well.”
Aleck yawned. “It’s been a big day,” he said.
Maisie fingered the magnet in her pocket, its metal cold against her hand. Was this the time to give it to Aleck? Or should she wait?
“Normally we would have supper now,” Grandfather Bell said. He patted Aleck on the shoulder. “But you should turn in early tonight.”
Maisie pulled the magnet from her pocket.
“Aleck,” she said, feeling Felix and Hadley andRayne watching her, “I wanted to give you this. For your experiments with sound.”
“A magnet?” Aleck asked her.
He took it from her and examined the various reeds attached to either end.
“What are these for?” he wondered out loud.
“You’ll figure it out,” Maisie said.
“Well,” Aleck said, placing the magnet on the table, “thank you.”
Maisie realized that the maid had appeared with all of their raincoats.
“Nancy will show you out,” Grandfather Bell said.
What could they do except slip into their slickers, go out to the hall where their boots waited for them, and then go outside into the dark, rainy, smelly London night?.
“What if we don’t see the Thames and we fall in and drown?” Felix asked as they stood on the street trying to decide where to go.
Felix pronounced it
Tames
, which was how
Thames Street
in Newport was pronounced.
“It’s
Thames
,” Hadley said, emphasizing the
th
sound.
“I don’t care what you call it,” Felix groaned. “I don’t want to drown in it.”
Maisie peered around the corner. The main streets were lit by gas lamps. In fact, when they’d arrived at Grandfather Bell’s house, a man was going around lighting the lamps with a big pole that had a fixture on one end. She’d watched as he inserted it into each lamppost and a sudden burst of flame ignited inside.
“You look like you’ve never seen a lamplighter,” Grandfather Bell had teased her.
Now she wished there had been more lamplighters around. The side streets had no lights at all. They yawned out into sheer darkness as a swirl of fog floated eerily around everything.
“I don’t think we should leave the main street,” Maisie decided.
“We can’t just stand here all night,” Rayne said.
They agreed on that, but none of them had any idea what to do. Felix’s bringing up the man who drowned in the Thames because he couldn’t see it had frightened them. Now they didn’t want to wander too far off. The dark, foggy streets added to their growing fear.
From the distance, the sound of heavy footsteps moved toward them.
“Oh dear,” Rayne whispered as they inched closer together.
Out of the darkness stepped a man. He wore a long, dark coat with big brass buttons and a thick belt around his waist. They all noticed his shiny top hat. But only Maisie noticed his gun.
“Where do you belong?” the man barked at them.
Maisie’s eyes drifted from that gun hanging from his belt up to the badge pinned to his coat. She could just make out the words CITY POLICE with a crown etched above them.
Just as she felt relieved that this wasn’t a bad guy,the policeman grabbed Felix roughly by the ear and yanked him closer.
“Come on, then,” he said in disgust. “The lot of you.”
For a brief moment Maisie considered running away. But how would she ever find her brother again if she left him now? At least the police would bring them somewhere warm for the night, maybe even give them some food.
“Thank you, Officer,” Maisie said as she fell into step beside him.
The policeman laughed.
“You’re thanking me for bringing you to the workhouse?” he scoffed. “That’s a good one.”
“Workhouse?” Maisie repeated.
But the policeman didn’t answer her. He didn’t let go of Felix either.
Maisie turned to see what Hadley and Rayne thought of this situation. But when she did, they were gone. All she saw was an empty street and the fog swirling around the lampposts.
To Felix, the workhouse looked like a prison.
Once the policeman deposited them
Aleck yawned. “It’s been a big day,” he said.
Maisie fingered the magnet in her pocket, its metal cold against her hand. Was this the time to give it to Aleck? Or should she wait?
“Normally we would have supper now,” Grandfather Bell said. He patted Aleck on the shoulder. “But you should turn in early tonight.”
Maisie pulled the magnet from her pocket.
“Aleck,” she said, feeling Felix and Hadley andRayne watching her, “I wanted to give you this. For your experiments with sound.”
“A magnet?” Aleck asked her.
He took it from her and examined the various reeds attached to either end.
“What are these for?” he wondered out loud.
“You’ll figure it out,” Maisie said.
“Well,” Aleck said, placing the magnet on the table, “thank you.”
Maisie realized that the maid had appeared with all of their raincoats.
“Nancy will show you out,” Grandfather Bell said.
What could they do except slip into their slickers, go out to the hall where their boots waited for them, and then go outside into the dark, rainy, smelly London night?.
“What if we don’t see the Thames and we fall in and drown?” Felix asked as they stood on the street trying to decide where to go.
Felix pronounced it
Tames
, which was how
Thames Street
in Newport was pronounced.
“It’s
Thames
,” Hadley said, emphasizing the
th
sound.
“I don’t care what you call it,” Felix groaned. “I don’t want to drown in it.”
Maisie peered around the corner. The main streets were lit by gas lamps. In fact, when they’d arrived at Grandfather Bell’s house, a man was going around lighting the lamps with a big pole that had a fixture on one end. She’d watched as he inserted it into each lamppost and a sudden burst of flame ignited inside.
“You look like you’ve never seen a lamplighter,” Grandfather Bell had teased her.
Now she wished there had been more lamplighters around. The side streets had no lights at all. They yawned out into sheer darkness as a swirl of fog floated eerily around everything.
“I don’t think we should leave the main street,” Maisie decided.
“We can’t just stand here all night,” Rayne said.
They agreed on that, but none of them had any idea what to do. Felix’s bringing up the man who drowned in the Thames because he couldn’t see it had frightened them. Now they didn’t want to wander too far off. The dark, foggy streets added to their growing fear.
From the distance, the sound of heavy footsteps moved toward them.
“Oh dear,” Rayne whispered as they inched closer together.
Out of the darkness stepped a man. He wore a long, dark coat with big brass buttons and a thick belt around his waist. They all noticed his shiny top hat. But only Maisie noticed his gun.
“Where do you belong?” the man barked at them.
Maisie’s eyes drifted from that gun hanging from his belt up to the badge pinned to his coat. She could just make out the words CITY POLICE with a crown etched above them.
Just as she felt relieved that this wasn’t a bad guy,the policeman grabbed Felix roughly by the ear and yanked him closer.
“Come on, then,” he said in disgust. “The lot of you.”
For a brief moment Maisie considered running away. But how would she ever find her brother again if she left him now? At least the police would bring them somewhere warm for the night, maybe even give them some food.
“Thank you, Officer,” Maisie said as she fell into step beside him.
The policeman laughed.
“You’re thanking me for bringing you to the workhouse?” he scoffed. “That’s a good one.”
“Workhouse?” Maisie repeated.
But the policeman didn’t answer her. He didn’t let go of Felix either.
Maisie turned to see what Hadley and Rayne thought of this situation. But when she did, they were gone. All she saw was an empty street and the fog swirling around the lampposts.
To Felix, the workhouse looked like a prison.
Once the policeman deposited them
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