Block began to clear away, his face as usual showing no expression. Sooty glared at Anne. She was upset and cross, but said no more. She rubbed her bruised ankle hard. As soon as Block went out of the room she turned on Sooty.
‘You mean thing! You hurt my ankle like anything! Why shouldn’t I say things in front of Block? He’s quite deaf!’ said Anne, her face very red.
‘I know he’s supposed to be,’ said Sooty. ‘And I think he is. But I saw a funny look come over his face when you asked me what Mr. Barling smuggled – almost as if he had heard what you said, and was surprised.’
‘You imagined it!’ said Anne, crossly, still rubbing her ankle. ‘Anyway, don’t kick me so hard again. A gentle push with your toe would have been enough. I won’t talk in front of Block if you don’t want me to, but it’s quite plain he’s as deaf as a post!’
‘Yes, he’s deaf all right,’ said Dick. ‘I dropped a plate off the table yesterday, by accident, just behind him, and it smashed to bits, if you remember. Well, he didn’t jump or turn a hair, as he would have done if he could have heard.’
‘All the same – I never trust Block, deaf or not,’ said Sooty. ‘I always feel he might read our lips or something. Deaf people can often do that, you know.’
They went off to take Timmy for his usual morning walk. Timmy was quite used to being shut in the laundry basket by now, and lowered into the pit. In fact, he always jumped straight into the basket as soon as the lid was opened, and lay down.
That morning they again met Block, who stared with great interest at the dog. He plainly recognized it as the same dog as before.
‘There’s Block,’ said Julian, in a low voice. ‘Don’t drive Timmy off this time. We’ll pretend he’s a stray who always meets us each morning.’
So they let Timmy run round them, and when Block came up, they nodded to him, and made as if to go on their way. But the man stopped them.
‘That dog seems to be a friend of yours,’ he said, in his curious monotone of a voice.
‘Oh yes. He goes with us each morning now,’ said Julian, politely. ‘He quite thinks he’s our dog! Nice fellow, isn’t he?’
Block stared at Timmy, who growled. ‘Mind you do not bring that dog into the house,’ said Block. ‘If you do, Mr. Lenoir will have him killed.’
Julian saw George’s face beginning to turn red with fury. He spoke hurriedly. ‘Why should we bring him to the house, Block? Don’t be silly!’
Block, however, did not appear to hear. He gave Timmy a nasty look, and went on his way, occasionally turning round to look at the little company of children.
‘Horrid fellow!’ said George, angrily. ‘How dare he say things like that?’
When they got back to Marybelle’s bedroom that morning, they pulled Timmy up from the pit, and let him out of the basket. ‘We’ll put him into the secret passage as usual,’ said George, ‘and I’ll put some biscuits in with him. I got some nice ones for him this morning, the sort he likes, all big and crunchy.’
She went to the door – but just as she was about to unlock it and take Timmy into Sooty’s room next door, Timmy gave a small growl.
George took her hand away from the door at once. She turned to look at Timmy. He was standing stiffly, the hackles on his neck rising up, and he was staring fixedly at the door. George put her hand to her lips warningly, and whispered:
‘Someone’s outside. Timmy knows. He’s smelt them. Will you all talk loudly, and pretend to be playing a game? I’ll pop Timmy into the cupboard where the rope-ladder is kept.’
At once the others began to talk to one another, whilst George swiftly dragged Timmy to the cupboard, patted him to make him understand he was to be quiet, and shut him in.
‘My turn to deal,’ said Julian loudly, and took a pack of snap cards from the top of the chest. ‘You won last time, Dick. Bet I’ll win this time.’
He dealt swiftly. The others, still talking loudly, saying
anything that came into their heads, began to play snap.
They yelled ‘snap’ nearly all the time, pretending to be
very jolly and hilarious. Anyone listening outside the door
would never guess it was all pretence.
George, who was watching the door closely, saw that the handle was gradually turning, very slowly indeed. Someone meant to open the door without being heard, and come in unexpectedly. But the door was locked!
Soon the person outside, whoever it was, realized that
the door was locked, and the handle slowly turned the other way again. Then it was still. There came no other sound. It was impossible to know if anyone was still outside the door or not.
But Timmy would know! Signing to the others to carry on with their shouting and laughing, George let Timmy out of the cupboard. He ran to the door of the room, and stood there, sniffing quietly. Then he turned and looked at George, his tail wagging.
‘It’s all right,’ said George to the others. ‘There’s no one there now. Timmy always knows. We’d better quickly take him into your room, Sooty, while the coast is clear. Who could it have been, do you think, snooping outside?’
‘Block, I should say,’ said Sooty. He unlocked the door and peered out. There was no one in the passage. Sooty tiptoed to the door at the end and looked out there also. He waved to George to tell her it was all right to take Timmy into his room.
Soon Timmy was safely in the secret passage, crunching up his favourite biscuits. He had got quite used to his queer life now, and did not mind at all. He knew his way about the passage, and had explored other passages that led from it. He was quite at home in the maze of secret ways!
‘Better go and have our dinner now,* said Dick. ‘And mind, Anne – don’t go and say anything silly in front of that horrid Block, in case he reads your lips.’
‘Of course I shan’t,’ said Anne, indignantly. ‘I wouldn’t have before, but I never thought of him reading my lips. If he does, he’s very clever.’
Soon they were all sitting down to lunch. Block was there, waiting to serve them. Sarah was out for the day and did not appear. Block served them with soup, and then went out.
Suddenly, to the children’s intense surprise and fright, they heard Timmy barking loudly! They all jumped violently.
‘Listen! Hark at Timmy!’ said Julian. ‘He must be somewhere near here, in that secret passage. How weird it sounds, his bark coming muffled and distant like that. But anyone would know it was a dog barking.’ ‘ ‘Don’t say anything at all about it in front of Block,’ said Sooty. ‘Not a word. Pretend not to hear at all, if Timmy barks again. What on earth is he barking for?’
‘It’s the bark he uses when he’s excited and pleased,’ said George. ‘I expect he’s chasing a rat. He always goes right off his head when he sees a rat or a rabbit. There he goes again. Oh, dear, I hope he catches the rat quickly and settles down!’
Block came back at that moment. Timmy had again just stopped barking. But, in a moment or two, his doggy voice could be heard once more, very muffled. ‘Woof! Woof-woof!’
Julian was watching Block closely. The man went on serving the meat. He said nothing, but looked round at the children intently, as if he wanted to see each child’s expression, or see if they said anything.
‘Jolly good soup that was today,’ said Julian, cheerfully, looking round at the others. ‘I must say Sarah is a wonderful cook.’
‘I think her ginger buns are gorgeous,’ said Anne. ‘Especially when they are all hot from the oven.’
‘Woof-woof,’ said Timmy’s voice from far away behind the walls.
‘George, your mother makes the most heavenly fruit cake I ever tasted,’ said Dick to George, wishing Timmy would be quiet. ‘I do wonder how they’re all getting on
at Kirrin Cottage, and if they’ve started mending the roof yet.’
‘Woof!’ said Timmy, joyfully chasing his rat down another bit of passage.
Block served everyone and then silently disappeared. Julian went to the door to make sure he had gone and was not outside.
‘I hope old Block is as deaf as a post!’ he said. ‘I could have sworn I saw a surprised look come into those cold eyes of his, when Timmy barked.’
‘Well, if he could hear him,-which I don’t believe,’ said George, ‘he must have been jolly surprised to see us talking away and not paying any attention to a dog’s barking at all!’