end of the
room. Ours is a long attic that runs right across the house.

But the water kept coming in worse and worse. Our nightshirts were
wet through, so we got into our other shirts and knickerbockers, but
preserved bareness in our feet. And the floor kept on being half an inch
deep in water, however much we mopped it up.

We emptied the basins out of the window as fast as they filled, and we
baled the bath with a jug without pausing to complain how hard the
work was. All the same, it was more exciting than you can think. But in
Oswald's dauntless breast he began to see that they would HAVE to call
Mrs Pettigrew.

A new waterfall broke out between the fire-grate and the mantelpiece,
and spread in devastating floods. Oswald is full of ingenious devices.
I think I have said this before, but it is quite true; and perhaps even
truer this time than it was last time I said it.

He got a board out of the box-room next door, and rested one end in the
chink between the fireplace and the mantelpiece, and laid the other end
on the back of a chair, then we stuffed the rest of the chink with our
nightgowns, and laid a towel along the plank, and behold, a noble stream
poured over the end of the board right into the bath we put there ready.
It was like Niagara, only not so round in shape. The first lot of water
that came down the chimney was very dirty. The wind whistled outside.
Noel said, 'If it's pipes burst, and not the rain, it will be nice for
the water-rates.' Perhaps it was only natural after this for Denny to
begin with his everlasting poetry. He stopped mopping up the water to
say:

'By this the storm grew loud apace,
The water-rats were shrieking,
And in the howl of Heaven each face
Grew black as they were speaking.'

Our faces were black, and our hands too, but we did not take any notice;
we only told him not to gas but to go on mopping. And he did. And we all
did.

But more and more water came pouring down. You would not believe so much
could come off one roof.

When at last it was agreed that Mrs Pettigrew must be awakened at all
hazards, we went and woke Alice to do the fatal errand.

When she came back, with Mrs Pettigrew in a nightcap and red flannel
petticoat, we held our breath.

But Mrs Pettigrew did not even say, 'What on earth have you children
been up to NOW?' as Oswald had feared.

She simply sat down on my bed and said--

'Oh, dear! oh, dear! oh, dear!' ever so many time