"Catch him! He'll sink!" cried Michael quickly.
But the Dolphin did nothing of the kind. It swam round the Lake and threshed the water; it dived and caught its tail in its mouth and leapt in the air and dived again. The performance was just like a turn in the circus. And as it sprang, dripping, to the arms of its master, the children could not help clapping.
"Was it good?" asked Neleus enviously. And the Dolphin grinned and nodded.
"Good!" cried a well-known voice behind them. "I call it extremely naughty!"
Mary Poppins was standing at the edge of the Lake and her eyes were as bright as her darning needle. Neleus sprang to his feet with a little cry and hung his head before her. He looked very young and small and shy as he waited for her to speak.
"Who said you might get down, may I ask?" Her face had its usual look of fury.
He shook his head guiltily.
"No one," he mumbled. "My feet jumped down by themselves, Mary Poppins."
"Then they'd better jump up again, spit-spot. You've no right to be off your pedestal."
He tilted back his marble head and the sunlight glanced off his small chipped nose.
"Oh, can't I stay down, Mary Poppins?" he pleaded. "Do let me stay for a little while and play with Jane and Michael! You don't know how lonely it is up there, with only the birds to talk to!" The earnest marble eyes entreated her. "Please, Mary Poppins!" he whispered softly, as he clasped his marble hands.
She gazed down thoughtfully for a moment, as though she were making up her mind. Then her eyes softened. A little smile skipped over her mouth and crinkled the edge of her cheek.
"Well, just for this afternoon!" she said. "This one time, Neleus! Never again!"
"Never — I promise, Mary Poppins!" He gave her an impish grin.
"Do you know Mary Poppins?" demanded Michael. "Where did you meet her?" he wanted to know. He was feeling a little jealous.
"Of course I do!" exclaimed Neleus laughing. "She's a very old friend of my Father's."
"What is your Father's name? Where is he?" Jane was almost bursting with curiosity.
"Far away. In the Isles of Greece. He is called the King of the Sea." As he spoke, the marble eyes of Neleus brimmed slowly up with sadness.
"What does he do?" demanded Michael. "Does he go to the City — like Daddy?"
"Oh, no! He never goes anywhere. He stands on a cliff above the sea, holding his trident and blowing his horn. Beside him my Mother sits, combing her hair. And Pelias, that's my younger brother, plays at their feet with a marble shell. And all day long the gulls fly past them, making black shadows on their marble bodies, and telling them news of the harbour. By day they watch the red-sailed ships going in and out of the bay. And at night they listen to the wine-dark waters that break on the shore below."
"How lovely!" cried Jane. "But why did you leave them?"
She was thinking that she would never have left Mr. and Mrs. Banks and Michael alone on the cliffs of Greece.
"I didn't want to," said the Marble Boy. "But what can a statue do against men? They were always coming to stare at us — peeking and prying and pinching our arms. They said we were made a long time ago by a very famous artist. And one day somebody said—'I'll take himV—and he pointed at me. So — I had to go."
He hid his eyes for a moment behind the Dolphin's fin.
"What happened then?" demanded Jane. "How did you get to our Park?"
"In a packing-case," said Neleus calmly, and laughed at their look of astonishment. "Oh, we always travel that way, you know. My family is very much in demand. People want us for Parks or Museums or Gardens. So they buy us and send us by Parcel Post. It never seems to occur to them that some of us might be — lonely." He choked a little on the word. Then he flung up his head with a lordly gesture. "But don't let's think about that!" he cried. "It's been much better since you two came. Oh, Jane and Michael, I know you so well — as if you were part of my family. I know about Michael's Kite and his Compass; and the Doulton Bowl, and Robertson Ay, and the things you have for supper. Didn't you ever notice me listening? And reading the fairy-tales over your shoulders?"
Jane and Michael shook their heads.
"I know Alice in Wonderland by heart," he went on. "And most of Robinson Crusoe. And Everything a Lady Should Know, which is Mary Poppins' favourite. But best of all are the coloured comics, especially the one called Lot-o'-Fun. What happened to Tiger Tim this week? Did he get away safely from Uncle Moppsy?"
"The new one comes out today," said Jane. "We'll all read it together!"
"Oh, dear! How happy I am!" cried Neleus. "The Elephant's Child, and a new Lot-o'-Fun, and my legs like the wings of a bird. I don't know when my Birthday is, but I think it must be today!" He hugged the Dolphin and the book in his arms and capered across the grass.
"Hi! Ting-aling-aling! Look where you're going!" the Ice Cream Man gave a warning cry. He was wheeling his barrow along by the Lake. The printed notice in front of it said:
STOP ME AND BUY ONE
WHAT WONDERFUL WEATHER!
"Stop! Stop! Stop! Stop!" cried the children wildly, as they ran towards the barrow.
"Chocolate!" said Michael.
"Lemon!" cried Jane.
And the fat little Twins put out their hands and gladly took what was given them.
"And wot about you!" said the Ice Cream Man, as Neleus came and stood shyly beside him.
"I don't know what to choose," said Neleus. "I never had one before."
"Wot! Never 'ad a Nice? Wot's the matter — weak stummick? A boy your size should know all about Ices! 'Ere!" The Ice Cream Man fished inside his barrow and brought out a Raspberry Bar. "Take this and see 'ow you like it!"
Neleus broke the bar with his marble fingers. He popped one half in the Dolphin's mouth and began to lick the other.
"Delicious," he said, "much better than seaweed."
"Seaweed? I should think so! Wot's seaweed got to do with it? But — talking of seaweed, that's a nice big Cod!" The Ice Cream Man waved his hand at the Dolphin. "If you took it along to the Fishmonger e'd give you a fancy price."
The Dolphin gave its tail a flick and its face looked very indignant.
"Oh, I don't want to sell him," said Neleus quickly. "He isn't just a fish — he's a friend!"
"A fishy kind of friend!" said the man. "Why doesn't 'e tell you to put on your clothes? You'll catch your death running round stark naked. Well, no offence meant! Ting-aling! Ting-aling!" He rode away whistling and ringing his bell.
Neleus glanced at the children out of the corner of his eye and the three burst out into peals of laughter.
"Oh, dear!" cried Neleus, gasping for breath. "I believe he thinks I'm human! Shall I run and tell him he's made a mistake? That I haven't worn clothes for two thousand years and never caught even a sniffle?"
He was just about to dart after the barrow when Michael gave a shout.
"Look out! Here's Willoughby!" he cried, and swallowed the rest of his Ice in one gulp.
For Willoughby, who belonged to Miss Lark, had a habit of jumping up at the children and snatching the food from their hands. He had rough, bouncy, vulgar manners and no respect for anyone. But what else could you expect of a dog who was half an Airedale and half a Retriever and the worst half of both?
There he came, lolloping over the grass, sticking out his tongue. Andrew, who was as well-bred as Willoughby was common, tripped gracefully after him. And Miss Lark herself followed breathlessly.
"Just out for a spin before Tea!" she trilled. "Such a beautiful day and the dogs insisted — Good gracious, what is that I see?"