gloves and put on their hats.
Mary Poppins moved towards the perambulator. The Twins cooed happily as she strapped them in more securely and straightened the rug. Then she glanced round.
"Who put that duck in the pond?" she demanded, in that stern, haughty voice they knew so well.
"I did," said Jane. "For the Twins. He was going to New York."
"Well, take him out, then!" said Mary Poppins. "He is not going to New York—wherever that is—but Home to Tea."
And, slinging her carpet-bag over the handle of the perambulator, she began to push the Twins towards the gate.
The Park Keeper, suddenly finding his voice, blocked her way.
"See here," he said, staring. "I shall have to report this. It's against the Regulations. Coming down out of the sky, like that. And where from, I'd like to know, where from?"
He broke off, for Mary Poppins was eyeing him up and down in a way that made him feel he would rather be somewhere else.
"If I was a Park Keeper," she remarked, primly, "I should put on my cap and button my coat. Excuse me."
And, haughtily waving him aside, she pushed past with the perambulator.
Blushing, the Keeper bent to pick up his hat.
When he looked up again Mary Poppins and the children had disappeared through the gate of Number Seventeen Cherry Tree Lane.
He stared at the path. Then he stared up at the sky and down at the path again.
He took off his hat, scratched his head, and put it on again.
"I never saw such a thing!" he said, shakily. "Not even when I was a boy!"
And he went away muttering and looking very upset.
"Why, it's Mary Poppins!" said Mrs. Banks, as they came into the hall. "Where did
you
come from? Out of the blue?"
"Yes," began Michael joyfully, "she came down on the end——"
He stopped short for Mary Poppins had fixed him with one of her terrible looks.
"I found them in the Park, ma'am," she said, turning to Mrs. Banks, "so I brought them home!"
"Have you come to stay, then?"
"For the present, ma'am."
"But, Mary Poppins, last time you were here you left me without a Word of Warning. How do I know you won't do it again?"
"You don't, ma'am," replied Mary Poppins, calmly.
Mrs. Banks looked rather taken aback.
"But—but will you, do you think?" she asked uncertainly.
"I couldn't say, ma'am, I'm sure."
"Oh!" said Mrs. Banks, because, at the moment, she couldn't think of anything else.
And before she had recovered from her surprise, Mary Poppins had taken her carpet-bag and was hurrying the children upstairs.
Mrs. Banks, gazing after them, heard the Nursery door shut quietly. Then with a sigh of relief she ran to the telephone.
"Mary Poppins has come back!" she said happily, into the receiver.
"Has she, indeed?" said Mr. Banks at the other end. "Then perhaps I will, too."
And he rang off.
Upstairs Mary Poppins was taking off her overcoat. She hung it on a hook behind the Night-Nursery door. Then she removed her hat and placed it neatly on one of the bed-posts.
Jane and Michael watched the familiar movements. Everything about her was just as it had always been. They could hardly believe she had ever been away.
Mary Poppins bent down and opened the carpet-bag.
It was quite empty except for a large Thermometer.
"What's that for?" asked Jane curiously.
"You," said Mary Poppins.
"But I'm not ill," Jane protested. "It's two months since I had measles."
"Open!" said Mary Poppins in a voice that made Jane shut her eyes very quickly and open her mouth. The Thermometer slipped in.
"I want to know how you've been behaving since I went away," remarked Mary Poppins sternly. Then she took out the Thermometer and held it up to the light.
"Careless, thoughtless and untidy," she read out.
Jane stared.
"Humph!" said Mary Poppins, and thrust the Thermometer into Michael's mouth. He kept his lips tightly pressed upon it until she plucked it out and read,
"A very noisy, mischievous, troublesome little boy."
"I'm not," he said angrily.
For answer she thrust the Thermometer under his