"Norton, Mary - Bedknob and Broomstick 01-02 - Bedknob and Broomstick" - читать интересную книгу автора (Norton Mary)

"Mrs. Watkins, she quite took to those kids, sir. She thought they'd like to see the bird, sir, too."
"The bird?"
"I got a canary down there, sir. I was putting it out, like,
in the sun, early this morning."
"Have you got anything else down there in the yard?"
The sergeant shuffled his feet.
"Well, sir, only the silkworms."
The inspector glanced out of the window, pursing up his mouth in a rather peculiar way as if he were trying to keep it still.
"And you left the children alone in the yard?" he asked sternly.
"Well, sir, the gate was locked, sir. Roberts was on duty outside. I'd just slipped in the passage to sip a cup o' tea Mrs. Watkins 'ad there waiting."
"Well, go on. How long were you sipping this tea?"
"No time at all, sir. I just took the cup like from Mrs. Watkins, put in a bit of sugar, stirred it, and came right out to the door-"
"And then-?"
"Well, I couldn't see the children. I thought at first they was round be'ind the pillars." The sergeant wiped his face with his handkerchief. "But no," he added.
"They'd gone?"
"Yes, sir, they'd gone."
"And the bed, too."
"Yes, sir, and the bed, too. We searched the premises. The yard gate was still padlocked. Roberts said he 'adn't seen nothing."
The inspector stared at his fingernails. "Very peculiar. Mrs. Watkins bears out your story?"
"Yes, sir."
"Mrs. Watkins took to them, you say?"
"Yes, sir. They were nice kids, sir, well brought up. I got sort of sore with 'em last night. 'Urt my leg on that there bed
of theirs. But they weren't bad, not at 'eart they weren't."
The inspector leaned back in his chair. "You took to them yourself, in fact?"
"Not last night I didn't. But this morning-well, sir, they were so pleased like to see my little bird."
"You regretted perhaps," said the inspector slowly, fixing the sergeant with his eye, "having brought them in at all."
The sergeant stared back at the inspector. His eyes became very round and blue in his red face. He opened his mouth with a gasp. "You think I went and let them out, sir?" Then his fat face became stern and dignified. He swallowed. "I wouldn't do a thing like that. I know my duty, sir." He looked hurt and stared at a spot on the wall above the inspector's head.
The inspector smiled. "I'm sorry, Sergeant, if I've misjudged you. But you've told me a very tall story, you know. If the front gate is locked, there's absolutely no way out of the yard."
"I know, sir."
"And there's this business of the bed. . . ."
"Yes, sir," said the sergeant.
"These children couldn't be considered in any way as delinquents. They were just having some prank, isn't that so?"
"Yes, sir." Suddenly a curious, half-shy look came into the sergeant's eyes. He twisted his hat round in his hands. He looked at the inspector as if he hardly dared put his thought into words.
"Something just occurred to me, sir." The sergeant was blushing.
"Well?"
"The little girl, when I asked 'er 'ow she brought the bed up from Bedfordshire . . ."
"Yes?"
The sergeant dropped his voice. "She said she brought it up by magic."
For a moment the inspector did not speak; then, "Really, Sergeant-" he said weakly.
The sergeant's blush became deeper. "I know, sir," he said humbly.
"Really, Sergeant," went on the inspector, standing up and beginning to gather together the papers he would need in court. "You're a grown man, now. You must curb these fancies."
CAREY HAS AN IDEA
It was with a feeling of great relief that the children found themselves back again in Paul's bedroom. Carey and Charles barely had time to wash themselves and to dress Paul before Elizabeth sounded the gong for breakfast. Paul nearly fell asleep over his porridge, and Carey and Charles felt guilty when, later on, Elizabeth thanked them for having made the beds they hadn't slept in. Their adventure did not seem like a dream, but it seemed as if they had been away for much longer than one night, and all of them felt very sleepy.
"Let's go down and see Miss Price this morning," suggested Carey, "and this afternoon let's go up to the hayloft and sleep till teatime,"
They found Miss Price kneeling at her flower border, planting. She wore a large straw hat and a canvas apron with pockets. It was a lovely day, and the scented garden lay a-dream in the blazing warmth of the sun.
"Well," said Miss Price, sitting back and staring anxiously at their flushed, perspiring faces, "did it work?"
"Yes," said Carey. "It worked like magic-I mean, like a charm-I mean. . . . Oh, Miss Price, it did work." She
flung herself down on the grass beside Miss Price.
"Did you enjoy yourselves?" asked Miss Price rather anxiously. "Paul looks as though he can hardly keep his eyes open."
Carey pulled up a little tuft of the sweet-smelling lawn.