It is no use to pretend that the children did not feel a good
deal of agitation at the thought of going through the charm into
the Past. That idea, that perhaps they might stay in the Past
and never get back again, was anything but pleasing. Yet no one
would have dared to suggest that the charm should not be used;
and though each was in its heart very frightened indeed, they
would all have joined in jeering at the cowardice of any one of
them who should have uttered the timid but natural suggestion,
'Don't let's!'

It seemed necessary to make arrangements for being out all day,
for there was no reason to suppose that the sound of the
dinner-bell would be able to reach back into the Past, and it
seemed unwise to excite old Nurse's curiosity when nothing they
could say--not even the truth--could in any way satisfy it. They
were all very proud to think how well they had understood what
the charm and the Psammead had said about Time and Space and
things like that, and they were perfectly certain that it would
be quite impossible to make old Nurse understand a single word of
it. So they merely asked her to let them take their dinner out
into Regent's Park--and this, with the implied cold mutton and
tomatoes, was readily granted.

'You can get yourselves some buns or sponge-cakes, or whatever
you fancy-like,' said old Nurse, giving Cyril a shilling. 'Don't
go getting jam-tarts, now--so messy at the best of times, and
without forks and plates ruination to your clothes, besides your
not being able to wash your hands and faces afterwards.'