He gave the book a last long look and tucked it under her arm.
"Oh, I promise, Neleus!" she said faithfully, and crossed her heart with her hand.
"I'll be waiting for you," said Neleus softly. "I'll never, never forget."
"Walk up and don't chatter!" hissed Mary Poppins, as she turned towards the Lake.
The perambulator creaked and groaned as it trundled on its way. But high above the creak of the wheels they could hear a well-known voice. They tip-toed up behind Mary Poppins as she walked to the shadowy water.
"I never done it!" the voice protested. "And wouldn't — not if you paid me!"
At the edge of the Lake, by the empty pedestal, stood the Lord Mayor with two Aldermen. And before them, waving his arms and shouting, and generally behaving in a peculiar manner, was the Park Keeper.
"It's none of my doing, Your Honour!" he pleaded. "I can look you straight in the eye!"
"Nonsense, Smith!" said the Lord Mayor sternly. "You are the person responsible for the Park statues. And only you could have done it!"
"You might as well confess!" advised the First Alderman.
"It won't save you, of course," the Second added, "but you'll feel so much better!"
"But I didn't do it, I'm telling you!" The Park Keeper clasped his hands in a frenzy.
"Stop quibbling, Smith. You're wasting my time!" The Lord Mayor shook his head impatiently. "First, I have to go looking for a naked boy who I hear is maltreating some wretched fish. A salmon, Miss Lark said — or was it a halibut? And now, as if this wasn't enough, I find the most valuable of our statues is missing from its pedestal. I am shocked and disgusted. I trusted you, Smith. And look how you repay me!"
"I am looking. I mean, I don't have to look! Oh, I don't know what I'm saying, Your Grace! But I do know I never touched that statchew!"
The Keeper glanced round wildly for help and his eye fell on Mary Poppins. He gave a cry of horrified triumph and flung out his hand accusingly.
"Your Worship, there's the guilty party! She done it or I'll eat me 'At!"
The Lord Mayor glanced at Mary Poppins and back to the Park Keeper.
"I'm ashamed of you, Smith!" he shook his head sorrowfully. "Putting the blame on a perfectly respectable, innocent young woman taking her charges for an afternoon airing! How could you?"
He bowed courteously to Mary Poppins, who returned the bow with a lady-like smile.
"Innocent! 'Er!" the Park Keeper screamed. "You don't know what you're sayin', my Lord! As soon as that girl comes into the Park, the place begins to go crosswise. Merry-go-rounds jumpin' up in the sky, people coming down on kites and rockets, the Prime Minister bobbing round on balloons — and it's all your doing — you Caliban!" He shook his fist wildly at Mary Poppins.
"Poor fellow! Poor fellow! His mind is unhinged!" said the First Alderman sadly.
"Perhaps we'd better get some handcuffs," the Second whispered nervously.
"Do what you like with me! 'Ang me, why don't yer? But it wasn't me wot done it!" Overcome with misery, the Park Keeper flung himself against the pedestal and sobbed bitterly.
Mary Poppins turned and beckoned to Neleus. He ran to her side on marble feet and leaned his head gently against her.
"Is it time?" he whispered, glancing up.
She nodded quickly. Then bending she took him in her arms and kissed his marble brow. For a moment Neleus clung to her as though he could never let her go. Then he broke away, smothering a sob.
"Good-bye, Jane and Michael. Don't forget me!" He pressed his chilly cheek to theirs. And before they could even say a word he had darted away among the shadows and was running towards his pedestal.
"I never 'ad no luck!" wailed the Keeper. "Never since I was a boy!"
"And you won't have any now, my man, unless you put back that statue." The Lord Mayor fixed him with an angry eye.
But Jane and Michael were looking neither at the Park Keeper nor the Lord Mayor. They were watching a curly head appear at the far side of the pedestal.
Up scrambled Neleus, over the ledge, dragging the Dolphin after him. His marble body blazed white and bright in a fading shaft of sunlight. Then with a gesture, half-gav, half-sad, he put up a little marble hand and waved them all farewell. As they waved back he seemed to tremble, but that may have been the tears in their eyes. They watched him draw the Dolphin to him, so close that its marble melted to his. Then he smoothed his curls with a marble hand and bent his head and was still. Even Mary Poppins' pink-and-white jacket seemed turned to lifeless marble.
"I can't put it back if I never took it!" the Park Keeper went on sobbing and shouting.
"Now, see here, Smith—" the Lord Mayor began. Then he gave a gasp and staggered sideways with his hand clasped to his brow. "My Jumping Giraffes! It's come back—" he cried. "And there's something different about it!"
He peered more closely at the statue and burst into roars of delighted laughter. He took off his hat and waved it wildly and slapped the Park Keeper on the back.
"Smith — you rogue! So that was your secret! Why didn't you tell us at first, my man? It certainly is a splendid surprise! Well, you needn't go on pretending now—"
For the Park Keeper, speechless with amazement, was goggling up at Neleus.
"Gentlemen!" The Lord Mayor turned to the Aldermen. "We have sadly misjudged this poor fellow. He has proved himself not only an excellent servant of the community — but an artist as well. Do you see what he has done to the statue? He has added a little marble coat with collar and cuffs of pink. A great improvement, to my mind, Smith! I never approved of naked statues."
"Nor I!" the First Alderman shook his head.
"Certainly not!" said the Second.
"Never fear, my dear Smith. You shall have your reward. From today your wages will be raised one shilling and an extra stripe will be sewn on your sleeve. Furthermore, I shall speak of you to His Majesty when I make my next report."
And the Lord Mayor, with another ceremonious bow to Mary Poppins, swept majestically away, humbly followed by the two Aldermen.
The Park Keeper, looking as though he were not sure if he were on his head or his heels, stared after them. Then he turned his popping eyes to the statue and stared again at that. The Marble Boy and his marble fish gazed thoughtfully down at the Lake. They were as still and quiet and silent as they had always been.
"Now home again, home again, jiggety-jog!" Mary Poppins raised a beckoning finger and the children followed without a word. The Half-crown lay in Michael's palm, burning and bright and solid. And cold as the marble hand of Neleus was the book beneath Jane's arm.
Along the Walk they marched in silence thinking their secret thoughts. And presently, on the grass behind them, there came the thud of feet. They turned to find the Park Keeper running heavily towards them. He had taken off his coat and was waving it, like a blue-and-red flag, at the end of his walking stick. He pulled up, panting, beside the perambulator and held out the coat to Mary Poppins.
"Take it!" he said breathlessly. "I just been looking at that Boy back there. He's wearin' yours — with the four pink buttons. And you'll need one when it gets chilly."
Mary Poppins calmly took the coat and slipped it over her shoulders. Her own reflection smiled conceitedly at her from the polished brass buttons.