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THE WINDOW 133and went in, pursing her lips slightly, as if to remindherself that she must not speak aloud. But directlyshe came in she saw, with annoyance, that the pre-caution was not needed. The children were notasleep. It was most annoying. Mildred should bemore careful. There was James wide awake andCam sitting bolt upright, and Mildred out of bed inher bare feet, and it was almost eleven and they wereall talking. What was the matter? It was thathorrid skull again. She had told Mildred to move it,but Mildred, of course, had forgotten, and now therewas Cam wide awake and James wide awake quarrel-ling when they ought to have been asleep hours ago.What had possessed Edward to send them this horridskull? She had been so foolish as to let them nail itup there. It was nailed fast, Mildred said, and Camcouldn't go to sleep with it in the room, and Jamesscreamed if she touched it.

Then Cam must go to sleep (it had great hornssaid Cam)—must go to sleep and dream of lovelypalaces, said Mrs Ramsay, sitting down on the bedby her side. She could see the horns, Cam said, allover the room. It was true. Wherever they putthe light (and James could not sleep without a light)there was always a shadow somewhere.

'But think, Cam, it's only an old pig,' said MrsRamsay, 'a nice black pig like the pigs at the farm.'But Cam thought it was a horrid thing, branchingat her all over the room.

'Well then,' said Mrs Ramsay, 'we will cover itup,' and they all watched her go to the chest ofdrawers, and open the little drawers quickly one afteranother, and not seeing anything that would do, she