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

"Miss Price," she pointed out almost reproachfully, "you could have done that at the church concert, instead of singing."
Miss Price laid down her knitting. A strange look crept into her face, and she looked hard at Carey as if she were seeing her for the first time. Nervously, Carey drew back in her chair.
"Although you sing so nicely," she added quickly.
But Miss Price did not seem to hear. There was a wild light in her eyes, and her lips moved quietly, as if she were reciting. "There must be some way," she was saying slowly. "There-must-be-some-way ..."
"Some way of what?" asked Charles after a moment's uncomfortable silence.
Miss Price smiled, showing her long yellow teeth.
"Of keeping your mouths shut," she rapped out.
Carey was shocked. This was far from ladylike. "Oh, Miss Price!" she exclaimed unhappily.
"Of keeping your mouths shut," repeated Miss Price slowly, smiling more unpleasantly than ever.
Paul made a little wriggling movement in his chair. "Now she's getting wicked," he whispered to Carey in a pleased voice.
Carey drew away from him as if she had not heard. She looked worried. "What do you mean, Miss Price? You mean we mustn't tell anyone that-" She hesitated.
"That you're a witch?" put in Paul.
But Miss Price was still staring, as if she neither heard nor saw. "In just a minute I'll think of something," she said, as if to herself. "In just a minute-"
Then Carey did something that Charles thought very brave. She got up from her chair and sat down beside Miss Price on the sofa.
"Listen, Miss Price," she said. "We did try to help you when you hurt your ankle. There isn't any need to use any
kind of nasty magic on us. If you want to stop us telling, you could do it in a nice kind of way."
Miss Price looked at her. "How could I do it in a nice kind of way?" she asked, but she sounded more reasonable.
"Well," said Carey, "you could give us something-something magic-and if we told anyone about you, we'd have to forfeit it. You know, like a game. Directly we told, the thing would stop being magic."
"What sort of thing?" asked Miss Price, but as if the idea held possibilities.
Charles leaned forward. "Yes," he put in, "a ring or something that we could twist and a slave conies. And, if we told about you, the slave wouldn't come any more. Couldn't you do that?"
Miss Price looked thoughtful. "I couldn't manage a slave," she said after a moment.
"Well, something like that."
Miss Price sat very quiet. She was thinking hard. "I know," she said after a while. Suddenly, she seemed quite nice and cheerful again. "There's something I've been wanting to try out. Mind you, I'm not sure that it will work. Has anybody got a ring on them?"
Alas, none of them had. Paul felt in his pockets, just in case, but found nothing but the brass knob he had unscrewed from his bed that morning.
"Well, anything. A bracelet would do. It should be something you can twist."
But unfortunately, Carey could not produce a bracelet either. "I have one at home," she said, "but I only wear it on Sundays."
"You can twist this," cried Paul suddenly, holding out
the bed-knob. "That's just what it does. It twists and it twists and it twists. I twisted it off," he added rather unnecessarily.
Miss Price took the bed-knob and held it thoughtfully between her clean, bony fingers.
"Let me see . . ." she said slowly. Then suddenly she looked up, as if surprised. "Paul, I believe this is the best thing you could have given me." Paul squirmed, pleased but bashful. "Now, I could do a wonderful spell with this-but I must think it out very carefully. Now, be quiet, children, and let me think-so that I can get this right." Her fingers closed gently round the shining brass. "This should be very good indeed. Now, quiet, please!"
The children sat like statues. Even Paul forgot to fidget. A bumblebee came in through the window and buzzed heavily about the room. Except for this, the silence was complete.
After what seemed a long while, Miss Price opened her eyes. And then she sat up, blinking and smiling. "There you are, Paul," she said brightly, and handed him back the bed-knob.
He took it reverently. "Is it done?" he asked in an awe-stricken voice. It looked just the same to him.
"Yes, it's quite done," Miss Price told him. "And it's a very good spell indeed. This is something you'll enjoy. Only don't get yourselves into trouble."
Carey and Charles were looking enviously at Paul.
"What must we do with it?" asked Charles.
"Just take it home and screw it back on the bed. But don't screw it right up. Screw it about halfway."
"And then?"
"And then?" Miss Price smiled. "Twist it a little and wish
-and the bed will take you to wherever you want to go!"
The children gazed unbelievingly at the gleaming ball in Paul's rather grubby fingers.
"Really?" asked Carey with a little gasp.
Miss Price was still smiling. She seemed very pleased with herself.
"Well, try it."
"Oh, Miss Price!" breathed Carey, still gazing at the knob. "THANK you."
"Don't thank me," said Miss Price, taking up her knitting again. "Remember the conditions. One word about me and the spell is broken."
"Oh, Miss Price!" said Carey again. She was quite overcome.
"Well, now off you go. It's getting late. As I say, don't get yourselves into trouble and don't go gallivanting around all night. There should be moderation in all things-even in magic."
3 A FALSE START
At about ten o'clock next morning, the children were back again. Their faces were serious and their manner was uncertain.