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　　Off to the island again
　　What should be done next? Should they tell Bill Smugs of their adventure?
　　Would he be angry because they had evaded¹ their promise, without actuallybreaking it, and gone out to the island in someone else’s boat? The childrendecided that he might be very angry. He had great ideas of honour andpromises and keeping one’s word.
　　‘Well, so have we,’ said Jack². ‘I wouldn’t have broken my promise. Ididn’t. I just found a way round it.’
　　‘Well, you know what grown-ups are,’ said Dinah. ‘They don’t think thesame way as we do. I expect when we grow up, we shall think like them –but let’s hope we remember what it was like to think in the way children do,and understand the boys and girls that are growing up when we’re men andwomen.’
　　‘You’re talking like a grown-up already,’ said Philip in disgust. ‘Stop it.’
　　‘Don’t talk to me like that,’ flared³ Dinah. ‘Just because I was talking a bitof sense.’
　　‘Shut up,’ said Philip, and got a box on the ear from Dinah immediately.
　　He gave her a slap that sounded like a pistol-shot and she yelled.
　　‘Beast!’ she said. ‘You know boys shouldn’t hit girls.’
　　‘I shouldn’t hit ordinary decent girls, like Lucy-Ann,’ said Philip. ‘Butyou’re just too bad-tempered⁴ for words. You ought to know by now that ifyou box my ears you’ll get a jolly good slap. Serves you right.’
　　‘Jack, tell him he’s a beast,’ said Dinah; but Jack couldn’t help givingDinah some advice.
　　‘You should keep your hands to yourself,’ he said to her. ‘You’re soquick at dishing out ear-boxes, and you ought to know by now that Philipwon’t stand for it.’
　　Lucy-Ann looked distressed⁵. She hated these quarrels between thebrother and sister. Philip put his hand into his pocket and pulled out a box inwhich he had kept an

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