“Oh, Mr.Tumnus—I’m so sorry to stop you, and I do love that tu really, I must go home.I only meant to stay for a few minutes.”
“It’s no good now, you know,”said the Faun, laying down its flute and shaking its head at her very sorrowfully.
“No good?”said Lucy, jumping up and feeling rather frightened.“What do you mean?I’ve got to go home at ohe others will be w what has happeo me.”But a moment later she asked.“Mr.Tumnus！Whatever is the matter?”for the Faun’s brown eyes had filled with tears and theears began trig down its cheeks, and soon they were running off the end of its no; and at last it covered its face with its hands and began to howl.
“Mr.Tumnus！”bawled Lu his ear, shaking him.“Do stop.Stop it at once！You ought to be ashamed of yourlf, a great big Faun like you.What oh are y about?”
“Oh—oh—oh！”sobbed Mr.Tumnus.“I’m g becau I’m such a bad Faun.”
“I don’t think you’re a bad Faun at all,”said Lucy.“I think you are a very good Faun.You are the Faun I’ve ever met.”
“Oh—oh—you wouldn’t say that if you knew,”replied Mr.Tumnus between his sobs.“No, I’m a bad Faun.I don’t suppo there ever was a wor Faun sihe beginning of the world.”
“But what have you done?”asked Lucy.
“My old father, now,”said Mr.Tumnus.“that’s his picture over the mantelpiece.He would never have dohing like this.”
“A thing like what?”said Lucy.
“Like what I’ve done,”said the Faun.“Taken rvider the White Witch.That’s what I am.I’m in the pay of the White Witch.”
“The White Witch?Who is she?”
“Why, it is she that has got all Narnia under her thumb.It’s she that makes it always winter.Always winter and never Christmas; think of that！”
“How awful！”said Lucy.“But what does she pay you for?”
“That’s the worst of it,”said Mr.Tumnus with a deep groan.“I’m a kidnapper for her, that’s what I am.Look at me, Daughter of Eve.Would you believe that I’m the sort of Faun to meet a poor i child in the wood, ohat had never done me any harm, and pretend to be friendly with it, and i home to my cave, all for the sake of lulling it asleep and then handing it over to the White Witch?”