Chapter Five A VISIT TO THE ISLAND
　　The children's aunt arranged a picnic for them the next day, and they all went off to a little cove¹ notfar off where they could bathe and paddle to their hearts' content. They had a wonderful day, butsecretly Julian, Dick and Anne wished they could have visited George's island. They would ratherhave done that than anything!
　　George didn't want to go for the picnic, not because she disliked picnics, but because she couldn'ttake her dog. Her mother went with the children, and George had to pass a whole day without herbeloved Timothy.
　　"Bad luck!" said Julian, who guessed what she was brooding about. "I can't think why you don't tellyour mother about old Tim. I'm sure she wouldn't mind you letting someone else keep him for you. Iknow my mother wouldn't mind."
　　"I'm not going to tell anybody but you," said George. "I get into awful trouble at home always. I daresay it's my fault, but I get a bit tired of it. You see, Daddy doesn't make much money with the learnedbooks he writes, and he's always wanting to give mother and me things he can't afford. So that makeshim bad-tempered². He wants to send me away to a good school but he hasn't got the money. I'm glad.
　　I don't want to go away to school. I like being here. I couldn't bear to part with Timothy.""You'd like boarding school," said Anne. "We all go. It's fun.""No, it isn't," said George obstinately³. "It must be awful to be one of a crowd, and to have other girlsall laughing and yelling round you. I should hate it.""No, you wouldn't," said Anne. "All that is great fun. It would be good for you, George, I shouldthink."
　　"If you start telling me what is good for me, I shall hate you," said George, suddenly looking veryfierce. "Mother and father are always saying that things are good for me— and they are always thethings I don't like."
　　"All right, all right," said Julian, beginning to laugh. "My goodness, how you do go up in smoke!
　　Honestly, I believe anyone could light a cigarette from the sparks that fly from your eyes!"That made George laugh, though she didn't want to. It was really impossible to sulk with good-tempered Julian.
　　23
　　They went off to bathe in the sea for the fifth time that day. Soon they were all splashing abouthappily, and George found time to help Anne to swim. The little girl hadn't got the right stroke, andGeorge felt really proud when she had taught her.

分享到：