"Blyton, Enid - Adv 04 - Sea of Adventure" - читать интересную книгу автора (Blyton Enid)

Chapter 3

VERY MYSTERIOUS



EVERYONE was upset. They were sorry for Mrs. Johns, of course, and for her husband Ч but as they didn't know them at all, except as old friends of Mr. Mannering long ago, the children felt far far more miserable about their own disappointment.

"We'd talked about it such a lot Ч and made such plans Ч and got everything ready," groaned Philip, looking sadly at the field-glasses hanging nearby in their brown leather cases. "Now Mother will look for another Miss Lawson."

"No, I won't," said Mrs. Mannering. "I'll give up my new job, and take you away myself. I can't bear to see you so disappointed, poor things."

"No, darling Aunt Allie, you shan't do that!" said Lucy-Ann flinging herself on Mrs. Mannering. "We wouldn't let you. Oh dear Ч whatever can we do?"

Nobody knew. It seemed as if their sudden disappointment made everyone incapable of further planning. The bird-holiday or nothing, the bird-holiday or nothing Ч that was the thought in all the children's minds. They spent the rest of the day pottering about miserably, getting on each other's nerves. One of their sudden quarrels blew up between Philip and Dinah, and with yells and shouts they belaboured one another in a way they had not done for at least a year.

Lucy-Ann began to cry. Jack yelled angrily.

"Stop hitting Dinah, Philip. You'll hurt her!"

But Dinah could give as good as she got, and there was a loud crack as she slapped Philip full across his cheek. Philip caught her hands angrily, and she kicked him. He tripped her up, and down she went on the floor, with her furious brother rolling over and over too. Lucy-Ann got out of their way, still crying. Kiki flew up to the electric light, and cackled loudly. She thought Philip and Dinah were playing.

There was such a noise that nobody heard the telephone bell ringing again. Mrs. Mannering, frowning at the yells and bumps from the playroom, went to answer it. Then she suddenly appeared at the door of the playroom, her face beaming.

It changed when she saw Dinah and Philip fighting on the floor. "Dinah! Philip! Get up at once! You ought to be ashamed of yourselves, quarrelling like this now that you are so big. I've a good mind not to tell you who that was on the telephone."

Philip sat up, rubbing his flaming cheek. Dinah wriggled away, holding her arm. Lucy-Ann mopped her tears, and Jack scowled down at the pair on the floor.

"What a collection of bad-tempered children!" said Mrs. Mannering. Then she remembered that they all had had the measles badly, and were probably feeling miserable and bad-tempered after their disappointment that day.

"Listen," she said, more gently, "guess who that was on the telephone."

"Mrs. Johns, to say that Dr. Johns is all right after all," suggested Lucy-Ann hopefully.

Mrs. Mannering shook her head. "No Ч it was old Bill."

"Bill! Hurrah! So he's turned up again at last," cried Jack. "Is he coming to see us?"

"Well Ч he was very mysterious," said Mrs. Mannering. "Wouldn't say who he was Ч just said he might pop in tonight, late Ч if nobody else was here. Of course I knew it was Bill. I'd know his voice anywhere."

Quarrels and bad temper were immediately forgotten. The thought of seeing Bill again was like a tonic. "Did you tell him we'd had measles and were all at home?" demanded Philip. "Does he know he'll see us too?"

"No Ч I hadn't time to tell him anything," said Mrs. Mannering. "I tell you, he was most mysterious Ч hardly on the telephone for half a minute. Anyway, he'll be here tonight. I wonder why he didn't want to come if anyone else was here."

"Because he doesn't want anyone to know where he is, I should think," said Philip. "He must be on one of his secret missions again. Mother, we can stay up to see him, can't we?"

"If he isn't later than half-past nine," said Mrs. Mannering.

She went out of the room. The four looked at one another. "Good old Bill," said Philip. "We haven't seen him for ages. Hope he comes before half-past nine."