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OSWALD BASTABLE AND OTHERS
'"Don't break down the door! The villains may return anymoment and destroy you."'--Page 115.]
OSWALD BASTABLE AND OTHERS
_By_ E. NESBIT
_Illustrated by_ CHARLES E. BROCK AND H. R. MILLAR
ERNEST BENN LIMITED LONDON
COWARD-McCANN INC NEW YORK
_First re-issued in this edition 1960_
_Published by Ernest Benn Limited Bouverie House . Fleet Street . London . EC4 and Coward-McCann Inc 210 Madison Avenue . New York 16 . NY_
_Printed in Great Britain_
TO MY DEAR NIECE ANTHONIA NESBIT
CONTENTS
OSWALD BASTABLE
AN OBJECT OF VALUE AND VIRTUE _page_ 1
THE RUNAWAYS 34
THE ARSENICATORS: A TALE OF CRIME 64
THE ENCHANCERIED HOUSE 89
OTHERS
MOLLY, THE MEASLES, AND THE MISSING WILL 123
BILLY AND WILLIAM 151
THE TWOPENNY SPELL 167
SHOWING OFF; OR, THE LOOKING-GLASS BOY 181
THE RING AND THE LAMP 200
THE CHARMED LIFE; OR, THE PRINCESS AND THE LIFT-MAN 224
BILLY THE KING 247
THE PRINCESS AND THE CAT 275
THE WHITE HORSE 301
SIR CHRISTOPHER COCKLESHELL 318
MUSCADEL 343
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
'_Don't break down the door! The villains may return any moment and destroy you_' _Frontispiece_
_'Here is your prize,' said Oswald_ _facing page_ 30
_'Come into the kitchen,' said Oswald; 'you can drip there quite comfortably'_ 52
_We consented to carry the unfortunate bed-woman to it_ 76
_The room was a very odd shape_ _page_ 103
_A little person in a large white cap_ 121
_Molly had a splendid ride behind the groom_ _facing page_ 134
_The bicycle started, Billy in the saddle and Harold on the step_ 164
'_And what can we do for you to-day, Miss?_' 170
_The alligator very nearly had him_ 194
'_Your servant, Miss. Do I understand that you order me to mend this?_' 206
_The little girl had slapped Fina, and taken the pagoda away_ 214
'_We'll see if you are going to begin a-ordering of me about_' 218
_'Come by post, your Lordship,' said the footman_ 254
_'Excuse my hair, Sire,' he said_ 256
'_Speak to the dragon as soon as it arrives_' 262
_The two skated into each other's arms_ 270
_'Take that!' cried he, aiming an apple at the old man's head_ _facing page_ 306
_In the drawer was just one jewelled ring. It lay on a written page_ 346
_A black-winged monster, with hundreds and hundreds of eyes_ 350
_On the table stood the dazzling figure of a real full-sized princess_ 358
_A blowzy, frowzy dairymaid_ 362
'_You've got a face as long as a fiddle_' 366