[783] He stamped out, tall, cross and frowning. The children were glad to see him go. Mr. Roland shut the books on the table with a snap.
[784] 'We can't do any more lessons this morning,' he said. ‘Put on your things and go out for a walk till dinner-time.'
[785] 'Yes, do,' said Aunt Fanny, looking white and worried. 'That's a good idea.'
[786] Mr. Roland and their aunt went out of the room. 'I don't know if Mr. Roland thinks he's coming out with us,' said Julian, in a low voice, 'but we've got to get out first and give him the slip. We've got to find George and warn her what's up.'
[787] 'Right!' said Dick. 'Dry your eyes, Anne darling. Hurry and get your things. We'll slip out of the garden door before Mr. Roland comes down. I bet George has gone for her favourite walk over the cliffs. We'll meet her!' The three children threw on their outdoor things and crept out of the garden door quietly. They raced down the garden path, and out of the gate before Mr. Roland even knew they were gone! They made their way to the cliffs, and looked to see if George was coming.
[788] 'There she is - and Timothy, too!' cried Julian, pointing. 'George! George! Quick, we've got something to tell you!'
[789] Chapter Twelve GEORGE IN TROUBLE
[790] 'WHAT'S the matter?' asked George, as the three children tore up to her. 'Has something happened?'
[791] 'Yes, George. Someone has taken three most important pages out of your father's book!' panted Julian. 'And broken the test-tubes he was making an experiment with. Mr. Roland thinks you might have had something to do with it!'
[792] 'The beast!' said George, her blue eyes deepening with anger. 'As if I'd do a thing like that! Why should he think it's me, anyway?'
[793] 'Well, George, you left that bottle of oil in the study fender,' said Anne. 'I haven't told anyone at all what you told me happened last night - but somehow Mr. Roland guessed you had something to do with the bottle of oil.'
[794] 'Didn't you tell the boys how I got Timmy indoors?' asked George. 'Well, there's nothing much to tell, Julian, I just heard poor old Tim coughing in the night, and I half-dressed, went down, and took him into the study, where there was a fire. Mother keeps a bottle of oil that she used to rub her chest with when she has a cough -so I thought it might do Timmy's cold good, too. I got the oil and rubbed him well - and we both fell asleep by the fire till six o'clock. I was sleepy when I woke up, and forgot the oil. That's all.'
[795] 'And you didn't take any pages from the book Uncle Quentin is writing, and you didn't break anything in the study, did you?' said Anne.
[796] 'Of course not, silly,' said George, indignantly. 'How can you ask me a thing like that? You must be mad.'
[797] George never told a lie, and the others always believed her, whatever she said. They stared at her, and she stared back.
[798] 'I wonder who could have taken those pages then?' said Julian. 'Maybe your father will come across them, after all. I expect he put them into some safe place and then forgot all about them. And the test-tubes might easily have over-balanced and broken themselves. Some of them look very shaky to me.'
[799] 'I suppose I shall get into trouble now for taking Tim into the study,' said George.
[800] 'And for not coming into lessons this morning,' said Dick. 'You really are an idiot, George. I never knew anyone like you for walking right into trouble.'
[801] 'Hadn't you better stay out a bit longer, till everyone has calmed down a bit?' said Anne.
[802] 'No,' said George at once. 'If I'm going to get into a row, I'll get into it now! I'm not afraid!'
[803] She marched over the cliff path, with Timmy running round her as usual. The others followed. It wasn't nice to think that George was going to get into such trouble.
[804] They came to the house and went up the path.
[805] Mr. Roland saw them from the window and opened the door. He glanced at George.
[806] 'Your father wants to see you in the study,' said the tutor. Then he turned to the others, looking annoyed.
'Why did you go out without me? I meant to go with you.'
[807] 'Oh did you, sir? I'm sorry,' said Julian, politely, not looking at Mr. Roland. 'We just went out on the cliff a little way.'
[808] 'Georgina, did you go into the study last night?' asked Mr. Roland, watching George as she took off her hat and coat.
[809] I'll answer my father's questions, not yours,' said George.
[810] 'What you want is a good spanking,' said Mr. Roland. 'And if I were your father I'd give it to you!'
[811] 'You're not my father,' answered George. She went to the study door and opened it. There was no one there.
[812] 'Father isn't here,' said George.
[813] 'He'll be there in a minute,' said Mr. Roland. 'Go in and wait. And you others, go up and wash for lunch.'
[814] The other three children felt almost as if they were deserting George as they went up the stairs. They could hear Timmy whining from the yard outside. He knew his little mistress was in trouble, and he wanted to be with her.
[815] George sat down on a chair, and gazed at the fire, remembering how she had sat on the rug there with Tim last night, rubbing his hairy chest. How silly of her to have forgotten the bottle of oil!
[816] Her father came into the room, frowning and angry. He looked sternly at George.
[817] 'Were you in here last night, George?' he asked.
[818] 'Yes, I was,' answered George at once.
[819] 'What were you doing in here?' asked her father. 'You know you children are forbidden to come into my study.'
[820] 'I know,' said George. 'But you see Timmy had a dreadful cough, and I couldn't bear it. So I crept down about one o'clock and let him in. This was the only room that was really warm, so I sat here and rubbed his chest with the oil Mother uses when she has a cold.'
[821] 'Rubbed the dog's chest with camphorated oil!' exclaimed her father, in amazement. 'What a mad thing to do! As if it would do him any good.'
[822] 'It didn't seem mad to me,' said George. 'It seemed sensible. And Timmy's cough is much better today. I'm sorry for coming into the study. I didn't touch a thing, of course.'
[823] 'George, something very serious has happened,' said her father, looking gravely at her. 'Some of my test-tubes with which I was doing an important experiment, have been broken - and, worse than that, three pages of my book have gone. Tell me on your honour that you know nothing of these things.'
[824] 'I know nothing of them,' said George, looking her father straight in the eyes. Her own eyes shone very blue and clear as she gazed at him. He felt quite certain that George was speaking the truth. She could know nothing of the damage done. Then where were those pages?
[825] 'George, last night when I went to bed at eleven o'clock, everything was in order,' he said. 'I read over those three important pages and checked them once more myself. This morning they are gone.'
[826] 'Then they must have been taken between eleven o'clock and one o'clock,' said George. 'I was here from that time until six.'
[827] 'But who could have taken them?' said her father. 'The window was fastened, as far as I know. And nobody knows that those three pages were so important but myself. It is most extraordinary.'
[828] 'Mr. Roland probably knew,' said George, slowly.
[829] 'Don't be absurd,' said her father. 'Even if he did realize they were important, he would not have taken them. He's a very decent fellow. And that reminds me -why were you not at lessons this morning, George?'
[830] 'I'm not going to do lessons any more with Mr. Roland,' said George. 'I simply hate him!'
[831] 'George! I will not have you talking like this!' said her father. 'Do you want me to say you are to lose Tim altogether?'
[832] 'No,' said George, feeling shaky about the knees. 'And I don't think it's fair to keep trying to force me to do things by threatening me with losing Timothy. If - if -you do a thing like that - I'll - I'll run away or something!'