The term ran swiftly on to its end. April came in, with sunshine and showers. Holidays came nearer and nearer! Anne thought joyfully of Kirrin, with its lovely sandy beach, its blue sea, its fishing-boats and its lovely cliffside walks.
Julian and Dick thought longingly of them too. This term both they and the girls broke up on the same day. They could meet in London and travel down to Kirrin together. Hurrah! The day came at last. Trunks were piled in the hail. Cars arrived to fetch some of the children who lived fairly near. The school coaches drew up to take the others down to the station. There was a terrific noise of yelling and shouting everywhere. The teachers could not make themselves heard in the din.
‘Anyone would think that every single child had gone completely mad,’ said one of them to another. ‘Oh, thank goodness, they’re getting into the coaches. George! Must you rush along the� corridor at sixty miles an hour, with Timmy barking his head off all the time!’ ‘Yes, I must, I must!’ cried George. ‘Anne, where are you? Do come and get into the coach. I’ve got Timmy. He knows it’s holidays now. Come on, Tim!’ Down to the station went the singing crowd of children. They piled into the train. ‘Bags I this seat! Who’s taken my bag? Get out, Hetty, you know you can’t bring your dog in here with mine. They fight hike anything. Hurrah, the guard’s blowing his whistle! We’re off!’ The engine pulled slowly out of the station, its long train of carriages behind it, filled to bursting with girls off for their holidays. Through the quiet countryside it went, through small towns and villages, and at last ran through the smoky outskirts of London.
‘The boys’ train is due in two minutes before ours,~ said Anne, leaning out of the window, as the train drew slowly into the London station. ‘If it was punctual, they might be on our platform to meet us. Oh look, George, look – there they are!’ George hung out of the window too. ‘Hie, Julian!’ she yelled. ‘Here we are! Hie, Dick; Julian!’
Chapter Two
BACK AT KIRRIN COTTAGE
JULIAN, Dick, Anne, George and Timmy went straightaway to have buns and ginger-beer at the station tearoom. It was good to be all together again. Timmy went nearly mad with joy at seeing the two boys. He kept trying to get on to their knees.
‘Look here, Timmy, old thing, I love you very much, and I’m jolly glad to see you,’ said Dick, ‘but that’s twice you’ve upset my ginger-beer all over me. Has he behaved himself this term, George?’ ‘Fairly well,’ said George, considering. ‘Hasn’t he, Anne? I mean – he only got the joint out of the larder once – and he didn’t do so much harm to that cushion he chewed – and if people will leave their galoshes all over the, place nobody can blame Timmy for having a good old game with them.’ ‘And that was the end of the galoshes, I suppose,’ said Julian, with a grin. ‘On the whole, Timmy, you have a rather poor report. I’m afraid our Uncle Quentin will not award you the usual half-crown we get for good reports.’ At the mention of her father, George scowled. ‘I see George has not lost her pretty scowl,’ said Dick, in a teasing voice, ‘Dear old George! We shouldn’t know her unless she put on that fearsome scowl half a dozen times a day!’ ‘Oh, she’s better than she was,’ said Anne, hurrying to George’s defense at once. George was not so touchy as she had once been, when she was being teased. All the same, Anne knew that there might be sparks flying over her father taking Kirrin Island these holidays, and she didn’t want George to fly into a temper too soon! Julian looked at his cousin. ‘I say, old thing, you’re not going to take this business of Kirrin Island too much to heart, are you?’ he said. ‘You’ve just got to realize that your father’s a remarkably clever man, one of the finest scientists we’ve got – and I think that those kind of fellows ought to be allowed as much -freedom as they like, for their work. I mean – if Uncle Quentin wants to work’ on Kirrin Island for some peculiar reason of his own, then you ought to be pleased to say “Go ahead,’ Father!” George looked a little mutinous after this rather long speech; but she thought a great deal of Julian, and usually went by what he said. He was older than any-of them, a tall, good-looking boy, with determined eyes and a strong chin. George scratched Timmy’s head, and spoke in a low voice. ‘All right. I won’t go up in smoke about it, Julian. But I’m frightfully disappointed. I’d planned to go to Kirrin Island-ourselves these holls.’ ‘Well, we’re all disappointed,’ said Julian. ‘Buck -up with your bun, old thing. We’ve -got to get across London and catch the train for Kirrin. We shall miss it if we don’t look out.’ Soon they were in the train for Kirrin. Julian was very good at getting porters and taxis. Anne gazed admiringly at her big brother as he found them all corner-seat a carriage. Julian did know how to tackle things! Do you think I’ve grown, Julian?’ she asked him. ‘I hope I’d be as tall as George by the end of this term too!’ Well -I should think you might be a quarter of an inch more than last term,’ said Julian. ‘You can’t catch us up – you’ll always be the smallest! But I like you small.’ ‘Look at Timmy, putting his head out of the window usual!’ said Dick. ‘Timmy, you’ll get a smoke-grit in your eye. Then George will go quite mad with grief and think you’re going blind!’ Woof,’ said Timmy, and wagged his tail. That was the nice part about Timmy. He always knew when he was being spoken to, even if his name was not mentioned he answered at once.
Aunt Fanny was at the station to meet them in the trap. The children flung themselves on her, for they were very fond of her. She was kind and gentle, and did best to keep her clever, impatient husband from find too much fault with the children.
Uncle Quentin?’ asked Julian, politely, when were setting off in the trap.
He’s very well,’ said his aunt. ‘And terribly excited really, I’ve never known him to be so thrilled as he has been lately. His work has been coming along very successfully.
‘I suppose you don’t know what his latest experiment?’ said Dick.
‘Oh no. He never tells me a word,’ said Aunt Fanny ‘He never tells anyone except his colleagues, of course. I do know it’s important and I know, of course that the last step the experiment has to be made in air with water all around. Don’t ask me ‘Look! There’s Kirrin Island!’ They had rounded a corner, and had come in. Guarding the entrance of it was the curious little island topped by the old ruined castle. The sun shone down on the blue sea, and the island looked most enchanting.
George looked earnestly at it. She was looking for the building, whatever it was, that her father said he needed for his work. Everyone looked at the island, seeking the same thing They saw it easily enough! Rising from castle, probably from the castle yard, was a tall, thin tower, rather like a lighthouse. At the top was a glass-enclosed room, which glittered in the sun.
“Oh Mother!” I don’t like it! It spoils Kirrin Island,’ said George, in dismay. ‘Darling, it can come down when your father has finished his work,’ said her mother. ‘It’s a very flimsy, temporary thing. It can easily be pulled down. Father promised me he would scrap it s soon as his work was done. He says you can go across and see it, if you like. It’s really rather interesting.’ ‘Ooooh – I’d love to go and see it,’ said Anne, at once. ‘It looks so queer. Is Uncle Quentin all alone on Kirrin Island, Aunt Fanny?’ ‘Yes. I don’t like him to be alone,’ said her aunt. ‘For – one thing I am sure he doesn’t get his meals properly, and for another, I’m always afraid some harm might-come to him when he’s experimenting – and if he’s alone, how would I know if anything happened to him?’ ‘Well, Aunt Fanny, you could always arrange for him to signal to you each morning and night, couldn’t you ?’ said Julian, sensibly. ‘He could use that tower easily. He could flash a signal to you in the morning, using a mirror, you know — heliographing that he was all right — and at night he could signal with a lamp. Easy!’ ‘Yes. I did suggest that sort of thing,’ said his aunt. I said I’d go over with you all tomorrow, to see him and perhaps, Julian dear, you could arrange something of the sort with your uncle? He seems to listen to you now.’ ‘Gracious! Do you mean to say Father – wants us to invade his secret lair, and actually to see his strange tower?’ asked George, surprised. ‘Well — ‘I don’t think I want to go. After all, it’s my island and it’s horrid to see someone else taking possession of it.’ ‘Oh, George, don’t begin all that again,’ said Anne, with a sigh. ‘You and your island! Can’t you even lend it to your own father! Aunt Fanny, you should have seen George when your letter came. She looked so fierce that I was quite scared!’ Everyone laughed except George and Aunt Fanny. She looked distressed. George was always so difficult! She found fault with her father, and got up against him time after time but dear me, how very, very like him she was, with her scowls, her sudden temper, and her fierceness! If only George was as sweet-tempered and as easy going as these three cousins of hers! George looked at her mother’s troubled face, and felt ashamed of herself. She put her hand on her knee, It’s all right, Mother! I won’t make a fuss. I’ll try and keep my feelings to myself, really I will. I know. Father’s work is important. I’ll go with you to the island tomorrow.’ Julian gave George a gentle clap on the back. ‘Good old George! She’s actually learned, not only to give in, but to give in gracefully! George, you’re more like a boy than ever when you act like that.’ George glowed. She liked Julian to say she was like a boy. She didn’t want to be petty and catty and bear malice as so many girls did. But Anne looked a little indignant.