Chapter Fourteen A SHOCK FOR GEORGE
　　DICK looked at George. He didn't think it would matter telling Martin where Timmy was, solong as George didn't give the reason why he had been left on the island.
　　But George was going to hold her tongue now. She looked at Martin and spoke¹ quite airily. 'Oh,Timmy? We left him behind today. He's all right.'
　　'Gone out shopping with your mother, I suppose, hoping for a visit to the butcher's!' said Martin.
　　This was the first joke he had ever made to the children, and though it was rather a feeble onethey laughed heartily². Martin looked pleased. He began to try and think of another little joke,while his deft³ hands put reds and blues⁴ and greens on the little wooden figures.
　　They all had a huge tea. Then, when the clock said a quarter to six the girls carried the paintedfigures carefully back to the coastguard, who was delighted with them. Dick took back the littletins of paint, and the brush, stuck in a jar of turpentine.
　　'Well now, he's clever that boy, isn't he?' said the coastguard, eyeing the figures in delight.
　　'Looks sort of miserable⁵ and sulky -- but he's not a bad sort of boy!'
　　'I'll just have one more squint⁶ through your telescope,' said George, 'before it gets too dark.' Shetilted it towards her island. But once more there was no sign of Timmy, or of her father either.
　　She looked for some time, and then went to join the others. She shook her head as they raisedtheir eyebrows⁷ inquiringly.
　　The girls washed up the tea-things, and cleared away neatly⁸. Nobody felt as if they wanted towait and see Mr. Curton. They didn't feel as if they liked him very much, now they knew howhard he was on Martin.
　　'Thanks for a lovely afternoon,' said Martin, limping to the door with them. 'I enjoyed my spot ofpainting, to say nothing of your company.'

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