Page:The railway children (IA railwaychildren00nesb 1).pdf/272

 Which is quite true, if you come to think of it, and a useful thing to remember in seasons of trouble,—such as measles, arithmetic, impositions, and those times when you are in disgrace, and feel as though no one would ever love you again, and you could never—never again—love anybody.

"Hurray," said Peter, suddenly, "there's the end of the tunnel—looks just like a pin-hole in a bit of black paper, doesn't it?"

The pin-hole got larger—blue lights lay along the sides of the tunnel. The children could see the gravel way that lay in front of them; the air grew warmer and sweeter. Another twenty steps and they were out in the good glad sunshine with the green trees on both sides.

Phyllis drew a long breath.

"I'll never go into a tunnel again so long as ever I live," said she, "not if there are twenty hundred thousand million hounds inside with red jerseys and their legs broken."

"Don't be a silly cuckoo," said Peter, as usual."You'd have to."

"I think it was very brave and good of me," said Phyllis.

"Not it," said Peter; "you didn't go because you were brave, but because Bobbie and I aren't skunks.