Free Five Go Adventuring Again by Enid Blyton Page B

found in that other little room. We went all over it so thoroughly. Isn't it disappointing ?'
    '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.'
    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.

Chapter Ten
    A SHOCK FOR GEORGE AND TIM

    NEXT morning there were lessons again - and no Timothy , under the table! George felt very much inclined to refuse i to work, but what would be the good of that ?
    Grown-ups 5 were so powerful, and could dole out all kinds of punishments. She didn't care how much she was punished her-,' self but she couldn't bear to think that Timothy might have to share in the punishments too.
    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.
    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.
    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.
    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.
    '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.'
    '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.'
    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.
    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?'
    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.
    '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.'
    'Good girl!' said Julian. 'Now here he comes - so do your best.'
    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