Five Go Adventuring Again (9 page)

'Well done, Georgina! I can see you've got brains.'

'Thank you," said George, and gave him another smile - a very watery, poor affair, compared with the happy smiles the others had been used to - but still, it was a smile!

At dinner-time George looked after Mr. Roland most politely - passed him the salt, offered him more bread, got up to fill his glass when it was empty! The others looked at her in admiration. George had plenty of pluck. She must be finding it very difficult to behave as if Mr. Roland was a great friend, when she really disliked him so much!

Mr. Roland seemed very pleased, and appeared to be quite willing to respond to George's friendliness. He made a little joke with her, and offered to lend her a book he had about a dog. George's mother was delighted to find that her difficult daughter seemed to be turning over a new leaf. Altogether things were very much happier that day.

'George, you go out of the room before your father comes in to ask Mr. Roland about your behaviour tonight,' said Julian. 'Then, when the tutor gives you a splendid report, we will all ask if Timothy can come back. It will be easier if you are not there.'

'All right,' said George. She was longing for this difficult day to be over. It was very hard for her to pretend to be friendly, when she was not. She could never never do it, if it wasn't for Timothy's sake!

George disappeared out of the room just before six o'clock, when she heard her father coming. He walked into the room and nodded to Mr. Roland.

'Well? Have your pupils worked well today?' he asked.

'Very well indeed,' said Mr. Roland. 'Julian has really mastered something he didn't understand today. Dick has done well in Latin. Anne has written out a French exercise without a single mistake!'

'And what about George ?' asked Uncle Quentin.

'I was coming to Georgina,' said Mr. Roland, looking round and seeing that she was gone. 'She has worked better than anyone else today! I am really pleased with her.

She has tried hard - and she has really been polite and friendly. I feel she is trying to turn over a new leaf.'

'She's been a brick today,' said Julian, warmly. 'Uncle Quentin, she has tried awfully hard, she really has. And, you know, she's terribly unhappy.'

'Why ?' asked Uncle Quentin in surprise.

'Because of Timothy,' said Julian. 'He's out in the cold, you see. And he's got a dreadful cough.'

'Oh, Uncle Quentin, please do let poor Timmy come indoors,' begged Anne.

'Yes, please do,' said Dick. 'Not only for George's sake, because she loves him so, but for us too. We hate to hear him whining outside. And George does deserve a reward, Uncle - she's been marvellous today.'

'Well,' said Uncle Quentin, looking doubtfully at the three eager faces before him,

'well - I hardly know what to say. If George is going to be sensible - and the weather gets colder - well...'

He looked at Mr. Roland, expecting to hear him say something in favour of Timothy.

But the tutor said noth-JF ing. He looked annoyed. | 'What do you think, Roland?' asked Uncle Quentin.

'I think you should keep to what you said and let the dog stay outside,' said the tutor. 'George is spoilt, and needs firm handling. You should really keep to your decision about the dog. There is no reason to give way about it just because she has tried to be good for once!'

The three children stared at Mr. Roland in surprise and dismay. It had never entered their heads that he would not back them up!

'Oh, Mr. Roland, you are horrid!' cried Anne. 'Oh, do, do say you'll have Timothy back.'

The tutor did not look at Anne. He pursed up his mouth beneath its thick moustache and looked straight at Uncle Quentin.

'Well,' said Uncle Quentin, 'perhaps we had better see how George behaves for a whole week. After all -just one day isn't much.'

The children stared at him in disgust. They thought he was weak and unkind. Mr.

Roland nodded his head.

'Yes,' he said, 'a week will be a better test. If Georgina behaves well for a whole week, we'll have another word about the dog, sir. But at present I feel it would be better to keep him outside.' '

'Very well,' said Uncle Quentin, and went out of the room. He paused to look back.

'Come along into my study sometime,' he said. 'I've got a bit further with my formula.

It's at a very interesting stage.'

The three children looked at one another but said nothing. How mean of the tutor to stop Uncle Quentin from having Timothy indoors again,! They all felt disappointed in him. The tutor saw their faces.

'I'm sorry to disappoint you,' he said. 'But I think if you'd been bitten by Timothy once and snapped at all over when he got you on the floor, you would not be very keen on having him in either!'

He went out of the room. The children wondered what to say to George. She came in a moment later, her face eager. But when she saw the gloomy looks of the other three, she stopped short.

'Isn't Tim to come in?' she asked, quickly. 'What's happened ? Tell me!'

They told her. The little girl's face grew dark and angry when she heard how the tutor had put his foot down about Timothy, even when her father had himself suggested that the dog might come indoors.

'Oh, what a beast he is!' she cried. 'How I do hate him! I'll pay him out for this. I will, I will!'

She rushed out of the room. They heard her fumbling in the hall, and then the front door banged.

'She's gone out into the dark,' said Julian. *I bet she's gone to Timmy. Poor old George. Now she'll be worse than ever!'

That night George could not sleep. She lay and tossed in her bed, listening for Timothy. She heard him cough. She heard him whine. He was cold, she knew he was.

She had put plenty of fresh straw into his kennel and had turned it away from the cold north wind - but he must feel the bitter night terribly, after sleeping for so long on her bed!

Timothy gave such a hollow cough that George could bear it no longer. She must, she simply must, get up and go down to him. 'I shall bring him into the house for a little while and rub his chest with some of that stuff Mother uses for herself when she's got a cold on her chest,' thought the girl. 'Perhaps that will do him good.'

She quickly put a few clothes on and crept downstairs. The whole house was quiet.

She slipped out into the yard and undid Tim's chain. He was delighted to see her and licked her hands and face lovingly.

'Come along into the warm for a little while,' whispered the little girl. Til rub your poor chest with some oil I've got.'

Timmy pattered behind her into the house. She took him to the kitchen - but the fire was out and the room was cold. George went to look at the other rooms.

There was quite a nice fire still in her father's study.

f She and Tim went in there. She did not put on the light, because the firelight was fairly bright. She had with her the little bottle of oil from the bathroom cupboard. She put it down by the fire to warm.

Then she rubbed the dog's hairy chest with the oil, hoping it would do him good.

'Don't cough now if you can help it, Tim,' she whispered. 'If you do, someone f may hear you. Lie down here by the fire, darling, and If get nice and warm. Your cold will soon be better.'

Timothy lay down on the rug. He was glad to be out TI of his kennel and with his beloved mistress. He put his

head on her knee. She stroked him and whispered to him.

The firelight glinted on the curious instruments and jf glass tubes that stood around on shelves in her father's j study. A log shifted a little in the fire and settled lower, sending up a cloud of sparks. It was warm and peaceful there.

The little girl almost fell asleep. The big dog closed his eyes too, and rested peacefully, happy and warm.

George settled down with her head on his neck. She awoke to hear the study clock striking six! The room was cold now, and she shivered. Goodness! Six o'clock! Joanna the cook would soon be awake. She must not find Timmy and George in the study!

'Tim darling! Wake up! We must put you back into your kennel,' whispered George.

'Im sure your cold is better, because you haven't coughed once since you've been indoors. Get up - and don't make a noise. Sh!' Tim stood up and shook himself. He licked George's hand. He understood perfectly that he must be quite quiet. The two of them slipped out of the study, went into the hall and out of the front door.

In a minute or two Timothy was on the chain, and in his kennel, cuddled down among the straw. George wished she could cuddle there with him. She gave him a pat and slipped back indoors again.

She went up to bed, sleepy and cold. She forgot that she was partly dressed and got into bed just as she was. She was asleep in a moment!

In the morning Anne was most amazed to find that George had on vest, knickers, skirt and jersey, when she got out of bed to dress.

'Look!' she said. 'You're half-dressed! But I saw you undressing last night.'

'Be quiet,' said George. 'I went down and let Tim in last night. We sat in front of the study fire and I rubbed him with oil. Now don't you dare to say a word to anyone!

Promise!'

Anne promised - and she faithfully kept her word. Well, well - to think that George dared to roam about like that all night - what an extraordinary girl she was!

STOLEN PAPERS

'GEORGE, don't behave fiercely today, will you?' said Julian, after breakfast. 'It won't do you or Timothy aay good at all.'

'Do you suppose I'm going to behave well when I know perfectly well that Mr. Roland will never let me have Tim indoors all these holidays ?' said George.

'Well - they said a week,' said Dick. 'Can't you try for a week ?'

'No. At the end of a week Mr. Roland will say I must try for another week,' said George. 'He's got a real dislike for poor Tim. And for me too. I'm not surprised at that, because I know that when I try to be horrid, I really am horrid. But he shouldn't hate poor Timmy.'

'Oh George - you'll spoil the whole holls if you are silly, and keep getting into trouble,' said Anne.

'Well, I'll spoil them then,' said George, the sulky look coming back on her face.

'I don't see why you have to spoil them for us, as well as for yourself,' said Julian.

'They don't need to be spoilt for you,' said George. 'You can have all the fun you want

- go for walks with your dear Mr. Roland, play games with him in the evening, and laugh and talk as much as you like. You don't need to take any notice of me.'

'You are a funny girl, George,' said Julian, with a 112

sigh. 'We like you, and we hate you to be unhappy - so how can we have fun if we know you are miserable - and Timmy too ?'

'Don't worry about me' said George, in rather a choky voice. Tm going out to Tim. I'm not corning in to lessons today.'

'George! But you must!' said Dick and Julian together.

'There's no "Must" about it,' said George. Tm just not coming. I won't work with Mr.

Roland till he says I can have Timothy indoors again.'

'But you know you can't do things like that - you'll be spanked or something,' said Dick.

'I shall run away if things get too bad,' said George, in a shaky voice. 'I shall run away with Tim.'

She went out of the room and shut the door with a bang. The others stared after her. What could you do with a person like George ? Anyone could rule her with kindness and understanding - but as soon as she came up against anyone who disliked her, or whom she disliked, she shied away like a frightened horse - and kicked like a frightened horse, too!

Mr. Roland came into the sitting-room, his books in his hand. He smiled at the three children.

'Well? All ready for me, I see. Where's George?'

Nobody answered. Nobody was going to give George away!

'Don't you know where she is?' asked Mr. Roland in surprise. He looked at Julian.

'No, sir,' said Julian, truthfully. 'I've no idea where she is.'

'Well - perhaps she will come along in a few minutes,' said Mr. Roland. 'Gone to feed that dog of hers, I suppose.'

They all settled down to work. The time went on and George did not come in. Mr.

Roland glanced at the clock and made an impatient clicking noise with his tongue.

'Really, it's too bad of George to be so late! Anne, go and see if you can find her.'

Anne went. She looked in the bedroom. There was no George there. She looked in the kitchen. Joanna was there, making cakes. She gave the little girl a hot piece to eat.

She had no idea where George was.

Anne couldn't find her anywhere. She went back and told Mr. Roland. He looked angry.

'I shall have to report this to her father,' he said. 'I have never had to deal with such a rebellious child before. She seems to do everything she possibly can to get herself into trouble.'

Lessons went on. Break came, and still George did not appear. Julian slipped out and saw that the yard-kennel was empty. So George had gone out with Timmy! What a row she would get into when she got back!

No sooner had the children settled down after Break to do the rest of the morning's lessons, than a big disturbance came.

Uncle Quentin burst into the room, looking upset and worried.

'Have any of you children been into my study?' he asked.

'No, Uncle Quentin,' they all answered.

'You said we weren't to,' said Julian.

'Why, sir? Has something been broken?' asked Mr. Roland.

'Yes - the test-tubes I set yesterday for an experiment have been broken - and what is worse, three most important pages of my book have gone,' said Uncle Quentin. 'I can write them out again, but only after a great deal of work. I can't understand it.

Are you sure, children, that none of you has been meddling with things in my study?'

'Quite sure,' they answered. Anne went very red -she suddenly remembered what George had told her. George said she had taken Timmy into Uncle Quentin's study last night, and rubbed his chest with oil! But George couldn't possibly have broken the test-tubes, and taken pages from her father's book!