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in and out of her open window and the lawn outside looking very like somewhere in england。
she got up and dressed and tried to talk and eat ordinarily at breakfast。 then； after being instructed by the chief voice about what she was to do upstairs； she bid goodbye to the others； said nothing； walked to the bottom of the stairs； and began going up them without once looking back。
it was quite light； that was one good thing。 there was； indeed； a window straight ahead of her at the top of the first flight。 as long as she was 9n that flight she could hear the tick…tock…tick…tock of a grandfather clock in the hall below。 then she came to the landing and had to turn to her left up the next flight； after that she couldnt hear the clock any more。
now she had e to the top of the stairs。 lucy looked and saw a long； wide passage with a large window at the far end。 apparently the passage ran the whole length of the house。 it was carved and panelled and carpeted and very many doors opened off it on each side。 she stood still and couldnt hear the squeak of a mouse； or the buzzing of a fly； or the swaying of a curtain； or anything … except the beating of her own heart。
〃the last doorway on the left；〃 she said to herself。 it did seem a bit hard that it should be the last。 to reach it she would have to walk past room after room。 and in any room there might be the magician … asleep； or awake； or invisible； or even dead。 but it wouldnt do to think about that。 she set out on her journey。 the carpet was so thick that her feet made no noise。
〃theres nothing whatever to be afraid of yet；〃 lucy told herself。 and certainly it was a quiet； sunlit passage； perhaps a bit too quiet。 it would have been nicer if there had not been strange signs painted in scarlet on the doors twisty； plicated things which obviously had a meaning and it mightnt be a very nice meaning either。 it would have been nicer still if there werent those masks hanging on the wall。 not that they were exactly ugly … or not so very ugly … but the empty eye…holes did look queer； and if you let yourself you would soon start imagining that the masks were doing things as soon as your back was turned to them。
after about the sixth door she got her first real fright。 for one second she felt almost certain that a wicked little bearded face had popped out of the wall and made a grimace at her。 she forced herself to stop and look at it。 and it was not a face at all。 it was a little mirror just the size and shape of her own face； with hair on the top of it and a beard hanging down from it； so that when you looked in the mirror your own face fitted into the hair and beard and it looked as if they belonged to you。 〃i just caught my own reflection with the tail of my eye as i went past；〃 said lucy to herself。 〃that was all it was。 its quite
harmless。〃 but she didnt like the look of her own face with that hair and beard； and went on。 （i dont know what the bearded glass was for because i am not a magician。）
before she reached the last door on the left； lucy was beginning to wonder whether the corridor had grown longer since she began her journey and whether this was part of the magic of the house。 but she got to it at last。 and the door was open。
it was a large room with three big windows and it was lined from floor to ceiling with books； more books than lucy had ever seen before； tiny little books； fat and dumpy books； and books bigger than any church bible you have ever seen； all bound in leather and smelling old and learned and magical。 but she knew from her instructions that she need not bother about any of these。 for the book； the magic book； was lying on a reading…desk in the very middle of the room。 she saw she would have to read it standing （and anyway there were no chairs） and also that she would have to stand with her back to the door while she read it。 so at once she turned to shut the door。
it wouldnt shut。
some people may disagree with lucy about this； but i think she was quite right。 she said she wouldnt have minded if she could have shut the door； but that it was unpleasant to have to stand in a place like that with an open doorway right behind your back。 i should have felt just the same。 but there was nothing else to be done。
one thing that worried her a good deal was the size of the book。 the chief voice had not been able to give her any idea whereabouts in the book the spell for making things visible came。 he even seemed rather surprised at her asking。 he expected her to begin at the beginning and go on till she came to it； obviously he had never thought that there was any other way of finding a place in a book。 〃but it might take me days and weeks！〃 said lucy； looking at the huge volume； 〃and i feel already as if id been in this place for hours。”
she went up to the desk and laid her hand on the book； her fingers tingled when she touched it as if it were full of electricity。 she tried to open it but couldnt at first； this； however； was only because it was fastened by two leaden clasps； and when she had undone these it opened easily enough。 and what a book it was！
it was written； not printed； written in a clear； even hand； with thick downstrokes and thin upstrokes； very large； easier than print； and so beautiful that lucy stared at it for a whole minute and forgot about reading it。 the paper was crisp and smooth and a nice smell came from it； and in the margins； and round the big coloured capital letters at the beginning of each spell； there were pictures。
there was no title page or title； the spells began straight away； and at first there was nothing very important in them。 they were cures for warts （by washing your hands in moonlight in a silver basin） and toothache and cramp； and a spell for taking a swarm of bees。 the picture of the man with toothache was so lifelike that it would have set your
own teeth aching if you looked at it too long； and the golden bees which were dotted all round the fourth spell looked for a moment as if they were really flying。
lucy could hardly tear herself away from that first page； but when she turned over； the next was just as interesti