8 Up in the tower
　　‘The Castle of Adventure!’ echoed Lucy-Ann in surprise. ‘What makes you say that? Do youthink we shall have an adventure here?’
　　‘Oh, I don’t know!’ said Philip. ‘I just said it – but it’s got an odd feeling, this castle, hasn’t it?
　　My word, isn’t it dark?’
　　A mournful barking came from below. It was Button, left behind. Philip stuck his head out ofthe window. ‘It’s all right, Button. We’re coming back!’
　　Kiki stuck her head out too, and gave a railway-engine screech¹. ‘That’s just to tell poor Buttonshe’s up here, and he’s not!’ said Dinah. ‘Kiki, you do like to crow over poor Button, don’t you?’
　　It was very dark in the room they had jumped into. But gradually they could see better as theireyes got used to the darkness. The children blinked and tried to see their surroundings.
　　‘It’s just a big bare room,’ said Jack², rather disappointed. He didn’t quite know what he hadexpected to see. ‘I suppose the whole castle’s like this – full of big, bare, cold rooms. Come on –let’s do a bit of exploring.’
　　They made their way to the door, which opened into a long corridor. They went down this andcame to a lighter⁴ room, lit by one slit⁵ window and one wide one evidently added much later. Thisroom had a big fireplace and there were still old grey ashes there. The children looked at them.
　　‘Funny to think that people once sat round that fire!’ said Dinah. They went into the next room,which again was very dark, because it had only a slit window to light it. Dinah wandered to thewindow, and suddenly gave such a yell that everyone jumped violently.
　　‘Dinah! What is it?’ cried Philip.
　　Dinah ran back to him so quickly that she bumped into him. ‘There’s something in this room!’
　　she cried. ‘It touched my hair. I felt it. Come out quickly.’
　　‘Don’t be silly,’ began Philip, and then he stopped suddenly. Something had touched his hairtoo! He swung round but there was nothing there. His heart beat fast. Was there really somethingin the room,

分享到：