I thought it was a jolly lark last night--getting him to take the cats--but now--' 'The end of a lark,' said the Phoenix, 'is the Beak.' 'Let's go to him,' cried both the girls jumping up.

'Let's go and tell the truth.

They MUST believe us.' 'They CAN'T,' said Cyril.

'Just think! If any one came to you with such a tale, you couldn't believe it, however much you tried.

We should only mix things up worse for him.' 'There must be something we could do,' said Jane, sniffing very much--'my own dear pet burglar! I can't bear it.