'You've been staring me awake,' I said, very grumpily. 'I'd like to know who could go on sleeping with you wishing them awake?'
'I'm very sorry if you wanted to go on sleeping,' he replied meekly. He did not seem at all surprised at my saying he had wakened me. He used to understand rather queer things like that so quickly, though we counted him stupid in some ways.
'But as I am awake you can start talking,' I said, closing my eyes again, and preparing to listen.
'Well,' he began, 'it was this way. Mamma didn't want me to be late for tea, so she stopped at the end of that big street--a little farther away than Lindsay Square, you know----'
'And,' Pete went on, 'told me to run home. It's quite straight, if you keep to the front, of course.'
'And you did run straight home, didn't you?' I said teasingly.
'No,' he replied seriously, but not at all offended. 'When I got to the corner of the square I looked up it, and I remembered that it led to the funny little houses where Clem and I had seen the parrot. So, almost without settling it in my mind, I ran along that side of the square till I came to Rock Terrace. I ran _very_ fast----'
'I wish I'd been there to see you,' I grunted again.
'And I thought if I kept round by the back, I'd get out again to the front nearly as soon--running all the way, you see, to make up. And I'd scarcely got to the little houses when I heard the parrot. His cage was out on the balcony, you know. And it is very quiet there--scarcely any carts or carriages passing--and it was getting dark, and I think you hear things plainer in the dark; don't you think so, Gilley?'
'I heard the parrot some way off. His voice is so queer, you know. And when I got nearer I could tell every word he said. He kept on every now and then talking for himself--real talking--"Getting cold. Polly wants to go to bed. Quick, quick." And then he'd stop for a minute, as if he was listening and heard something I couldn't. _That_ was the strange part that makes me think perhaps he isn't really a parrot at all, Giles,' and here Pete dropped his voice and looked very mysterious. I had opened my eyes for good now; it was getting exciting.
'What you and Clement heard, and a lot more,' Peterkin replied. 'Over and over again the same--"I'm so tired, Nana, I won't be good, no I won't."'