He glanced about him doubtfully and put his hand to his forehead. And as he did so his face cleared. A happy thought had struck him.
"Take this, my child!" he said to Amor, as he plucked the newspaper hat from his brow. "Your way is long and the night will be chilly and you've nothing on your head!"
"Thank you, Professor!" Amor smiled and set the hat at a jaunty angle over his crown of curls. "I hope you will not be cold without it."
"Cold?" the Professor murmured vaguely, as his gaze slipped past the Princes to the snow-white creature on the lawn. He put out an aged trembling hand and the Unicorn rose from the dewy grass and calmly came to his side.
"Forgive me!" the Professor whispered. "It was not I that would have stuffed you. A madman wearing my skin — not I! No, no! I'll never be cold again. I have stroked a Unicorn!"
His fingers touched the milky neck. The Unicorn stood mild and still. His blue eyes did not flicker.
"That's right, Professor!" said the Policeman cheerfully. "No good trying to stuff a h'animal that by rights belongs to the Law!"
"He belongs to the Law," the Professor murmured. "But not the Law you know—"
"The Fair!" insisted Mr. Mudge, elbowing past the Policeman.
"Yes! All is fair where he comes from." The Professor stroked the Unicorn's nose.
"He'll be among the stars of the Zoo," the Zoo Keeper promised breathlessly.
"He'll be among the stars," said the Professor, touching the tip of the Unicorn's horn, "but far, far from the Zoo."
"Exactly, Professor! You're a sensible chap! Now, I've no more time for h'argument. The boys and the beast are under arrest and I'm taking them off to the Police Station!"
The Policeman put out a determined hand and seized the Unicorn's bridle.
"Quick, Florimond!" warned Mary Poppins.
And Florimond, with a single bound, leapt on the Unicorn's back.
Up went Veritain behind him.
"Goodbye, Michael," whispered Amor, hugging him round the waist. Then with a graceful, running leap he landed behind his brothers.
"Oh, do not leave me!" cried Miss Lark. "I may forget again!"
"I won't forget!" said Michael stoutly, waving his hand to Amor.
"Nor I! Oh, never!" echoed Jane, with a long look at Florimond and Veritain. She felt that their faces were in her heart for ever.
"If you remember, we'll come again!" Florimond promised, smiling. "Are you ready, my brothers? We must go!"
"Ready!" the younger Princes cried.
Then one by one they leant sideways and kissed Mary Poppins.
"We'll be waiting for you," said Florimond.
"Do not be long!" urged Veritain.
"Come back to us," said Amor, laughing, "with a tulip in your hat!"
She tried to look stern, but she simply couldn't. Her firm lips trembled into a smile as she gazed at their shining faces.
"Get along with you — and behave yourselves!" she said with surprising softness.
Then she raised her parrot-headed umbrella and touched the Unicorn's flank.
At once he lifted his silver head and pointed his horn at the sky.
"Remember!" cried Florimond, waving his roses. Veritain held his hand aloft and set the bracelet sparkling.
Amor flourished the handkerchief.
"Remember! Remember!" they cried together, as the Unicorn bounded into the air.
The Park seemed to tremble in the fading light as his hooves flashed over the fountain. A streak of colour shone above the spray, a shimmer of velvet and gold. A single moment of moving brightness and after that — nothing. Princes and Unicorn were gone. Only a far faint echo—"Remember!" — came back to the silent watchers. And the pages of the book on the lawn stirred in the evening breeze.
"After them!" the Policeman shouted. "Robbers! Desperadoes!"
He blew his whistle vigorously and dashed across the Rose Garden.
"A trick! A trick!" yelled Mr. Mudge. "The Invisible Horse and his Three Riders! Why, it's better than Sawing a Lady in Half! Come back, my lads, and I'll buy your secret! Was it this way? That way? Where did they go?"
And off he went, dodging among the trees, in his search for the lost Princes.
"Oh, dear," moaned the Keeper of the Zoological Gardens. "Here today and gone tomorrow! Just like the butterflies!"
He gave Mary Poppins a nervous look and hurried away to the Zoo.
For a moment the only sound in the garden was the music of the fountain. Then Miss Lark sighed and broke the silence.
"Why, goodness me — how late it is! Now, I wonder where I left my gloves! And what did I do with my scarf? I seem to have lost my spectacles. Gracious, yes — and my bracelet, too!"
Her eyes widened and she yawned a little as though she were coming out of a dream.
"You gave it to Veritain!" Jane reminded her.
"Veritain? Veritain? Who can that be? It sounds like something out of a story. I expect you are dreaming, Jane, as usual! Andrew and Willoughby — come along! Oh, Chief Professor! How nice to see you! But what are you doing here?"
The Professor gave her a puzzled glance and he, too, yawned a little.
"I–I'm not quite sure," he answered vaguely.
"And without a hat — you must be cold! Come home with me, Professor, do! And we'll all have muffins for tea."
"Muffins? Er — hum. I used to like muffins when I was a lad, but I haven't had one since. And I had a hat this afternoon. Now, what have I done with it?"
"Amor is wearing it!" cried Michael.
"Amor? Is that a friend of yours? He's welcome! It was only paper. But I'm not a bit cold, Miss Lark — er — hum! I have never felt so warm in my life."
The Professor smiled a contented smile.
"And I," said Miss Lark with a trill of laughter, "have never felt so happy. I can't think why — but there it is. Come, dearest dogs! This way, Professor!"
And, taking the Professor by the hand, she led him out of the Rose Garden.
Jane and Michael stared after them.
"What is your other — er — hum! — name?" they heard him vaguely asking.
"Lucinda Emily," she replied, as she drew him towards the Gate.
"Eee — ow — oo! I was arf asleep!" The Park Keeper yawned and stretched his arms and glanced around the garden.
"'Ere! Wot's all this?" he demanded loudly. "Someone's been pickin' the flowers!"
"You did it yourself," said Jane, laughing.
"Don't you remember?" Michael reminded him. "You gave them to Florimond."
"What? Me pick a rose? I wouldn't dare! And yet—" The Park Keeper frowned in perplexity. "It's funny. I'm feeling quite brave tonight. If the Lord Mayor himself were to come along I wouldn't so much as tremble. And why shouldn't Florrie Wat's-a-name 'ave them, instead of them dyin' on the bush? Well, I must be gettin' 'ome to me mother. Tch! Tch! Tch! Remember the bye-laws!" The Park Keeper pounced on two dark objects.
"All litter to be placed in the baskets!" he cried, as he bore away the Professor's book and magnifying-glass and dumped them into a litter-basket.
Jane sighed. "They've forgotten already, all of them. Miss Lark, the Professor and now the Park Keeper."
"Yes," agreed Michael, shaking his head.
"And what have you forgotten, pray?" Mary Poppins' eyes were bright in the sunset and she seemed to come back to the Rose Garden from very far away.
"Oh, nothing, Mary Poppins, nothing!" With the happy assurance they ran to her side. As if they could ever forget the Princes and the strange and wonderful visit!