Chapter Five AN UNPLEASANT WALK

Chapter Five AN UNPLEASANT WALK
　　AFTER dinner the four children went upstairs to the boys' bedroom and spread out the bit of linen¹ ona table there. There were words here and there, scrawled² in rough printing. There was the sign of acompass, with E marked clearly for East. There were eight rough squares, and in one of them, right inthe middle, was a cross. It was all very mysterious.
　　'You know, I believe these words are Latin,' said Julian, trying to make them out. 'But I can't readthem properly. And I expect if I could read them, I wouldn't know what they meant. I wish we knewsomeone who could read Latin like this.'
　　'Could your father, George?' asked Anne.
　　'I expect so,' said George. But nobody wanted to ask George's father. He might take the curious oldrag away. He might forget all about it, he might even burn it. Scientists were such queer people.
　　'What about Mr. Roland?' said Dick. 'He's a tutor. He knows Latin.'
　　'We won't ask him till we know a bit more about him,' said Julian, cautiously. 'He seems quite jollyand nice -but you never know. Oh, blow - I wish we could make this out, I really do.'
　　'There are two words at the top,' said Dick, and he tried to spell them out. 'VIA OCCULTA.'
　　'What do you think they could mean, Julian?'
　　'Well - the only thing I can think of that they can mean is - Secret Way, or something like that,'
　　said Julian, screwing up his forehead into a frown.
　　'Secret Way!' said Anne, her eyes shining. 'Oh, I hope it's that! Secret Way! How exciting. What sortof secret way would it be, Julian?'
　　'How do I know, Anne, silly?' said Julian. 'I don't even know that the words are meant to mean"Secret Way". It's really a guess on my part.'
　　'If they did mean that - the linen might have directions to find the Secret Way, whatever it is,'
　　said Dick. 'Oh Julian, isn't it exasperating³ that we can't read it? Do, do try. You know more Latin thanI do.'
　　'It's so hard to read the funny old letters,' said Julian, trying again. 'No - it's no good at all. I can'tmake them out.'
　　Steps came up the stairs, and the door opened. Mr. Roland looked in.
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　　'Hallo, hallo!' he said. 'I wondered where you all were. What about a walk over the cliffs?'
　　'We'll come,' said Julian, rolling up the old rag.
　　'What have you got there? Anything interesting?' asked Mr. Roland.
　　'It's a -' began Anne, and at once all the others began to talk, afraid that Anne was going to give thesecret away.
　　'It's a wonderful afternoon for a walk.'
　　'Come on, let's get our things on!'
　　'Tim, Tim, where are you?' George gave a piercing whistle. Tim was under the bed and camebounding out. Anne went red as she guessed why all the others had interrupted her so quickly.
　　'Idiot,' said Julian, under his breath. 'Baby.'
　　Fortunately Mr. Roland said no more about the piece of linen he had seen Julian rolling up. He waslooking at Tim.
　　'I suppose he must come,' he said. George stared at him in indignation.
　　'Of course he must!' she said. 'We never never go anywhere without Timothy.'
　　Mr. Roland went downstairs, and the children got ready to go out. George was scowling⁴. The veryidea of leaving Tim behind made her angry.
　　'You nearly gave our secret away, you silly,' said Dick to Anne.
　　'I didn't think,' said the little girl, looking ashamed of herself. 'Anyway, Mr. Roland seems very nice.
　　I think we might ask him if he could help us to understand those funny words.'
　　'You leave that to me to decide,' said Julian, crossly. 'Now don't you dare to say a word.'
　　They all set out, Timothy too. Mr. Roland need not have worried about the dog, for Timothy wouldnot go near him. It was very queer, really. He kept away from the tutor, and took not the slightestnotice of him even when Mr. Roland spoke⁵ to him.
　　'He's not usually like that,' said Dick. 'He's a most friendly dog, really.'
　　'Well, as I've got to live in the same house with him, I must try and make him friends with me,'
　　said the tutor. 'Hi, Timothy! Come here! I've got a biscuit in my pocket.'
　　Timothy pricked⁶ up his ears at the word 'biscuit' but did not even look towards Mr. Roland. He puthis tail down and went to George. She patted him.
　　'If he doesn't like anyone, not even a biscuit or a bone will make him go to them when he is called,'
　　she said.
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　　Mr. Roland gave it up. He put the biscuit back into his pocket. 'He's a queer-looking dog, isn't he?' hesaid. 'A terrible mongrel! I must say I prefer well-bred dogs.'
　　George went purple in the face. 'He's not queer-looking!' she spluttered. 'He's not nearly so queer-looking as you! He's not a terrible mongrel. He's the best dog in the world!'
　　'I think you are being a little rude,' said Mr. Roland, stiffly. ‘I don't allow my pupils to be cheeky,Georgina.'
　　Calling her Georgina made George still more furious. She lagged behind with Tim, looking as blackas a thundercloud. The others felt uncomfortable. They knew what tempers George got into, and howdifficult she could be. She had been so much better and happier since the summer, when they hadcome to stay for the first time. They did hope she wasn't going to be silly and get into rows. It wouldspoil the Christmas holidays.
　　Mr. Roland took no more notice of George. He did not speak to her, but strode on ahead with theothers, doing his best to be jolly. He could really be very funny, and the boys began to laugh at him.
　　He took Anne's hand, and the little girl jumped along beside him, enjoying the walk.
　　Julian felt sorry for George. It wasn't nice to be left out of things, and he knew how George hatedanything like that. He wondered if he dared to put in a good word for her. It might make thingseasier.
　　'Mr. Roland, sir,' he began. 'Could you call my cousin by the name she likes - George - she simplyhates Georgina. And she's very fond of Tim. She can't bear anyone to say horrid⁷ things about him.'
　　Mr. Roland looked surprised. 'My dear boy, I am sure you mean well,' he said, in rather a dry sort ofvoice, 'but I hardly think I want your advice about any of my pupils. I shall follow my own wishes inmy treatment of Georgina, not yours. I want to be friends with you all, and I am sure we shall be - butGeorgina has got to be sensible, as you three are.'
　　Julian felt rather squashed. He went red and looked at Dick. Dick gave him a squeeze on his arm.
　　The boys knew George could be silly and difficult, especially if anyone didn't like her beloved dog -but they thought Mr. Roland might try to be a bit more understanding too. Dick slipped behind andwalked with George.
　　'You needn't walk with me,' said George at once, her blue eyes glinting. 'Walk with your friend Mr.
　　Roland.'
　　'He isn't my friend,' said Dick. 'Don't be silly.'
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　　'I'm not silly,' said George, in a tight sort of voice. 'I heard you all laughing and joking with him.
　　You go on and have a good laugh again. I've got Timothy.'
　　'George, it's Christmas holidays,' said Dick. 'Do let's all be friends. Do. Don't let's spoil Christmas.'
　　I can't like anyone who doesn't like Tim,' said George, obstinately⁹.
　　'Well, after all, Mr. Roland did offer him a biscuit,' said Dick, trying to make peace as hard as hecould.
　　George said nothing. Her small face looked fierce. Dick tried again.
　　'George! Promise to try and be nice till Christmas is over, anyway. Don't let's spoil Christmas, forgoodness' sake! Come on, George.'
　　'All right,' said George, at last. I’ll try.'
　　'Come and walk with us, then,' said Dick. So George caught up the others, and tried not to look toosulky. Mr. Roland guessed that Dick had been trying to make George behave, and he included her inhis talk. He could not make her laugh, but she did at least answer politely.
　　'Is that Kirrin Farm-house?' asked Mr. Roland, as they came in sight of the farm.
　　'Yes. Do you know it?' asked Julian, in surprise.
　　'No, no,' said Mr. Roland, at once. 'I heard of it, and wondered if that was the place.'
　　'We went there this morning,' said Anne. 'It's an exciting place.' She looked at the others, wonderingif they would mind if she said anything about the things they had seen that morning.
　　Julian thought for a moment. After all, it couldn't matter telling him about the stone in the kitchenand the false back to the cupboard. Mrs. Sanders would tell anyone that. He could speak about thesliding panel in the hall too, and say they had found an old recipe book there. He did not need to sayanything about the old bit of marked linen.
　　So he told their tutor about the exciting things they had seen at the old farm-house, but said nothing atall about the linen and its strange markings. Mr. Roland listened with the greatest interest.
　　'This is all very remarkable¹⁰,' he said. 'Very remarkable indeed. Most interesting. You say the oldcouple live there quite alone?'
　　'Well, they are having two people to stay over Christmas,' said Dick, 'Artists. Julian thought he wouldgo over and talk to them. He can paint awfully¹¹ well, you know.'
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　　'Can he really?' said Mr. Roland. 'Well, he must show me some of, his pictures. But I don't think he'dbetter go and worry the artists at the farm-house. They might not like it.'
　　This remark made Julian feel obstinate⁸. He made up his mind at once that he would go and talk to thetwo artists when he got the chance! ,
　　It was quite a pleasant walk on the whole except that George was quiet, and Timothy would not goanywhere near Mr. Roland. When they came to a frozen pond Dick threw sticks on it for Tim tofetch. It was so funny to see him go slithering about on his long legs, trying to run properly!
　　Everyone threw sticks for the dog, and Tim fetched all the sticks except Mr. Roland's. When the tutorthrew a stick the dog looked at it and took no more notice. It was almost as if he had said,'What, your stick! No thank you!'
　　'Now, home we go,' said Mr. Roland, trying not to look annoyed with Tim. 'We shall just be in timefor tea!'

1 linen   

n.亚麻布，亚麻线，亚麻制品；adj.亚麻布制的，亚麻的

参考例句：

• The worker is starching the linen.这名工人正在给亚麻布上浆。
• Fine linen and cotton fabrics were known as well as wool.精细的亚麻织品和棉织品像羊毛一样闻名遐迩。

2 scrawled   

乱涂，潦草地写( scrawl的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• I tried to read his directions, scrawled on a piece of paper. 我尽量弄明白他草草写在一片纸上的指示。
• Tom scrawled on his slate, "Please take it -- I got more." 汤姆在他的写字板上写了几个字：“请你收下吧，我多得是哩。”

3 exasperating   

adj. 激怒的 动词exasperate的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• Our team's failure is very exasperating. 我们队失败了，真是气死人。
• It is really exasperating that he has not turned up when the train is about to leave. 火车快开了， 他还不来，实在急人。

4 scowling   

怒视，生气地皱眉( scowl的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• There she was, grey-suited, sweet-faced, demure, but scowling. 她就在那里，穿着灰色的衣服，漂亮的脸上显得严肃而忧郁。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• Scowling, Chueh-hui bit his lips. 他马上把眉毛竖起来。 来自汉英文学 - 家（1-26） - 家（1-26）

5 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

6 pricked   

刺，扎，戳( prick的过去式和过去分词 )； 刺伤； 刺痛； 使剧痛

参考例句：

• The cook pricked a few holes in the pastry. 厨师在馅饼上戳了几个洞。
• He was pricked by his conscience. 他受到良心的谴责。

7 horrid   

adj.可怕的；令人惊恐的；恐怖的；极讨厌的

参考例句：

• I'm not going to the horrid dinner party.我不打算去参加这次讨厌的宴会。
• The medicine is horrid and she couldn't get it down.这种药很难吃，她咽不下去。

8 obstinate   

adj.顽固的，倔强的，不易屈服的，较难治愈的

参考例句：

• She's too obstinate to let anyone help her.她太倔强了，不会让任何人帮她的。
• The trader was obstinate in the negotiation.这个商人在谈判中拗强固执。

9 obstinately   

ad.固执地，顽固地

参考例句：

• He obstinately asserted that he had done the right thing. 他硬说他做得对。
• Unemployment figures are remaining obstinately high. 失业数字仍然顽固地居高不下。

10 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

11 awfully   

adv.可怕地，非常地，极端地

参考例句：

• Agriculture was awfully neglected in the past.过去农业遭到严重忽视。
• I've been feeling awfully bad about it.对这我一直感到很难受。