Page:Carroll - Sylvie and Bruno Concluded.djvu/50

12 Bruno looked at it, in solemn silence, for a minute. "I knows what it doosn't spell!" he said at last.

"That's no good," said Sylvie. "What does it spell?"

Bruno took another look at the mysterious letters. "Why, it's 'LIVE,' backwards!" he exclaimed. (I thought it was, indeed.)

"How did you manage to see that?" said Sylvie.

"I just twiddled my eyes," said Bruno, "and then I saw it directly. Now may I sing the King-fisher Song?"

"Geography next," said Sylvie. "Don't you know the Rules?"

"I thinks there oughtn't to be such a lot of Rules, Sylvie! I thinks"

"Yes, there ought to be such a lot of Rules, you wicked, wicked boy! And how dare you think at all about it? And shut up that mouth directly!"

So, as 'that mouth' didn't seem inclined to shut up of itself, Sylvie shut it for himwith both handsand sealed it with a kiss, just as you would fasten up a letter.