'I do think it's mean,' said George, fiercely. 'Why can't I go when the others do? I've had two weeks athome, and haven't seen the others since school broke up. And now they're off for a wonderfulfortnight and I'm not with them.'
'Don't be silly, George,' said her mother. 'You can go as soon as that cold of yours is better.'
'It's better now,' said George, scowling1. 'Mother, you know it is!'
'That's enough, Georgina,' said her father, looking up from his newspaper. 'This is the third breakfast-time we've had this argument. Be quiet.'
George would never answer anyone when she was called Georgina - so, much as she would haveliked to say something back, she pursed up her mouth and looked away.
Her mother laughed. 'Oh, George, dear! Don't look so terribly fierce. It was your own fault you gotthis cold - you would go and bathe and stay in far too long - and after all, it's only the third week inApril!'
'I always bathe in April,' said George, sulkily.
'I said 'BE QUIET',' said her father, banging down his paper on the table. 'One more word from you,George, and you won't go to your three cousins at all.'
'Woof,' said Timmy, from under the table. He didn't like it when anyone spoke3 angrily to George.
'And don't you start arguing with me, either,' said George's father, poking4 Timmy with his toe, andscowling exactly like George.
His wife laughed again. 'Oh, be quiet, the two of you,' she said. 'George, be patient dear. I'll let yougo off to your cousins as soon as ever I can - tomorrow, if you're good, and don't cough much today.'
'Oh, Mother - why didn't you say so before?' said George, her scowl2 disappearing like magic. 'I didn'tcough once in the night. I'm perfectly5 all right today. Oh, if I can go off to Faynights Castletomorrow, I promise I won't cough once today!'
'What's this about Faynights Castle?' demanded her father, looking up again. 'First I've heard of it!'
'Oh no, Quentin dear, I've told you at least three times,' said his wife. 'Julian, Dick and Anne havebeen lent two funny old caravans6 by a school friend. They are in a field near Faynights 2Castle.'
'Oh. So they're not staying in a castle, then,' said George's father. 'Can't have that. I won't haveGeorge coming home all high and mighty7.'
'George couldn't possibly be high and mighty,' said his wife. 'It's as much as I can do to get her tokeep her nails clean and wear clean shorts. Do be sensible, Quentin. You know perfectly well thatGeorge and her cousins always like to go off on extraordinary holidays together.'
'And have adventures,' grinned George, who was now in a very good temper indeed at the thought ofgoing to join her cousins the next day.
'No. You're not to have any of those awful adventures this time,' said her mother. 'Anyway, I don'tsee how you can, staying in a peaceful place like the village of Faynights Castle, living in a couple ofold caravans.'
'I wouldn't trust George anywhere,' said her husband. 'Give her just a sniff8 of an adventure, and she'safter it. I never knew anyone like George. Thank goodness we've only got one child. I don't feel as ifI could cope with two or three Georges.'
'There are plenty of people like George,' said his wife. 'Julian and Dick for instance. Always in themiddle of something or other - with Anne tagging behind, longing9 for a peaceful life.'
'Well, I've had enough of this argument,' said George's father, pushing his chair out vigorously, andaccidentally kicking Timmy under the table. He yelped10.
'That dog's got no brains,' said the impatient man. 'Lies under the table at every meal and expects meto remember he's there! Well, I'm going to do some work.'
He went out of the room. The dining-room door banged. Then the study door banged. Then a windowwas shut with a bang. A fire was poked11 very vigorously. There was the creak of an armchair assomeone sat down in it heavily. Then there was silence.
'Now your father's lost to the world till lunchtime,' said George's mother. 'Dear, oh dear - I've toldhim at least three times about Faynights Castle, where your cousins are staying, bless him.
Now, George, I do really think you can go tomorrow, dear - you look so much better today. You canget your things ready and I'll pack them this afternoon.'
'Thank you, Mother,' said George, giving her a sudden hug. 'Anyway, Father will be glad to have meout of the house for a bit! I'm too noisy for him!'
'You're a pair!' said her mother, remembering the slammed doors and other things. 'You're both aperfect nuisance at times, but I couldn't bear to do without you! Oh, Timmy, are you still under 3the table? I wish you wouldn't leave your tail about so! Did I hurt you?'
'Oh, he doesn't mind you treading on it, Mother,' said George, generously. 'I'm going to get my thingsready this very minute. How do I get to Faynights Castle? By train?'
'Yes. I'll take you to Kirrin Station, and you can catch the ten-forty,' said her mother. 'You change atLimming Ho, and take the train that goes to Faynights. If you send a card to Julian, he'll get ittomorrow morning and will meet you.'
'I'll write it now,' said George, happily. 'Oh, Mother, I began to be afraid this awful cold would hangon all through the holidays! I shan't bathe again on such a cold day in April.'
'You said that last year - and the year before that too,' said her mother. 'You have a very shortmemory, George!'
'Come on, Timmy!' said George, and the two of them went out of the door like a whirlwind. Itslammed behind them, and the house shook.
At once the study door opened and an angry voice yelled loudly. 'Who's that slamming doors whenI'm at work? Can't ANYBODY in this house shut a door quietly?'
George grinned as she fled upstairs. The biggest slammer-of-doors was her father, but he only heardthe slams made by other people. George turned her writing-case inside out to find a post-card. Shemust post it at once or Julian wouldn't get it - and it would be so nice to have all her three cousinsmeeting her!
'We're off tomorrow,' she told Timmy, who looked up at her and wagged his tail vigorously.
'Yes, you're coming too, of course - then the Five will all be together again. The Famous Five!
You'll like that, won't you, Tim? So shall I!'
She scribbled12 the post-card and flew down to post it. Slam went the front door, and her father almostjumped out of his skin. He was a very clever and hard-working scientist, impatient, hot-tempered,kindly and very forgetful. How he wished his daughter was not so exactly like him, but was like hisquiet, gentle little niece Anne!
George posted the card. It was short and to the point.
'Cold gone. Coming tomorrow. Arriving 12.5 so make sure you all meet me and Timmy. Ourtails are well up, I can tell you!'
GEORGE
4
George turned out her drawers and began to pick out the things she wanted to take with her. Hermother came to help. There was always an argument about packing, because George wanted to takeas little as possible, and no warm things at all, and her mother had exactly opposite ideas.
However, between the two of them they managed to pack the suit-case full of quite sensible things.
George refused as usual to take a dress of any sort.
'I wonder when you'll grow out of wanting to be a boy, and of acting13 like one!' said her mother,exasperated.
'All right, all right - take those awful old shorts if you want to, and that red jersey14. But you are topack those warm vests. I put them in once, and you took them out. And you must take a warm rug,Julian says. The caravans are not very warm this weather.'
'I wonder what they're like,' said George, stuffing the vests in. 'They're funny, old-fashioned ones,Julian said in his letter. Perhaps they're like the gypsies have - not the modern, stream-lined ones thatare pulled along by cars.'
'You'll see tomorrow,' said her mother. 'Oh, George - you're coughing again!'
'Just the dust, that's all,' said George going purple in the face trying to hold back the tickle15 in herthroat. She drank a glass of water in a hurry. It would be too dreadful if her mother said she wasn't togo after all!
However, her mother really did think that George was better. She had been in bed for a week, makinga terrible fuss, and being a very difficult patient. Now, after being up for a few days she really seemedherself again.
'It will do her good to get down to Faynights and it's good strong air,' thought her mother. 'She needscompany again, too - she doesn't like having to be all alone, knowing the others are holidayingwithout her.'
George felt happy that evening. Only one more night and she would be off to a fortnight'scaravanning! If only the weather was good, what a fine time they would have!
Suddenly the telephone shrilled16 out. R-r-r-r-r-r-ring! R-r-r-r-r-ring!
George's mother went to answer it. 'Hallo!' she said. 'Oh - it's you, Julian. Is everything all right?'
George sped out into the hall at once. Oh, surely, surely, nothing had happened! Surely Julian wasn'tringing to tell her not to come! She listened breathlessly.
'What's that you say, Julian? I can't make out what you're talking about, dear. Yes, of course, youruncle is all right. Why shouldn't he be? No, he hasn't disappeared. Julian, what are you 5talking about?'
George listened impatiently. What was all this? But it turned out to be something quite ordinary,really. When at last her mother put down the receiver, she told George.
'Don't hop17 about like that, George. It's quite all right, you can go tomorrow. Julian was only ringingup to make sure that your father wasn't one of the scientists who have suddenly disappeared.
Apparently in tonight's paper there is a short report about two that have completely vanished - anddear old Julian wanted to make sure your father was here safely!'
'As if Father would vanish!' said George, scornfully. 'Julian must be mad! It's just two more of thosesilly scientists who are disloyal to this country, and disappear to another country to sell our secrets! Icould have told Julian that!'
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
scowling
|
|
| 怒视，生气地皱眉( scowl的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
scowl
|
|
| vi.(at)生气地皱眉，沉下脸，怒视；n.怒容 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
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： |
|
|
|
|
4
poking
|
|
| n. 刺，戳，袋 vt. 拨开，刺，戳 vi. 戳，刺，捅，搜索，伸出，行动散慢 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
perfectly
|
|
| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
caravans
|
|
| （可供居住的）拖车（通常由机动车拖行）( caravan的名词复数 )； 篷车； （穿过沙漠地带的）旅行队（如商队） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
mighty
|
|
| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
sniff
|
|
| vi.嗅…味道；抽鼻涕；对嗤之以鼻，蔑视 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
longing
|
|
| n.（for）渴望 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
yelped
|
|
| v.发出短而尖的叫声( yelp的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
poked
|
|
| v.伸出( poke的过去式和过去分词 )；戳出；拨弄；与（某人）性交 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
scribbled
|
|
| v.潦草的书写( scribble的过去式和过去分词 )；乱画；草草地写；匆匆记下 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
acting
|
|
| n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
jersey
|
|
| n.运动衫 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
tickle
|
|
| v.搔痒，胳肢；使高兴；发痒；n.搔痒，发痒 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
shrilled
|
|
| （声音）尖锐的，刺耳的，高频率的( shrill的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
hop
|
|
| n.单脚跳，跳跃；vi.单脚跳，跳跃；着手做某事；vt.跳跃，跃过 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |