By the time they reached the coastguard's cottage the sun was out. It was a real April day, withsudden showers and then the sun sweeping1 out, smiling. Every thing glittered, especially the sea.
It was wet underfoot, but the children had on their rubber boots. They looked for the coastguard.
As usual he was in his shed, singing and hammering.
'Good-day to you,' he said, beaming all over his red face. 'I was wondering when you'd come andsee me again. How do you like, this railway station I'm making?'
'It's better' than any I've ever seen in the shops,' said Anne, in great admiration2.
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The coastguard certainly had made it well, down to the smallest' detail. He nodded his headtowards some small wooden figures of porters and guards and passengers.
'Those are waiting to be painted,' he said. 'That boy Martin said he'd come in and do them for me.
Very handy with his paints he is, a proper artist but he's had an accident.'
'Has he? What happened?' said Julian.
'I don't quite know. He was half-carried home this morning by his father,' said the coastguard.
'Must have slipped and fallen somewhere. I went out to ask, but Mr. Curton was in a hurry to getthe boy on a couch. Why don't you go in and ask after him? He's a queer sort of boy -- but he'snot a bad boy.'
'Yes, we will go and ask,' said Julian. 'I say, coastguard, would you mind if we looked throughyour telescope again?'
'Now you go and look at all you want to!' said the fellow. 'I tell you, you won't wear it out bylooking! I saw the signal from your father's tower last night, Miss George - just happened to belooking that way. He went on flashing for a long time, didn't he?'
'Yes,' said George 'Thank you. I'll go and have a look now.'
She went to the telescope and trained it on her island. But no matter where she looked she couldnot see Timmy, or her father. They' must be down in his workroom, wherever it was. She lookedat the glass room in the top of the tower. That was empty too, of course. She sighed. It wouldhave been nice to see Timmy. The others had a look through as well, but nobody saw Timmy. Itwas plain that he was keeping close to his master -- a proper little guard!
'Well -- shall we go in and see what's happened to Martin?' said 'Julian, when they had finishedwith the telescope. 'It's just about to pour with rain again - another April shower! We could waitnext-door till it's over.'
'Right. Let's go,' 'said, Dick. He looked at George. 'Don't be afraid I shall be rude, George. Nowthat I know Mr. Curton is a journalist, shan't bother, about him.'
'All the same -- I'm not "blabbing" any more,' said George, with a grin. 'I see your point noweven if it doesn't matter, I still shan't "blab" any more."'Good for you!' said Dick, pleased. 'Spoken like a boy!'
'Ass!' said George, but she was pleased all the same. They went through the front gateway4 of thenext cottage. As they filed in, they heard an angry voice.
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'Well, you can't! Always wanting to mess about with a brush and paint. I thought I'd knockedthat idea out of your head. You lie still and get that ankle-better. Spraining5 it just when I wantyour help!'
Anne stopped, feeling frightened. It was Mr. Curton's voice they could hear through the openwindow. He was giving Martin a good talking to about something that was plain. The othersstopped too, wondering whether to go in or not. Then they heard a bang, and saw Mr. Curtonleaving the cottage from the back entrance. He walked rapidly down the garden there and madefor the path, that led to the back of the cliff. There was a road there that went to the village.
'Good. He's gone. And he didn't see us!' said Dick. 'Who would have thought that such a genial,smiling fellow could have such a rough brutal6 voice when he loses his temper? Come on - let'spop in and see poor Martin while there's a chance.'
They knocked on the door. 'It's us!' called Julian cheerfully. 'Can we come in?'
'Oh yes!' shouted Martin from indoors, sounding pleased. Julian opened the door and they allwent in.
'I say! We heard you'd had an accident,' said Julian. 'What's up? Are you hurt much?'
'No. It's just that I twisted my ankle, and it was so painful to walk on that I had to be half-carriedup here, said Martin. 'Silly thing to do!'
'Oh - it'll soon be right if it's just a twist,' said Dick. 'I've often done that. The thing is to walk onit as soon as you can. Where were you when you fell?'
Martin went suddenly red, to everyone's surprise. 'Well -- I was walking on the edge of thequarry with my father -- and I slipped and rolled a good way down,' he said.
There was a silence. Then George spoke3. 'I say,' she said, 'I hope you didn't go and give away ourlittle secret to your father? I mean -- it's not so much fun when grown-ups share a secret. Theywant to go snooping about themselves -- and it's much more fun to discover things by ourselves.
You didn't tell him about that hole under the shelf of rock, did you?'
Martin hesitated. 'I'm afraid I did,' he said at last. 'I didn't think it would matter. I'm sorry.'
'Blow!' said Dick. 'That was our own little discovery. We wanted to go and explore it thisafternoon, but we thought it would be so wet we'd fall down the steep slope.'
Julian looked at Martin sharply. 'I suppose that's what happened to you?' he said. 'You triedclambering down and slipped!'
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'Yes,' said Martin. 'I'm really sorry if you thought it was your secret. I just mentioned it to myfather out of interest -- you know -- something to say - and he wanted to go down and see forhimself.'
'I suppose journalists are always like that,' said Dick. 'Wanting to be on the spot if there'sanything to be ferreted out. It's their job. All right, Martin -- forget it. But do try and head yourfather off the quarry7. We would like to do a bit of exploring, before he butts8 in. Though theremay be nothing to be found at all!'
There was a pause. Nobody knew quite what to say. Martin was rather difficult to talk to. Hedidn't talk like an ordinary boy - he never made a joke, or said anything silly.
'Aren't you bored, lying here?' said Anne, feeling sorry for him.
'Yes, awfully9. I wanted my father to go in and ask the coastguard to bring in some little figures Isaid I'd paint for him,' said Martin. 'But he wouldn't let me. You know I simply love painting -even doing a little thing like that -- painting clothes on toy porters and guards -- so long as I canhave a brush in my hand and colours to choose from!'
This was the longest speech Martin had ever made to the four children! His face lost its dull,bored look as he spoke, and became bright and cheerful.
'Oh -- you want to be an artist, I suppose?' said Anne. 'I would like that, too!'
'Anne! You can't even draw a cat that looks like one!' said Dick, scornfully. 'And when you drewa cow I thought it was an elephant.'
Martin smiled at Anne's indignant face. 'I'll show you some of my pictures,' he said. 'I have tokeep them hidden away, because my father can't bear me to want to be an artist!'
'Don't get up if you don't want to,' said Julian. 'I'll get them for you.'
'It's all right. If it's good for me to try and walk, I will,' said Martin, and got off the couch. He puthis right foot gingerly to the floor and then stood up. 'Not so bad after all!' he said. He limpedacross the room to a bookcase. He put his hand behind the second row of books and brought outa cardboard case, big and flat. He took it to the table. He opened it and spread out some pictures.
'Gracious!' said Anne. 'They're beautiful! Did you really do these?'
They were queer pictures for a boy to draw, for they were of flowers and trees, birds andbutterflies -- all drawn11 and coloured most perfectly12, every detail put in lovingly. Julian looked atthem in surprise. This boy was certainly gifted. Why, these drawings were as good as any he hadever seen in exhibitions! He picked a few up and took them to the window.
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'Do you mean to say your father doesn't think these are good, doesn't think it's worth while to letyou train as an artist?' he said, in surprise.
'He hates my pictures,' said Martin, bitterly. 'I ran away from school, and went to an art-school totrain -- but he found me and forbade me to think of drawing any more. He thinks it's a weak,feeble thing for a man to do. So I only do it in secret now.'
The children looked at Martin with sympathy. It seemed an awful thing to them that a boy whohad no mother, should have a father who hated the thing his son most loved. No wonder healways looked dull and miserable13 and sullen14!
'It's very bad luck,' said Julian at last. 'I wish we could do something to help.'
'Well -- get me those figures and the paint tins from the coastguard,' said Martin, eagerly. 'Willyou? Father won't be back till six. I'll have time to do them. And do stay and have tea with me.
It's so dull up here. I hate it.'
'Yes, I'll get the things for you,' said Julian. 'I can't for the life of me see why you shouldn't havesomething to amuse yourself with if you want to. And we'll ring up my aunt and tell her we'restaying here to tea -- so long as we don't eat everything you've got!'
'Oh, that's all right,' said Martin, looking very cheerful indeed. 'There's plenty of food in thehouse. My father has an enormous appetite. I say, thanks most awfully.'
Julian rang up his aunt. The girls and Dick went to fetch the figures and the paint from thecoastguard. They brought them back and arranged them on a table beside Martin. His eyesbrightened at once. He seemed quite different.
'This is grand,' he said. 'Now I can get on! It's a silly little job, this, but it will help the old mannext door, and I'm always happy when I'm messing about with a brush and paints!'
Martin was very, very clever at painting the little figures. He was quick and deft15, and Anne satwatching him, quite fascinated. George went to hunt in the larder16 for the tea-things. There wascertainly plenty of food! She cut some bread and butter, found some new honey, brought out ahuge chocolate cake and some ginger10 buns, and put the kettle on to boil.
'I say, this is really grand,' said Martin again. 'I wish my father wasn't coming back till eight. Bythe way -- where's the dog? I thought he always went everywhere with you! Where's Timmy?'
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sweeping
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| adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的 | |
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admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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spoke
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| 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 | |
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gateway
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| n.大门口，出入口，途径，方法 | |
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spraining
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| 扭伤（关节）( sprain的现在分词 ) | |
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brutal
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| adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的 | |
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quarry
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| n.采石场；v.采石；费力地找 | |
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butts
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| 笑柄( butt的名词复数 )； （武器或工具的）粗大的一端； 屁股； 烟蒂 | |
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awfully
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| adv.可怕地，非常地，极端地 | |
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ginger
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| n.姜，精力，淡赤黄色；adj.淡赤黄色的；vt.使活泼，使有生气 | |
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drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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sullen
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| adj.愠怒的，闷闷不乐的，(天气等)阴沉的 | |
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deft
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| adj.灵巧的，熟练的（a deft hand 能手） | |
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larder
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| n.食物贮藏室，食品橱 | |
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