burglar said very earnestly, and he looked at the
plate-basket again, as if that alone would be enough to keep him away,
our robber said afterwards.

'And will you be good and not rob any more?' said Alice.

'I'll turn over a noo leaf, miss, so help me.'

Then Alice said--'Oh, do let him go! I'm sure he'll be good.'

But our robber said no, it wouldn't be right; we must wait till Father
came home. Then H. O. said, very suddenly and plainly:

'I don't think it's at all fair, when you're a robber yourself.'

The minute he'd said it the burglar said, 'Kidded, by gum!'--and then
our robber made a step towards him to catch hold of him, and before you
had time to think 'Hullo!' the burglar knocked the pistol up with one
hand and knocked our robber down with the other, and was off out of
the window like a shot, though Oswald and Dicky did try to stop him by
holding on to his legs.

And that burglar had the cheek to put his head in at the window and say,
'I'll give yer love to the kids and the missis'--and he was off like
winking, and there were Alice and Dora trying to pick up our robber, and
asking him whether he was hurt, and where. He wasn't hurt at all, except
a lump at the back of his head. And he got up, and we dusted the kitchen
floor off him. Eliza is a dirty girl.

Then he said, 'Let's put up the shutters. It never rains but it pours.
Now you've had two burglars I daresay you'll have twenty.' So we put up
the shutters, which Eliza has strict orders to do before she goes out,
only she never does, and we went back to Father's study, and the robber
said, 'What a night we are having!' and put his boots back in the fender
to go on steaming, and then we all talked at once. It was the most
wonderful adventure we ever had, though it wasn't treasure-seeking--at
least not ours. I suppose it was the burglar's treasure-seeking, but
he didn't get much--and our robber said he didn't believe a word about
those kids that were so like Alice and me.

And then there was the click of the gate, and we said, 'Here's Father,'
and the robber said, 'And now for the police.'

Then we all jumped up. We did like him so much, and it seemed so unfair
that he should be sent to prison, and the horrid, lumping big burglar
not.

And Alice said, 'Oh, _no_--run! Dicky will let you out at the back door.
Oh, do go, go _now_.'

And we all said, 'Yes, _go_,' and pulled him towards the door, and gave
him his hat and stick and the things out of