Anne woke up in the night, feeling thirsty. She whispered across the room:
'George! Are you awake?'
There was no answer, so, very cautiously and quietly Anne got herself a drink from the decanter onthe washstand. George was sometimes cross if she was awakened1 in the middle of the night.
Anne got back into bed, not guessing that George hadn't answered because she wasn't there!
She fell asleep and didn't wake till she heard Dick's voice. 'Hey, you two - get up; it's a quarter toeight. We're going for a bathe!'
Anne sat up, yawning. Her eyes went to George's bed. It was empty. More than that, it was all neatand tidy, as if it had just been made!
'Well!' said Anne in astonishment2. 'George is up already, and has even made her bed. She might havewaked me, and I could have gone out with her. It's such a lovely day. I suppose she's taken Timmyfor an early morning walk, like she sometimes does.'
Anne slipped into her bathing costume and ran to join the boys. They went downstairs together, theirbare feet padding on the carpet.
'George has gone out already,' said Anne. 'I expect she woke early and took Timmy; I never evenheard her!'
30
Julian was now at the front door. 'Yes,' he said. 'The door isn't locked or bolted - George must haveslipped down, undone3 it and then just pulled the door softly to. How very considerate of her! Lasttime she went out early she banged the door so hard that she woke everyone in the house!'
'She may have gone fishing in her boat,' said Dick. 'She said yesterday she'd like to some earlymorning when the tide was right. She'll probably arrive complete with stacks of fish for Joan to cook.'
They looked out to sea when they got to the beach. There was a boat far out on the water with whatlooked like two people in it, fishing.
'I bet that's George and Timmy,' said Dick. He yelled and waved his hands, but the boat was too faraway, and nobody waved back. The three of them plunged4 into the cold waves. Brrr-rrr-rrr!
'Lovely!' said Anne, when they came out again, the drops of sea-water running down their bodies andglistening in the early morning sun. 'Let's have a run now.'
They chased one another up and down the beach, and then, glowing and very hungry, went back tobreakfast.
'Where's George?' asked Joan, as she brought in their breakfast. 'I see her bed's made and all -what's come over her?'
'I think she's out fishing with Timmy,' said Dick. 'She was up and about long before we were.'
'I never heard her go,' said Joan. 'She must have been very quiet. There you are now - there's a finebreakfast for you - sausages and tomatoes and fried eggs!'
'O-o-o-h, lovely,' said Anne. 'And you've done the sausages just how I like them, Joan - all burstingtheir skins. Do you think we'd better eat George's too? She's still out in the boat. She may not be backfor ages.'
'Well, then you'd better eat her share,' said Joan. 'I've no doubt she took something out of the larderbefore she went. Pity I didn't lock it last night, as usual!'
They finished George's share between them and then started on toast and marmalade. After that Annewent to help Joan make the beds and dust and mop. Julian and Dick went off to the village to do themorning's shopping at the grocer's.
Nobody worried about George at all. Julian and Dick came back from their shopping and saw thelittle boat still out on the sea.
31
'George will be absolutely starving by the time she comes back,' said Julian. 'Perhaps she's got one ofher moods on and wants to be alone. She was awfully5 upset about Timmy being drugged.'
They met the ragamuffin Jo. She was walking along the beach, collecting wood, and she lookedsullen and dirtier than ever.
'Hallo, Jo!' called Dick. She looked up and came towards them without a smile. She looked as if shehad been crying. Her small brown face was streaked6 where the tears had run through the dirt.
'Hallo!' she said, looking at Dick. She looked so miserable7 that Dick felt touched.
'What's the matter, kid?' he said, kindly8.
Tears trickled9 down Jo's face as she heard the kindness in his voice. She rubbed them away andsmudged her face more than ever.
'Nothing,' she said. 'Where's Anne?'
'Anne's at home, and George is out in that boat with Timmy fishing,' said Dick, pointing out to sea.
'Oh!' said Jo, and turned away to go on with her collecting of wood. Dick went after her.
'Hey!' he said. 'Don't go off like that. You just tell me what's wrong with you this morning.'
He caught hold of Jo and swung her round to face him. He looked closely at her and saw that shenow had two bruises10 on her face - one going yellow, that he had given her when he had sent herflying two or three days before - and a new one, dark purple.
'Where did you get that bruise11?' he said, touching12 it lightly.
'That was my dad,' said Jo. 'He's gone off and left me - taken the caravan13 and all! I wanted to go, too;but he wouldn't let me into the caravan. And when I hammered at the door, he came out and pushedme down the steps. That's when I got this bruise - and I've got another on my leg, too.'
Dick and Julian listened in horror. What kind of a life was this that Jo had to live? The boys sat downon the beach, and Dick pulled Jo down between them.
'But surely your father is coming back?' said Julian. 'Is the caravan your only home?'
'Yes,' said Jo. 'I've never had another home. We've always lived in a caravan. Mum did, too, whenshe was alive. Things were better then. But this is the first time Dad's gone off without me.'
'But - how are you going to live?' asked Dick.
'Dad said Jake would give me money to buy food,' said Jo. 'But only if I do what he tells me. I don'tlike Jake. He's mean.'
'Who's Jake?' asked Julian, most astonished at all this.
32
'Jake's a gipsy fellow. He knows my father,' said Jo. 'He's always turning up for a day or two, andgoing away again. If I wait about here, he'll come and give me five pence or so, I expect.'
'What will he tell you to do?' said Dick, puzzled. 'It all seems very queer and horrible to me.
You're only a kid.'
'Oh, he may tell me to go poaching with him or - or - well, there's things we do that folks like youdon't,' said Jo, suddenly realizing that Dick and Julian would not at all approve of some of the thingsshe did. 'I hope he gives me some money today, though I haven't got any at all, and I'm hungry.'
Dick and Julian looked at one another. To think that in these days there should be a forlorn waif likeJo, going in fear of others, and often hungry and lonely.
Dick put his hand in the shopping basket and pulled out a packet of chocolate and some biscuits.
'Here you are,' he said. 'Tuck into these - and if you'd like to go to the kitchen door some time todayand ask Joan, our cook, for a meal, she'll give you one. I'll tell her about you.'
'Folks don't like me at kitchen doors,' said Jo, cramming14 biscuits into her mouth. 'They're afraid I'llsteal something.' She glanced up at Dick. 'And I do,' she said.
'You shouldn't do that,' said Dick.
'Well, wouldn't you, if you were so hungry you couldn't even bear to look at a baker's cart?' said Jo.
'No - I don't think so. At least, I hope not,' said Dick, wondering what he really would feel like if hewere starving. 'Where's this Jake fellow?'
'I don't know. Somewhere about,' said Jo. 'He'll find me when he wants me. I've got to stay on thebeach, Dad said. So I couldn't come to your house, anyway. I dursent leave here.'
The boys got up to go, worried about this little ragamuffin. But what could they do? Nothing, exceptfeed her and give her money. Dick had slipped five pence into her hand, and she had pocketed itwithout a word, her eyes gleaming.
George was still not home by lunch-time; and now Julian for the first time began to feel anxious.
He slipped out to the beach to see if the boat was still at sea. It was just pulling in - and with a sinkingheart Julian saw that it was not George and Timmy who were in it, but two boys.
He went to look for George's boat - and there it was, high up on the boat-beach with many others.
George had not been out in it at all!
33
He ran back to Kirrin Cottage and told the others. They were at once as anxious as he was. Whatcould have become of George?
'We'll wait till tea-time,' said Julian. 'Then if she's not back we'll really have to do something about it- tell the police, I should think. But she has sometimes gone off for the day before, so we'll just wait abit longer.'
Tea-time came - but no George, and no Timmy. Then they heard someone pattering up the gardenpath - was it Timmy? They leaned out of the window to see.
'It's Jo,' said Dick, in disappointment, 'She's got a note or something. Whatever does she want?'
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收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
awakened
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| v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到 | |
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2
astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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undone
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| a.未做完的，未完成的 | |
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plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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5
awfully
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| adv.可怕地，非常地，极端地 | |
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6
streaked
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| adj.有条斑纹的，不安的v.快速移动( streak的过去式和过去分词 )；使布满条纹 | |
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7
miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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8
kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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9
trickled
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| v.滴( trickle的过去式和过去分词 )；淌；使)慢慢走；缓慢移动 | |
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bruises
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| n.瘀伤，伤痕，擦伤( bruise的名词复数 ) | |
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11
bruise
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| n.青肿，挫伤；伤痕；vt.打青；挫伤 | |
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12
touching
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| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
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13
caravan
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| n.大蓬车；活动房屋 | |
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14
cramming
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| n.塞满，填鸭式的用功v.塞入( cram的现在分词 )；填塞；塞满；（为考试而）死记硬背功课 | |
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