all crawled out of their box and went up the walls. You should have heard how we laughed when the geography master asked Thompson to point out Cape Town on the map - and there was one of the snails in the very place!'
Everyone laughed again. It was so good to be all together once more. They were very much of an age -Julian was twelve, George and Dick were eleven, and Anne was ten.
Holidays and Christmas time were in front of them. No wonder they laughed at everything, even the silliest little joke!
'It's good that Mummy is getting on all right, isn't it?' said Dick, as the pony went along the road at a spanking trot. T was disappointed not to go home, I must say -1
did want to go to see Aladdin and the Lamp, and the Circus - but still, it's good to be back at Kirrin Cottage again. I wish we could have some more exciting adventures.
Not a hope of that this time, though.'
'There's one snag about these holls,' said Julian. 'And that's the tutor. I hear we've got to have one because Dick and I missed so much school this term, and we've got to take scholarship exams next summer.'
'Yes,' said Anne. 'I wonder what he'll be like. I do hope he will be a sport. Uncle Quentin is going to choose one today.'
Julian and Dick made faces at one another. They felt sure that any tutor chosen by Uncle Quentin would be anything but a sport. Uncle Quentin's idea of a tutor would be somebody strict and gloomy and forbidding.
Never mind! He wouldn't come for a day or two. And he might be fun. The boys cheered up and pulled Timothy's thick coat. The dog pretended to growl and bite. He wasn't worried about tutors. Lucky Timothy!
They all arrived at Kirrin Cottage. The boys were really pleased to see their aunt, and rather relieved when she said that their uncle had not yet come back.
'He's gone to see two or three men who have answered the advertisement for a tutor,' she said. 'He won't be long before he's back.'
'Mother, I haven't got to do lessons in the holls too, have I?' asked George. Nothing had yet been said to her about this, and she longed to know.
'Oh yes, George,' said her mother. 'Your father has seen your report, and although it isn't really a bad one, and we certainly didn't expect a marvellous one, still it does show that you are behind your age in some things. A little extra coaching will soon help you along.'
George looked gloomy. She had expected this but it was tiresome all the same.
'Anne's the only one who won't have to do lessons,' she said.
Til do some too,' promised Anne. 'Perhaps not always, George, if it's a very fine day, for instance - but sometimes, just to keep you company.'
'Thanks,' said George. 'But you needn't. I shall have Timmy.'
George's mother looked doubtful about this. 'We'll have to see what the tutor says about that,3 she said.
'Mother! If the tutor says I can't have Timothy in the room, I jolly well won't do holiday lessons!3 began George, fiercely.
Her mother laughed. 'Well, well - here's our fierce, hot-tempered George again!3 she said. 'Go along, you two boys, and wash your hands and do your hair. You seem to have collected all the smuts on the railway.'
The children and Timothy went upstairs. It was such fun to be five again. They always counted Tim as one of themselves. He went everywhere with them, and really seemed to understand every single word they said.
'I wonder what sort of a tutor Uncle Quentin will choose,' said Dick, as he scrubbed his nails. 'If only he would choose the right kind - someone jolly and full of fun, who knows that holiday lessons are sickening to have, and tries to make up for them by being a sport out of lesson-time. I suppose we'll have to work every morning.'
'Hurry up. I want my tea,' said Julian. 'Come on down, Dick. We'll know about the tutor soon enough P
They all went down together, and sat round the table. Joanna the cook had made a lovely lot of buns and a great big cake. There was not much left of either by the "
time the four children had
Everyone laughed again. It was so good to be all together once more. They were very much of an age -Julian was twelve, George and Dick were eleven, and Anne was ten.
Holidays and Christmas time were in front of them. No wonder they laughed at everything, even the silliest little joke!
'It's good that Mummy is getting on all right, isn't it?' said Dick, as the pony went along the road at a spanking trot. T was disappointed not to go home, I must say -1
did want to go to see Aladdin and the Lamp, and the Circus - but still, it's good to be back at Kirrin Cottage again. I wish we could have some more exciting adventures.
Not a hope of that this time, though.'
'There's one snag about these holls,' said Julian. 'And that's the tutor. I hear we've got to have one because Dick and I missed so much school this term, and we've got to take scholarship exams next summer.'
'Yes,' said Anne. 'I wonder what he'll be like. I do hope he will be a sport. Uncle Quentin is going to choose one today.'
Julian and Dick made faces at one another. They felt sure that any tutor chosen by Uncle Quentin would be anything but a sport. Uncle Quentin's idea of a tutor would be somebody strict and gloomy and forbidding.
Never mind! He wouldn't come for a day or two. And he might be fun. The boys cheered up and pulled Timothy's thick coat. The dog pretended to growl and bite. He wasn't worried about tutors. Lucky Timothy!
They all arrived at Kirrin Cottage. The boys were really pleased to see their aunt, and rather relieved when she said that their uncle had not yet come back.
'He's gone to see two or three men who have answered the advertisement for a tutor,' she said. 'He won't be long before he's back.'
'Mother, I haven't got to do lessons in the holls too, have I?' asked George. Nothing had yet been said to her about this, and she longed to know.
'Oh yes, George,' said her mother. 'Your father has seen your report, and although it isn't really a bad one, and we certainly didn't expect a marvellous one, still it does show that you are behind your age in some things. A little extra coaching will soon help you along.'
George looked gloomy. She had expected this but it was tiresome all the same.
'Anne's the only one who won't have to do lessons,' she said.
Til do some too,' promised Anne. 'Perhaps not always, George, if it's a very fine day, for instance - but sometimes, just to keep you company.'
'Thanks,' said George. 'But you needn't. I shall have Timmy.'
George's mother looked doubtful about this. 'We'll have to see what the tutor says about that,3 she said.
'Mother! If the tutor says I can't have Timothy in the room, I jolly well won't do holiday lessons!3 began George, fiercely.
Her mother laughed. 'Well, well - here's our fierce, hot-tempered George again!3 she said. 'Go along, you two boys, and wash your hands and do your hair. You seem to have collected all the smuts on the railway.'
The children and Timothy went upstairs. It was such fun to be five again. They always counted Tim as one of themselves. He went everywhere with them, and really seemed to understand every single word they said.
'I wonder what sort of a tutor Uncle Quentin will choose,' said Dick, as he scrubbed his nails. 'If only he would choose the right kind - someone jolly and full of fun, who knows that holiday lessons are sickening to have, and tries to make up for them by being a sport out of lesson-time. I suppose we'll have to work every morning.'
'Hurry up. I want my tea,' said Julian. 'Come on down, Dick. We'll know about the tutor soon enough P
They all went down together, and sat round the table. Joanna the cook had made a lovely lot of buns and a great big cake. There was not much left of either by the "
time the four children had
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