Читать книгу The Rat-a-Tat Mystery - Enid blyton - Страница 5

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Mrs. Lynton looked at the three eager children, and nodded her head, smiling round at them.

“Yes. I don’t see why you shouldn’t. In fact, I think it’s an excellent way of solving all our difficulties. Oh, Snubby, dear, DON’T!”

Snubby had caught hold of his aunt and was waltzing her round and round in delight, shouting, “Hip-hip-hip, hurray, it’s a hap-hap-happy day!”

Mr. Lynton came out into the hall in surprise, and was told what the excitement was about. He listened with approval.

“Ha! That will give your Great-Uncle a little peace and quiet—and us too,” he said. “I hope you’re not going to leave Loony behind. I really should like to see the back of that dog for a little while.”

“You will, you will!” shouted Snubby, approaching his uncle to give him a waltz-round too, he was so very relieved. But fortunately he thought better of this—his uncle did not take kindly to such idiotic manners.

Roger was already telling Barney of his parents’ consent, and getting a few more details. Diana snatched the receiver from him after a minute or two, longing to have a word with dear old Barney. A little chattering noise greeted her.

“Oh, is that you, Miranda!” she cried, enchanted to hear the familiar monkey-chatter once more. “We’ll be seeing you soon, Miranda, soon, soon, soon.”

“Woof, woof!” said Loony, not understanding what was going on at all, and quite amazed at all the excitement. He tried to tug the mat from Mr. Lynton’s feet and run off with it, but Snubby stopped him just in time.

Everyone was thrilled to hear from Barney. After Snubby had had a few words on the telephone with him too, the receiver was put down and they all trooped into the sitting-room to talk over the exciting news.

“Fancy—a house in the middle of the snowy hills—and by a frozen lake too—it couldn’t be better!” said Roger exultantly. “I must look out my skates. You’re lucky, Snubby, you had new ones for Christmas.”

“What about our toboggan?” said Diana. “I don’t believe it’s any good for us now—too small. We haven’t used it for about three years. Blow!”

“I’ll buy a new one with my Christmas money,” boasted Snubby. “Oh, I say—I wish I could buy skates for Loony!”

Roger laughed. “I wish you could. Loony would look priceless on skates—he wouldn’t know which skate to use first!”

“Oh, it’s too good to be true!” said Diana, sinking into a chair. “Mother, you don’t mind us going, do you? You won’t be lonely, will you?”

“Dear me, no,” said her mother. “I shall be glad to have time to devote to your Great-Uncle. Thank goodness Loony won’t be here. When is Barney’s grandmother going to telephone about the day and time and other arrangements, Roger. Did Barney say?”

“Yes. She’ll phone to-night,” said Roger. He turned to the others. “Barney sounded exactly the same, didn’t he?” he said.

“Exactly,” agreed the others.

“But why shouldn’t he?” said Mrs. Lynton, surprised.

“Oh, I don’t know,” said Roger. “After being a circus-boy so long—with ragged clothes and often hardly enough to eat—and no schooling to speak of—and then finding a whole new family, and having to have lessons—and decent clothes and table-meals instead of camping out—well, somehow I thought he might have changed.”

“Barney will never change,” said Snubby. “Never. I say—think of toboganning down steep hills—whoooooosh!” He slid at top speed over the polished floor, and stopped when he saw his aunt’s face. “And skating round and round—and in and out....”

He skated into a little table and Diana just caught it as it fell. “Don’t be more of an idiot than you can help!” she said. “I bet you’ll fall down a thousand times before you can skate even half a dozen steps. Ha—I’m looking forward to seeing you sitting down bump on the ice!”

Barney’s grandmother telephoned to Mrs. Lynton that evening. She had a kind, very soft voice, and Mrs. Lynton thought how lucky Barney was to have a grandmother who sounded so nice. She told the waiting children what the old lady had arranged.

“She says that this house in the hills has been shut up for some time,” said Mrs. Lynton. “Her sons and daughters used to use it for winter sports when they were young. She is sending someone to clean it up and air it, and it should be ready for you to go to in two days’ time.”

“Is any grown-up going with them?” asked Mr. Lynton. “They must have someone sensible there.”

“Barney’s very sensible,” said Snubby, at once.

“Mrs. Martin—that’s Barney’s grandmother—says she is sending her cook’s sister to look after them,” said Mrs. Lynton. “She will cook for them, and dry their clothes, and see that they don’t do anything too idiotic. But I hope Roger will see to that, as well. He’s quite old enough to take charge, with Barney.”

“We’ll be all right,” said Roger. “You needn’t worry, Mother. My word—only two days and we’ll be down at this little house!”

“It doesn’t sound very little,” said his mother. “There are five or six bedrooms, and a big old kitchen, and two or three other rooms. You’ll have to help to keep it tidy, or the cook’s sister will walk off and leave you!”

“I’ll help her,” promised Diana. “And we can all make our beds—though all Snubby does is simply to get out of his in the morning and pull the sheets and blankets up again.”

“Tell-tale,” said Snubby at once. “It’s my bed, isn’t it?”

“I think to-morrow we’d better look into the question of skates and boots and clothes,” said Mrs. Lynton. “And you will all need good wellingtons, of course. I hope you’ve brought yours back from school, Snubby. You forgot them last term.”

“Yes, I brought them back. Anyhow, I quite well remember bringing one back,” said Snubby, helpfully.

“What’s the house called?” asked Diana.

“Well—I think I must have heard it wrongly over the telephone,” said her mother; “but it sounded like Rat-a-Tat House.”

Everyone laughed. “How lovely!” said Diana. “I hope that is its name. Rat-a-Tat House—why ever was it called that, I wonder?”

Next day was a busy one. Boots, socks, gloves, sweaters, skates—all were pulled out and carefully examined. The weather remained very cold and frosty, and snow fell again in the night. The forecast was cold weather, much snow, and hard frost—just right for winter sports, as Snubby kept announcing. He produced his mouth-organ once more, and nearly drove everyone mad by trying to learn a new tune. In the end Mrs. Lynton took it away and packed it at the very bottom of one of the suit-cases that were going with them.

But, not to be outdone, Snubby then went about pretending to strum on a banjo, and made a peculiar twanging noise with his mouth half-closed as he strummed an imaginary banjo with his fingers and thumb. This was really worse than the mouth-organ, and unfortunately, as the banjo was purely imaginary, it could not be taken away from him.

“Can’t that boy be sent to Rat-a-Tat House to-day?” demanded Mr. Lynton, hearing the banjo passing his door for the twentieth time that morning. “My word, it’s a good thing he won’t be here when Great-Uncle Robert comes.”

At last the suit-cases were all packed, the skates strung together, and clothes set out fresh for the next morning, when they were to join Barney. Loony rushed about eagerly all the time, trying to help, and making off with shoes and bundles of socks whenever they were put ready to pack. Even Snubby got a bit tired of him when he met Loony rushing up the stairs, just as he, Snubby, was rushing down, and both arrived in a bruised and tangled heap at the bottom.

“Ass of a dog!” said Snubby fiercely to the surprised Loony. “I’ll leave you behind if you do that again. I nearly broke my leg. Grrrrrrr! Bad dog!”

Loony put his tail down and crept under the hall chest. There was a smell of mouse there, and he had a wonderful time scrabbling round and round to find it, snuffling loudly all the time, much to Mr. Lynton’s amazement.

“We’re to go to Barney’s home first, and then go on with him and his cousin to Rat-a-Tat House,” said Roger to the others. “I wish to-morrow would come. I say—I wonder what the cousin’s like. Mother, how long can we stay away?”

“Till the snow’s gone, I should think,” said his mother. “That’s what Barney’s grandmother said. But, of course, if it lasts more than a week or so, you’ll have to come back because of getting ready for school again.”

Roger groaned. “Don’t mention the word! Snubby, STOP that noise. Or play another instrument for a change. That imaginary banjo of yours is getting boring.”

Snubby obligingly changed over to a zither, which was certainly much pleasanter. He really was a marvel at imitating sounds. Mrs. Lynton hoped he wouldn’t start on a drum next!

The morning came at last—a brilliant morning, with a clear blue sky and pale yellow sun—and the snow underfoot as crisp as sugar. “Heavenly!” said Diana. “Just exactly right for us!”

Off they went in a taxi to catch the train to Barney’s town, Loony too, so excited that he had to be put on the lead. Now for a good time—now for some sport—hurrah for the winter holidays!