Free Five Get Into Trouble by Enid Blyton Page B

said the woman, looking scared to death. 'Whatever do you know about that? You shouldn't have said that. Mr. Perton wil skin me alive if he knew you'd said that. He'd be sure I'd told you. Forget about it.'

    'That's the boy who's locked up in one of the attics at the top of the house isn't it?' said Julian, helping her to carry one of the mattresses to the big bedroom. She dropped her end in the greatest alarm.

    'Now! Do you want to get me into terrible trouble — and yourselves too? Do you want Mr. Perton to tell old Hunchy to whip you al ? You don't know that man! He's wicked.'

    'When's Rooky coming?' asked Julian, bent on astonishing the woman, hoping to scare her into one admission after another. This was too much for her altogether. She stood there shaking at the knees, staring at Julian as if she couldn't believe her ears.

    'What do you know about Rooky?' she whispered. 'Is he coming here? Don't tell me he's coming here!'

    'Why? Don't you like him?' asked Julian. He put a hand on her shoulder. 'Why are you so frightened and upset? What's the matter? Tell me. I might be able to help you.'

    'Rooky's bad,' said the woman. 'I thought he was in prison. Don't tell me he's out again.
    Don't tell me he's coming here.'

    She was so frightened that she wouldn't say a word more. She began to cry, and Julian hadn't the heart to press her with any more questions. In silence he helped her to drag the mattresses into the other room.

    'I'l get you some food,' said the poor woman, sniffing miserably. 'You'l find blankets in that cupboard over there if you want to lie down.'

    She disappeared. Julian told the others in whispers what he had been able to find out.
    'We'll see if we can find Dick as soon as things are quiet in the house,' he said. 'This is a bad house — a house of secrets, of queer comings and goings. I shal slip out of our room and see what I can find out later on. I think that man — Mr Perton is his name — is real y waiting for Rooky to come and see if Dick is Richard or not. When he finds he isn't I've no doubt he'll set him free — and us too.'

    'What about me?' said Richard. 'Once he sees me, I'm done for. I'm the boy he wants.
    He hates my father and he hates me too. He'l kidnap me, take me somewhere, and ask an enormous ransom for me — just to punish us!'

    'Well, we must do something to prevent him seeing you,' said Julian. 'But I don't see why he should see you — it's only Dick he'l want to see. He won't be interested in what he thinks are Dick's brothers and sisters! Now for goodness' sake don't start to howl again, or honestly I'l give you up to Rooky myself. You real y are a frightful little coward — haven't you any courage at al !'

    'Al this has come about because of your sil y lies and deceit,' said George, quiet fiercely. 'It's al because of you that our trip is spoilt, that Dick's locked up — and poor Timmy's outside without me.'

    Richard looked quite taken aback. He shrank into a corner and didn't say another word.
    He was very miserable. Nobody liked him — nobody believed him — nobody trusted him.
    Richard felt very, very small indeed.

12 Julian looks round

    The woman brought them some food. It was only bread and butter and jam, with some hot coffee to drink. The four children were not real y hungry, but they were very thirsty, and they drank the coffee eagerly.

    George opened the window and called softly down to Timmy. 'Tim! Here's something for you!'

    Timmy was down there all right, watching and waiting. He knew where George was. He had howled and whined for some time, but now he was quiet.

    George was quite determined to get him indoors if she could. She gave him all her bread and jam, dropping it down bit by bit, and listening to him wolfing it up. Anyway, old Timmy would know she was thinking of him!

    'Listen,' said Julian, coming in from the passage outside, where he had stood listening for a while. 'I think it would be a good idea if we put out this light, and