Anthea lifted down the heavy water-jug--it had a pattern of storks and long grasses on it, which Anthea never forgot. She carried it into the dressing-room, and carefully emptied the water out of it into the bath. Then she took the jug back into the bedroom and dropped it on the floor. You know how a jug always breaks if you happen to drop it by accident. If you happen to drop it on purpose, it is quite different. Anthea dropped that jug three times, and it was as unbroken as ever. So at last she had to take her father's boot-tree and break the jug with that in cold blood. It was heartless work. Next she broke open the missionary-box with the poker. Jane told her that it was wrong, of course, but Anthea shut her lips very tight and then said-- [Illustration: She broke open the missionary-box with the poker.] "Don't be silly--it's a matter of life and death." There was not very much in the missionary-box,--only seven-and-fourpence,--but the girls between them had nearly four shillings. This made over eleven shillings, as you will easily see. Anthea tied up the money in a corner of her pocket-handkerchief. "Come on, Jane!" she said, and ran down to the farm. She knew that the farmer was going into Rochester that afternoon. In fact it had been arranged that he was to take the four children with him. They had planned this in the happy hour when they believed that they we're going to get that hundred pounds, in two-shilling pieces, out of the Psammead. They had arranged to pay the farmer two shillings each for the ride. Now Anthea hastily explained to him that they could not go, but would he take Martha and the Baby instead? He agreed, but he was not pleased to get only half-a-crown instead of eight shillings. Then the girls ran home again. Anthea was agitated, but not flurried. When she came to think it over afterwards, she could not help seeing that she had acted with the most far-seeing promptitude, just like a born general. She fetched a little box from her corner drawer, and went to find Martha, who was laying the cloth and not in the best of tempers. "Look here," said Anthea. "I've broken the water jug in mother's room." "Just like you--always up to some mischief," said Martha, dumping down a salt-cellar with a bang. "Don't be cross, Martha dear," said Anthea. "I've got enough money to pay for a new one--if only you'll be a dear and go and buy it for us. Your cousins keep a china-shop, don't they? And I would like you to get it to-day, in case mother comes home to-morrow. You know she said she might perhaps." "But you're all going into town yourselves," said Martha. "We can't afford to, if we get the new jug," said Anthea; "but we'll pay for you to go, if you'll take the Lamb. And I say, Martha, look here--I'll give you my Liberty box, if you'll go. Look, it's most awfully pretty--all inlaid with real silver and ivory and ebony, like King Solomon's temple."