Энид Блайтон - Новые приключения Великолепной Пятерки [with w_cat]

• Название: Новые приключения Великолепной Пятерки [with w_cat]
• Автор: Энид Блайтон
• Жанр: Языкознание

Вниманию читателей предлагается книга Инид Блайтон «Новые приключения Великолепной Пятерки».

Каждый абзац текста, на английском языке, снабжен ссылкой на литературный перевод.

Книга предназначена для учащихся старший классов школ, лицеев и гимназий, а также для широкого круга лиц, интересующихся английской литературой и совершенствующих свою языковую подготовку.

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[598] 'Hallo!' he said. 'Mrs. Sanders told me you were treasure-hunting, or something. How are you getting on?'

[599] 'Not very well,' said Julian, politely. He looked at the man, and saw behind him another one, younger, with rather screwed-up eyes and a big mouth. 'I suppose you are the two artists?' he asked.

[600] 'We are!' said the first man, coming into the room. 'Now, just exactly what are you looking for?'

[601] Julian did not really want to tell him, but it was difficult not to. 'Well - we're just seeing if there's a sliding panel here,' he said at last. 'There's one in the hall, you know. It's exciting to hunt round.'

[602] 'Shall we help?' said the first artist, coming into the room. 'What are your names? Mine's Thomas, and my friend's name is Wilton.'

[603] The children talked politely for a minute or two, not at all wanting the two men to help. If there was anything to be found, they wanted to find it. It would spoil everything if grown-ups solved the puzzle!

[604] Soon everyone was tap-tap-tapping round the wooden panels. They were in the middle of this when a voice hailed them.

[605] 'Hallo! My word, we are all busy!'

[606] The children turned, and saw their tutor standing in the doorway, smiling at them. The two artists looked at him.

[607] 'Is this a friend of yours?' asked Mr. Thomas.

[608] 'Yes - he's our tutor, and he's very nice!' said Anne, running to Mr. Roland and putting her hand in his.

[609] 'Perhaps you will introduce me, Anne,' said Mr. Roland, smiling at the little girl.

[610] Anne knew how to introduce people. She had often seen her mother doing it. 'This is Mr. Roland,' she said to the two artists. Then she turned to Mr. Roland. 'This is Mr. Thomas,' she said, waving her hand towards him, 'and the other one is Mr. Wilton.'

[611] The men half-bowed to one another and nodded. 'Are you staying here?' asked Mr. Roland. 'A very nice old farm-house, isn't it?'

[612] 'It isn't time to go yet, is it?' asked Julian, hearing a clock strike.

[613] 'Yes, I'm afraid it is,' said Mr. Roland. Tin later meeting you than I expected. We must go in about five minutes - no later. I'll just give you a hand in trying to find this mysterious secret way!'

[614] But no matter how anyone of them pressed and tapped around the panels in either of the two rooms, they could not find anything exciting. It really was most disappointing.

[615] 'Well, we really must go now,' said Mr. Roland. 'Come and say good-bye to Mrs. Sanders.'

[616] They all went into the warm kitchen, where Mrs. Sanders was cooking something that smelt most delicious.

[617] 'Something for our lunch, Mrs. Sanders?' said Mr. Wilton. 'My word, you really are a wonderful cook!'

[618] Mrs. Sanders smiled. She turned to the children. 'Well, dearies, did you find what you wanted?' she asked.

[619] 'No,' said Mr. Roland, answering for them. 'We haven't been able to find the secret way, after all!'

[620] 'The secret way?' said Mrs. Sanders, in surprise. 'What do you know about that now? I thought it had all been forgotten - in fact, I haven't believed in that secret way for many a year!'

[621] 'Oh, Mrs, Sanders - do you know about it?' cried Julian. 'Where is it?'

[622] 'I don't know, dear - the secret of it has been lost for many a day,' said the old lady. 'I remember my old grandmother telling me something about it when I was smaller than any of you. But I wasn't interested in things like that when I was little. I was all for cows and hens and sheep.'

[623] 'Oh, Mrs. Sanders - do, do try and remember something!' begged Dick. 'What was the secret way?'

[624] 'Well, it was supposed to be a hidden way from Kirrin " Farm-house to somewhere else,' said Mrs. Sanders. 'I don't know where, I'm sure. It was used in the olden days when people wanted to hide from enemies.'

[625] It was disappointing that Mrs. Sanders knew so little. The children said good-bye and went off with their tutor, feeling that their morning had been wasted., George was indoors when they got to Kirrin Cottage.

[626] Her cheeks were not so pale, now, and she greeted the children eagerly.

[627] 'Did you discover anything? Tell me all about it!' she said.

[628] 'There's nothing to tell,' said Dick, rather gloomily. 'We found three rooms facing east, with stone floors, but only two of them had wooden panelling, so we hunted round those, tapping and punching - but there wasn't anything to be discovered at all.'

[629] 'We saw the two artists,' said Anne. 'One was tall and thin, and had a long nose with glasses on. He was called Mr. Thomas. The other was younger, with little piggy eyes and an enormous mouth.'

[630] 'I met them out this morning,' said George. 'It must have been them. Mr. Roland was with them, and they were all talking together. They didn't see me.'

[631] 'Oh, it couldn't have been the artists you saw,' said Anne, at once. 'Mr. Roland didn't know them. I had to introduce them.'

[632] 'Well, I'm sure I heard Mr. Roland call one of them Wilton,' said George, puzzled. 'lie must have known them.'

[633] 'It couldn't have been the artists,' said Anne, again. 'They really didn't know Mr. Roland. Mr. Thomas asked if he was a friend of ours.'

[634] 'I'm sure I'm not mistaken,' said George, looking obstinate. 'If Mr. Roland said he didn't know the two artists, he was telling lies.'

[635] 'Oh, you're always making out that he is doing something horrid!' cried Anne, indignantly. 'You just make up things about him!'

[636] 'Sh!' said Julian. 'Here he is.'

[637] The door opened and the tutor came in. 'Well,' he said, 'it was disappointing that we couldn't find the secret way, wasn't it! Anyway, we were rather foolish to hunt about that drawing-room as we did - the panelling there wasn't really old - it must have been put in years after the other.'

[638] 'Oh - well, it's no good looking there again,' said Julian, disappointed. 'And I'm pretty sure there's nothing to be found in that other little room. We went all over it so thoroughly. Isn't it disappointing?'

[639] 'It Js,' said Mr. Roland. 'Well, Julian, how did you like the two artists? I was pleased to meet them - they seemed nice fellows, and I shall like to know them.'

[640] George looked at the tutor. Could he possibly be telling untruths in such a truthful voice? The little girl was very puzzled. She felt sure it was the artists she had seen him with. But why should he pretend he didn't know them? She must be mistaken. But all the same, she felt uncomfortable about it, and made up her mind to find out the truth, if she could.

[641] Chapter Ten A SHOCK FOR GEORGE AND TIM

[642] NEXT morning there were lessons again - and no Timothy, under the table! George felt very much inclined to refuse to work, but what would be the good of that? Grown-ups were so powerful, and could dole out all kinds of punishments. She didn't care how much she was punished herself but she couldn't bear to think that Timothy might have to share in the punishments too.

[643] So, pale and sullen, the little girl sat down at the table with the others. Anne was eager to join in the lessons - in, fact she was eager to do anything to please Mr. Roland, because he had given her the fairy doll from the top of the Christmas tree! Anne thought she was the prettiest doll she had ever seen.

[644] George had scowled at the doll when Anne showed it to her. She didn't like dolls, and she certainly wasn't going to like one that Mr. Roland had chosen, and given to Anne! But Anne loved it, and had made up her mind to do lessons with the others, and work as well as she could.

[645] George did as little as she could without getting into trouble. Mr. Roland took no interest in her or in her work. He praised the others, and took a lot of trouble' to show Julian something he found difficult.

[646] The children heard Tim whining outside as they worked. This troubled them very much, for Timothy was such a companion, and so dear to them all. They could not bear to think of him left out of everything, cold and miserable in the yard-kennel. When the ten minutes' break came, and Mr. Roland went out of the room for a few minutes, Julian spoke to George.

[647] 'George! It's awful for us to hear poor old Tim whining out there in the cold. And I'm sure I heard him cough. Let me speak to Mr. Roland about him. You must feel simply dreadful knowing that Tim is out there.'

[648] 'I thought I heard him cough, too,' said George, looking worried. 'I hope he won't get a cold. He simply doesn't understand why I have to put him there. He thinks I'm terribly unkind.'

[649] The little girl turned her head away, afraid that tears might come into her eyes. She always boasted that she never cried - but it was very difficult to keep the tears away when she thought of Timothy out there in the cold.

[650] Dick took her arm. 'Listen, George - you just hate Mr. Roland, and I suppose you can't help it. But we can none of us bear Timothy being out there all alone - and it looks like snow today, which would be awful for him. Could you be awfully, awfully good today, and forget your dislike, so that when your father asks Mr. Roland for your report, he can say you were very good - and then we'll all ask Mr. Roland if he wouldn't let Timmy come back into the house.'

'See?'

[651] Timothy coughed again, out in the yard, and George's heart went cold. Suppose he got that awful illness called pneumonia - and she couldn't nurse him because he had to live in the kennel? She would die of unhappiness! She turned to Julian and Dick.

[652] 'All right,' she said. 'I do hate Mr. Roland - but I love Timothy more than I hate the tutor - so for Tim's sake I'll pretend to be good and sweet and hard-working. And then you can beg him to let Timothy come back.'

[653] 'Good girl!' said Julian. 'Now here he comes - so do your best.'

[654] To the tutor's enormous surprise, George gave him a smile when he came into the room. This was so unexpected that it puzzled him. He was even more puzzled to find that George worked harder than anyone for the rest of the morning, and she answered politely and cheerfully when he spoke to her. He gave her a word of praise.

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

[656] '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!

[657] 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!

[658] 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.

[659] '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.'

[660] '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!

[661] 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.

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

[663] '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!'

[664] 'And what about George?' asked Uncle Quentin.

[665] '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.'

[666] '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.'

[667] 'Why?' asked Uncle Quentin in surprise.

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

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

[670] '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.'

[671] '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...'

[672] He looked at Mr. Roland, expecting to hear him say something in favour of Timothy. But the tutor said nothing. He looked annoyed.

[673] 'What do you think, Roland?' asked Uncle Quentin.

[674] '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!'

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

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

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

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

[679] The children stared at him in disgust. They thought he was weak and unkind. Mr. Roland nodded his head.

[680] '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.'

[681] '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.'

[682] 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.

[683] '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!'

[684] 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.

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

[686] 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.