"Blyton, Enid - Famous Five 14 - Five Have Plenty of Fun" - читать интересную книгу автора (Blyton Enid)

СHow mysterious!Т said his aunt. СAnd how annoying. How can I put him up, if he wants to stay? I suppose heТll come roaring down at midnight in that enormous car of his. I only hope nothingТs gone wrong with this latest work your uncle is doing. I know itТs tremendously important.Т
СPerhaps Uncle will know the AmericanТs telephone number and he can ring him up to find out a bit more,Т said Julian, helpfully. СWhere is Uncle?Т
СHeТs gone down to the post-office, I think,Т said his aunt. СIТll tell him when he gets back.Т
Julian told the others about the mysterious phone call. Dick was pleased.
СI didnТt have a chance of getting a good look at that enormous car the other day,Т he said. СI think IТll keep awake tonight till the American comes and then nip down and have a look at it. I bet itТs got more gadgets on the dashboard than any car IТve ever seen!Т
Uncle Quentin appeared to be as surprised as anyone else at the phone call, and was inclined to blame Julian for not finding out more details.
СWhatТs he want now?Т he demanded, almost as if Julian ought to know! СI fixed everything up with him the other day. Everything! Each of us three has his own part to do. MineТs the least important, as it happens - and his is the most important. He took all the papers away with him; he canТt have left any behind. Coming down in the middle of the night like this - quite extraordinary!Т
None of the children except Dick meant to stay awake and listen for the AmericanТs coming. Dick put on his bed-light and took up a book to read. He knew he would fall asleep and not wake up for any noise, if he didnТt somehow keep himself wide awake!
He listened as he read, his ear alert to hear the coming of any car. Eleven oТclock came - then midnight struck. He listened to the twelve dongs from the big grandfather clock in the hall. Goodness - Uncle Quentin wouldnТt be at all pleased that his visitor was so late!
He yawned, and turned over his page. He read on and on. Half past twelve. One oТclock. Then he thought he heard a sound downstairs and opened his door. Yes - it was Uncle Quentin in his study. Dick could hear his voice.
СPoor old Aunt Fanny must be up too,Т he thought. СI can hear their voices. Gosh, I shall soon fall asleep over my book. IТll slip down and out into the garden for a breath of fresh air. I shall keep awake then.Т
He put on his dressing-gown and went quietly down the stairs. He undid the bolt of the garden door and slipped out. He stood listening for a moment, wondering if he would hear the roar of the AmericanТs car in the stillness of the night.
But all he heard was the sound of the tyres of a bicycle on the road outside. A bicycle! Who was riding about at this time of night? Perhaps it was the village policeman?
Dick stood in the shadows and watched. A man was on the bicycle. Dick could just make him out dimly, a big black shadow in the starlit night. To the boyТs enormous surprise, he heard the sound of the man dismounting, then the swish of the leaves in the hedge as the bicycle was slung there.
Then someone came quietly up the path and went round to the window of the study. It was the only room in the house that was lighted. Dick heard a tapping on the window, and then it was opened cautiously. His uncleТs head appeared.
СWho is it?Т he said, in a low tone. СIs it you, Elbur?Т
It apparently was. Dick saw that it was the big American who had visited his uncle two days before. СIТll open the door,Т said his aunt, but Elbur was already putting his leg across the window-sill!
Dick went back to bed, puzzled. How strange! Why should the American come so secretly in the night, why should he ride a bicycle instead of driving his car? He fell asleep still wondering.
He did not know whether the American rode away again, or whether his aunt made a bed for him on a couch downstairs. In fact, when he awoke the next morning, he really wondered if it had all been a dream.
He asked his aunt, when he went down to breakfast. СDid that man who telephoned come last night?Т he said.
His aunt nodded her head. СYes. But please say nothing about it. I donТt want anyone to know. HeТs gone now.Т
СWas it important?Т asked Dick. СJulian seemed to think it was, when he answered the phone.Т
СYes - it was important,Т said Aunt Fanny. СBut not in the way you think. DonТt ask me anything now, Dick. And keep out of your uncleТs way. HeТs rather cross this morning.Т
СThen something must have gone wrong with this new work heТs doing,Т thought Dick, and went to warn the others.
СIt sounds rather exciting,Т said Julian. СI wonder whatТs up?Т
They kept out of Uncle QuentinТs way. They heard him grumbling loudly to his wife about something, they heard him slam down his desk-lid as he always did when he was bad-tempered, and then he settled down to his morningТs work.
Anne came running to the others after a time, looking surprised. СGeorge! IТve just been into our room and what do you think! Aunt FannyТs put a camp-bed over in the corner - a camp-bed made up with blankets and everything! It looks an awful squash with two other beds as well in the room - mine and yours!Т
СGosh - someone else is coming to stay then - a girl,Т said Dick. СOr a woman. Aha! I expect itТs a governess engaged to look after you and Anne, George, to see that you behave like little ladies!Т
СDonТt be an idiot,Т said George, surprised and cross at the news. СIТm going to ask Mother what itТs all about. I wonТt have anyone else in our room. I just will not!Т
But just as she was marching off to tell her mother this, the study door downstairs opened and her father bellowed into the hall, calling his wife.
СFanny! Tell the children I want them. Tell them to come to my study AT ONCE!Т
СGracious - he does sound cross. Whatever can we have done?Т said Anne, scared.


Chapter Three

ANNOYING NEWS

The four children and Timmy trooped down the stairs together. GeorgeТs mother was in the hall, just going to call them.
СOh, there you are,Т she said. СWell, I suppose you heard that youТre wanted in the study. IТm coming too. And listen - please donТt make any more fuss than you can help. IТve had quite enough fuss made by Quentin!Т
This was very mysterious! What had Aunt Fanny to do with whatever trouble there was? Into the study went the Five, Timmy too, and saw Uncle Quentin standing on the hearthrug looking as black as thunder.
СQuentin, I could have told the children,Т began his wife, but he silenced her with a scowl exactly like the one George sometimes put on.
СIТve got something to say to you,Т he began. СYou remember those two friends of mine - scientists working on a scheme with me - you remember the big American?Т
СYes,Т said everyone.
СHe gave us a whole pound,Т said Anne.
Uncle Quentin took no notice of that remark. СWell,Т he said, СheТs got a daughter - letТs see now - sheТs got some silly name...Т
СBerta,Т said his wife.
СDonТt interrupt me,Т said Uncle Quentin. СYes, Berta. Well, Elbur, her father, has been warned that sheТs going to be kidnapped.Т
СWhatever for?Т said Julian, amazed.
СBecause it so happens that her father knows more secrets about a new scheme weТre planning than anyone else in the world,Т said his uncle. СAnd he says, quite frankly, that if this girl - whatТs her name now...Т