3
　　Very mysterious
　　Everyone was upset. They were sorry for Mrs Johns, of course, and for her husband – but as theydidn’t know them at all, except as old friends of Mr Mannering long ago, the children felt far, farmore miserable¹ about their own disappointment.
　　‘We’d talked about it such a lot – and made such plans – and got everything ready,’ groanedPhilip, looking sadly at the field-glasses hanging nearby in their brown leather cases. ‘Now Motherwill look for another Miss Lawson.’
　　‘No, I won’t,’ said Mrs Mannering. ‘I’ll give up my new job, and take you away myself. I can’tbear to see you so disappointed, poor things.’
　　‘No, darling Aunt Allie, you shan’t do that!’ said Lucy-Ann, flinging herself on Mrs Mannering.
　　‘We wouldn’t let you. Oh dear – whatever can we do?’
　　Nobody knew. It seemed as if their sudden disappointment made everyone incapable² of furtherplanning. The bird-holiday or nothing, the bird-holiday or nothing – that was the thought in all thechildren’s minds. They spent the rest of the day pottering about miserably³, getting on each other’snerves. One of their sudden quarrels blew up between Philip and Dinah, and with yells and shoutsthey belaboured one another in a way they had not done for at least a year.
　　Lucy-Ann began to cry. Jack⁴ yelled angrily.
　　‘Stop hitting Dinah, Philip. You’ll hurt her!’
　　But Dinah could give as good as she got, and there was a loud crack as she slapped Philip fullacross his cheek. Philip caught her hands angrily, and she kicked him. He tripped her up, anddown she went on the floor, with her brother rolling over and over too. Lucy-Ann got out of theirway, still crying. Kiki flew up to the electric light, and cackled loudly. She thought Philip andDinah were playing.
　　There was such a noise that nobody heard the telephone bell ringing again. Mrs Mannering,frowning at the yells and bumps from the playroom, went to answer it. Then she suddenlyappeared at the door of the playroom, her face beaming.
　　It changed when she saw Dinah and Philip fighting on the floor. ‘Dinah! Philip! Get up at once!
　　You ought to be ashamed of yourselves, quarrelling like this now that you are so big. I’ve a goodmind not to tell you who that was on the telephone.’

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