Chapter Seven A LITTLE SQUABBLE

　　Chapter Seven A LITTLE SQUABBLE
　　A sound made them turn. It was the boy's father coming up. He nodded to the children.
　　'Making friends?' he said, amiably¹. 'That's right. My boy's pretty lonely here. I hope you'll comeup and see us some time. Finished your conversations SON?'
　　'Yes,' said the boy. 'This boy here says that island is his, and he's going to take me over it whenhis father has finished his work there -- and that won't be long.'
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　　'And do you know the way through all those wicked rocks?' said the man. 'I shouldn't care to tryit. I was talking to the fishermen the other day, and not one of them appeared to know the way!'
　　This was rather astonishing. Some of the fishermen did know it. Then the children rememberedthat the men had all been forbidden to take anyone to the island while Uncle Quentin was atwork there. It was clear that they had pretended not to know the way in loyalty² to their orders.
　　'Did you want to go to the island then?' asked Dick, suddenly.
　　'Oh no! But my boy here would love to go,' said the man. 'I don't want to be seasick³, bobbing upand down in those waves near the island. I'm a poor sailor. I never go on the sea if I can help it!'
　　'Well, we must go,' said Julian. 'We've got to do some shopping for my aunt. Good-bye!'
　　'Come and see us as soon as you can,' said the man. 'I've a fine television set that Martin herewould like to show you. Any afternoon you like!'
　　'Oh thanks!' said George. She seldom saw television. 'We'll come!'
　　They parted, and the four children and Timmy went on down the cliff-path.
　　'Whatever made you sound so rude, Dick?' said George. 'The way you said "What's that to dowith you?" sounded quite insulting.'
　　'Well -- I just felt suspicious, that's all,' said Dick. 'That boy seemed to be so jolly interested inthe island and in your father's work, and when it would be finished.'
　　'Why shouldn't he be?' demanded George. 'Everyone in the village is interested. They all knowabout the tower and all the boy wanted to know was when he could go to my island - that's whyhe asked when Father's work would be finished. I liked him.'
　　'You only liked him because he was ass⁴ enough to think you were a boy,' said Dick. 'Jollygirlish-looking boy you are, that's all I can say.'
　　George flared⁵ up at once. 'Don't be mean! I'm not girlish-looking. I've far more freckles⁶ than youhave, for one thing, and better eyebrows⁷. And I can make my voice go deep.'
　　'You're just silly,' said Dick, in disgust. 'As if freckles are boyish! Girls have them just as muchas boys. I don't believe that boy thought you were a boy at all. He was just sucking up to you. Hemust have heard how much you like playing at being what you aren't.'
　　George walked up to Dick with such a furious look on her face that Julian hastily put himself inbetween them.
　　'Now, no brawls,' he said. 'You're both too old to begin slapping each other like kids in thenursery. Let me tell you, you're both behaving like babies, not like boys or gins!'
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　　Anne was looking on with scared eyes. George didn't go off the deep end like this usually. And itwas funny of Dick to have spoken so rudely to the boy on the cliff. Timmy gave a sudden littlewhine. His tail was down, and he looked very miserable⁸.
　　'Oh George - Timmy can't bear you to quarrel with Dick!' said Anne. 'Look at him! He's justmiserable!'
　　'He didn't like that boy a hit,' said Dick. 'That was another thing I thought was funny. If Timmydoesn't like a person, I don't like him either.'
　　'Timmy doesn't always rush round new people,' said George. 'He didn't growl⁹ or snarl¹⁰, anyway.
　　All right, all right, Julian, I'm not going to start brawling¹¹. But I do think Dick is being silly.
　　Making a mountain out of a molehill - just because someone was interested in Kirrin Island andFather's work, and just because Timmy didn't caper¹² all round him. He was such a solemn sort ofboy that I'm not surprised Timmy wasn't all over him. He probably knew the boy wouldn't like it.
　　Timmy's clever like that.'
　　'Oh, do stop,' said Dick. 'I give in - gracefully¹³! I may be making a fuss. Probably am. I couldn'thelp my feelings, though.'
　　Anne gave a sigh of relief. The squabble was over. She hoped it wouldn't crop up again. Georgehad been very touchy¹⁴ since she had been home. If only Uncle Quentin would hurry up and finishhis work, and they could all go to the island as much as they liked, things would be all right.
　　'I'd rather like to see that television Set,' said George. 'We might go up some afternoon.'
　　'Right,' said Julian. 'But, on the whole, I think it would be best if we steered¹⁵ clear of any talkabout your father's work. Not that we know much. Still, we do know that once before there werepeople after one of his theories. The secrets of the scientists are very, very important these days,you know, George. Scientists are V.I.P.!'
　　'What's V.I.P.?' asked Anne.
　　'Very Important People, baby!' said Julian, with a laugh. 'What did you think, it meant? Violet,Indigo, Purple? I guess those are the colours. Uncle Quentin would go mad if he knew anyonewas trying to snoop into his secrets!'
　　Everyone laughed, even George. She looked affectionately at Julian. He was always so sensibleand good-tempered. She really would go by what he said.
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　　The day passed swiftly. The weather cleared and the sun came out strongly. The air smelt¹⁶ ofgorse and primroses¹⁷ and the salt of the sea. Lovely! They went shopping for Aunt Fanny, andstopped to talk with James, the fisher-boy.
　　'Your father's got the island, I see,' he said to George with a grin. 'Bad luck, Miss. You'll not begoing over there so often. And nobody else will, either, so I've heard.'
　　'That's right,' said George. 'Nobody is allowed to go over there for some time. Did you help totake some of the stuff over, James?'
　　'Yes. I know the way, you see, because I've been with you,' 'said James. 'Well, Miss, how did youfind your boat when you went across yesterday? I got her all shipshape for you, didn't I?'
　　'Yes, you did, James,' said George, warmly. 'You made her look beautiful. You must comeacross to the island with us next time we go.'
　　'Thanks,' said James, his ready grin showing all his white teeth. 'Like to leave Timmy with mefor a week or two? See how he wants to stay!'
　　George laughed. She knew James was only joking. He was very fond of Timmy, though, andTimmy adored James. He was now pushing himself hard against the fisher-boy's knees, andtrying to put his nose into his brown hand. Timmy had never forgotten the time when Jameslooked after him so well.
　　The evening came, and the bay was softly blue. Little white horses flecked it here and there. Thefour gazed across to Kirrin Island. It always looked so lovely at this time of the evening. Theglass top of the tower winked¹⁸ and blinked in the sun. It looked almost as if someone wassignaling. But there was no-one in the little glass room. As the children watched they heard afaint rumbling¹⁹ sound, and suddenly the top of the tower was ablaze²⁰ with a curious glare.
　　'Look! That's what happened yesterday!' said Julian, in excitement. 'Your father's at work allright, George. I do wonder what he's doing!'
　　Then there came a throbbing²¹ sound, almost like the noise of an aeroplane, and once more theglass top of the tower shone and blazed, as the wires became full of some curious power.
　　'Weird²²,' said Dick. 'A bit frightening too. Where's your father at this very moment, I wonder,George. How I'd like to know!'
　　'I bet he's forgotten all about meals again,' said George. 'Didn't he wolf our sandwiches - he musthave been starving. I wish he'd let Mother go over there and look after him.'
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　　Her mother came in at that moment. 'Did you hear the noise?' she said. 'I suppose that was yourfather at work again. Oh dear, I hope he doesn't blow himself up one of these days!'
　　'Aunt Fanny, can I stay up till half past ten tonight?' asked Anne, hopefully. 'To see UncleQuentin's signal, you know?'
　　'Good gracious, no!' said her aunt. 'No one needs to stay up. I am quite capable of watching for itmyself!'
　　'Oh Aunt Fanny! Surely I and Dick can stay up!' said Julian. 'After all, we're not in bed till ten atschool.'
　　'Yes - but this is half past ten, and you wouldn't even be in bed then,' said his aunt. 'There's noreason why you shouldn't lie in bed and watch for it though, if you want to - providing youhaven't fallen asleep!'
　　'Oh yes - I can do that,' said Julian. 'My window looks across to Kirrin Island. Six flashes with alantern I shall count them carefully.'
　　So the four went to bed at the usual time. Anne was asleep long before half past ten, and Georgewas so drowsy²³ that she could not make herself get up and go into the boys' room. But Dick andJulian were both wide awake. They lay in their beds and looked out of the window. There was nomoon, but the sky was clear, and the stars shone down, giving a faint light. The sea looked veryblack. There was no sign of Kirrin Island. It was lost in the darkness of the night.
　　'Almost half past ten,' said Julian, looking at his watch, which had luminous²⁴ hands. 'Now then,Uncle Quentin, what about it?' Almost as if his uncle was answering him, a light shone out in theglass top of the tower. It was a clear, small light, like the light of a lantern.
　　Julian began to count. 'One flash.' There was a pause. 'Two flashes.' Another pause. 'Three, four,five six!' The flashes stopped. Julian snuggled down into bed.
　　'Well, that's that. Uncle Quentin's all right. I say, it's weird to think of him climbing that spiralstairway right to the top of the tower, in the dark of night, isn't it? Just to mess about with thosewires.' 'Mmmmm,' said Dick, sleepily. 'I rather he did it, than I! You can be a scientist if youlike, Ju -- but I don't want -- to climb towers in the dead of night on a lonely island. I'd likeTimmy there, at least.'
　　Someone knocked on their door and it opened. Julian sat up at once. It was Aunt Fanny. 'OhJulian dear - did you see the flashes? I forgot to count them. Were there six?'
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　　'Oh yes, Aunt Fanny! I'd have rushed down to tell you if anything was wrong. Uncle's all right.
　　Don't you worry!'
　　'I wish I'd told him to do an extra flash to tell me if he's had some of that nice soup,' said his aunt.
　　'Well, good night, Julian. Sleep well!'

1 amiably   

adv.和蔼可亲地，亲切地

参考例句：

• She grinned amiably at us. 她咧着嘴向我们亲切地微笑。
• Atheists and theists live together peacefully and amiably in this country. 无神论者和有神论者在该国和睦相处。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 loyalty   

n.忠诚，忠心

参考例句：

• She told him the truth from a sense of loyalty.她告诉他真相是出于忠诚。
• His loyalty to his friends was never in doubt.他对朋友的一片忠心从来没受到怀疑。

3 seasick   

adj.晕船的

参考例句：

• When I get seasick,I throw up my food.我一晕船就呕吐。
• He got seasick during the voyage.在航行中他晕船。

4 ass   

n.驴；傻瓜，蠢笨的人

参考例句：

• He is not an ass as they make him.他不象大家猜想的那样笨。
• An ass endures his burden but not more than his burden.驴能负重但不能超过它能力所负担的。

5 Flared   

adj. 端部张开的, 爆发的, 加宽的, 漏斗式的 动词flare的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• The match flared and went out. 火柴闪亮了一下就熄了。
• The fire flared up when we thought it was out. 我们以为火已经熄灭，但它突然又燃烧起来。

6 freckles   

n.雀斑，斑点( freckle的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• She had a wonderful clear skin with an attractive sprinkling of freckles. 她光滑的皮肤上有几处可爱的小雀斑。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• When she lies in the sun, her face gets covered in freckles. 她躺在阳光下时，脸上布满了斑点。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 eyebrows   

眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Eyebrows stop sweat from coming down into the eyes. 眉毛挡住汗水使其不能流进眼睛。
• His eyebrows project noticeably. 他的眉毛特别突出。

8 miserable   

adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的

参考例句：

• It was miserable of you to make fun of him.你取笑他，这是可耻的。
• Her past life was miserable.她过去的生活很苦。

9 growl   

v.（狗等）嗥叫，（炮等）轰鸣；n.嗥叫，轰鸣

参考例句：

• The dog was biting,growling and wagging its tail.那条狗在一边撕咬一边低声吼叫，尾巴也跟着摇摆。
• The car growls along rutted streets.汽车在车辙纵横的街上一路轰鸣。

10 snarl   

v.吼叫，怒骂，纠缠，混乱；n.混乱，缠结，咆哮

参考例句：

• At the seaside we could hear the snarl of the waves.在海边我们可以听见波涛的咆哮。
• The traffic was all in a snarl near the accident.事故发生处附近交通一片混乱。

11 brawling   

n.争吵，喧嚷

参考例句：

• They were arrested for brawling in the street. 他们因在街上打斗而遭到拘捕。
• The officers were brawling commands. 军官们大声地喊口令。

12 caper   

v.雀跃，欢蹦；n.雀跃，跳跃；续随子，刺山柑花蕾；嬉戏

参考例句：

• The children cut a caper in the yard.孩子们在院子里兴高采烈地乱蹦乱跳。
• The girl's caper cost her a twisted ankle.小姑娘又蹦又跳，结果扭伤了脚踝。

13 gracefully   

ad.大大方方地；优美地

参考例句：

• She sank gracefully down onto a cushion at his feet. 她优雅地坐到他脚旁的垫子上。
• The new coats blouse gracefully above the hip line. 新外套在臀围线上优美地打着褶皱。

14 touchy   

adj.易怒的；棘手的

参考例句：

• Be careful what you say because he's touchy.你说话小心，因为他容易生气。
• He's a little touchy about his weight.他对自己的体重感到有点儿苦恼。

15 steered   

v.驾驶( steer的过去式和过去分词 )；操纵；控制；引导

参考例句：

• He steered the boat into the harbour. 他把船开进港。
• The freighter steered out of Santiago Bay that evening. 那天晚上货轮驶出了圣地亚哥湾。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 smelt   

v.熔解，熔炼；n.银白鱼，胡瓜鱼

参考例句：

• Tin is a comparatively easy metal to smelt.锡是比较容易熔化的金属。
• Darby was looking for a way to improve iron when he hit upon the idea of smelting it with coke instead of charcoal.达比一直在寻找改善铁质的方法，他猛然想到可以不用木炭熔炼，而改用焦炭。

17 primroses   

n.报春花( primrose的名词复数 )；淡黄色；追求享乐（招至恶果）

参考例句：

• Wild flowers such as orchids and primroses are becoming rare. 兰花和报春花这类野花越来越稀少了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The primroses were bollming; spring was in evidence. 迎春花开了，春天显然已经到了。 来自互联网

18 winked   

v.使眼色( wink的过去式和过去分词 )；递眼色（表示友好或高兴等）；（指光）闪烁；闪亮

参考例句：

• He winked at her and she knew he was thinking the same thing that she was. 他冲她眨了眨眼，她便知道他的想法和她一样。
• He winked his eyes at her and left the classroom. 他向她眨巴一下眼睛走出了教室。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

19 rumbling   

n. 隆隆声, 辘辘声 adj. 隆隆响的 动词rumble的现在分词

参考例句：

• The earthquake began with a deep [low] rumbling sound. 地震开始时发出低沉的隆隆声。
• The crane made rumbling sound. 吊车发出隆隆的响声。

20 ablaze   

adj.着火的，燃烧的；闪耀的，灯火辉煌的

参考例句：

• The main street was ablaze with lights in the evening.晚上，那条主要街道灯火辉煌。
• Forests are sometimes set ablaze by lightning.森林有时因雷击而起火。

21 throbbing   

a. 跳动的,悸动的

参考例句：

• My heart is throbbing and I'm shaking. 我的心在猛烈跳动，身子在不住颤抖。
• There was a throbbing in her temples. 她的太阳穴直跳。

22 weird   

adj.古怪的，离奇的；怪诞的，神秘而可怕的

参考例句：

• From his weird behaviour,he seems a bit of an oddity.从他不寻常的行为看来，他好像有点怪。
• His weird clothes really gas me.他的怪衣裳简直笑死人。

23 drowsy   

adj.昏昏欲睡的，令人发困的

参考例句：

• Exhaust fumes made him drowsy and brought on a headache.废气把他熏得昏昏沉沉，还引起了头疼。
• I feel drowsy after lunch every day.每天午饭后我就想睡觉。

24 luminous   

adj.发光的，发亮的；光明的；明白易懂的；有启发的

参考例句：

• There are luminous knobs on all the doors in my house.我家所有门上都安有夜光把手。
• Most clocks and watches in this shop are in luminous paint.这家商店出售的大多数钟表都涂了发光漆。