say it's OUR fault.' And they at once began to show Jane
how angry they all felt that all the fault was hers. This made them feel
quite brave.

'Tell-tale tit, its tongue shall be split,
And all the dogs in our town shall have a little bit,'

sang Robert.

'It's always the way if you have girls in anything.' Cyril spoke in a
cold displeasure that was worse than Robert's cruel quotation, and even
Anthea said, 'Well, I'M not afraid if I AM a girl,' which of course, was
the most cutting thing of all.

Jane picked up