It dried up any trickle of pity for him that may have remained in the pirate 's infuriated breast . The first thing he did on finding himself alone in the fast falling night was to tiptoe to Slightly 's tree , and make sure that it provided him with a passage . Then for long he remained brooding ; his hat of ill omen on the sward , so that a gentle breeze which had arisen might play refreshingly through his hair . Dark as were his thoughts his blue eyes were as soft as the periwinkle . Intently he listened for any sound from the nether world , but all was as silent below as above ; the house under the ground seemed to be but one more empty tenement in the void . Was that boy asleep , or did he stand waiting at the foot of Slightly 's tree , with his dagger in his hand ? There was no way of knowing , save by going down . Hook let his cloak slip softly to the ground , and then biting his lips till a lewd blood stood on them , he stepped into the tree . He was a brave man ; but for a moment he had to stop there and wipe his brow , which was dripping like a candle . Then silently he let himself go into the unknown . He arrived unmolested at the foot of the shaft , and stood still again , biting at his breath , which had almost left him . As his eyes became accustomed to the dim light various objects in the home under the trees took shape ; but the only one on which his greedy gaze rested , long sought for and found at last , was the great bed . On the bed lay Peter fast asleep . Unaware of the tragedy being enacted above , Peter had continued , for a little time after the children left , to play gaily on his pipes : no doubt rather a forlorn attempt to prove to himself that he did not care . Then he decided not to take his medicine , so as to grieve Wendy . Then he lay down on the bed outside the coverlet , to vex her still more ; for she had always tucked them inside it , because you never know that you may not grow chilly at the turn of the night . Then he nearly cried ; but it struck him how indignant she would be if he laughed instead ; so he laughed a haughty laugh and fell asleep in the middle of it . Sometimes , though not often , he had dreams , and they were more painful than the dreams of other boys . For hours he could not be separated from these dreams , though he wailed piteously in them . They had to do , I think , with the riddle of his existence .
At such times it had been Wendy 's custom to take him out of bed and sit with him on her lap , soothing him in dear ways of her own invention , and when he grew calmer to put him back to bed before he quite woke up , so that he should not XXXXX of the indignity to which she had subjected him .
arisen became brave know let play remained stop vex wipe