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[³³] 'Hallo, George darling - hallo, Anne!' said George's mother, and gave both children a hug. 'Anne, I'm so sorry about your mother, but she's getting on all right, you'll be glad to know.'

[³⁴] 'Oh, good!' said Anne. 'It's nice of you to have us, Aunt Fanny. We'll try and be good! What about Uncle Quentin? Will he mind having four children in the house in the winter-time? We won't be able to go out and leave him in peace as often as we did in the summer!'

[³⁵] George's father was a scientist, a very clever man, but rather frightening. He had little patience with children, and the four of them had felt very much afraid of him at times in the summer.

[³⁶] 'Oh, your uncle is still working very hard at his book,' said Aunt Fanny. 'You know, he has been working out a secret theory - a secret idea - and putting it all into his book. He says that once it is all explained and finished, he is to take it to some high authority, and then his idea will be used for the good of the country.'

[³⁷] 'Oh, Aunt Fanny - it does sound exciting,' said Anne. 'What's the secret?'

[³⁸] 'I can't tell you that, silly child,' said her aunt, laughing. 'Why, even I myself don't know it. Come along, now - it's cold standing here. Timothy looks very fat and well, George dear.'

[³⁹] 'Oh Mother, he's had a marvellous time at school,' said George. 'He really has. He chewed up the cook's old slippers ...'

[⁴⁰] 'And he chased the cat that lives in the stables every time he saw her,' said Anne.

[⁴¹] 'And he once got into the larder and ate a whole steak pie,' said George; 'and once...'

[⁴²] 'Good gracious, George, I should think the school will refuse to have Timothy next term,' said her mother, in horror. 'Wasn't he well punished? I hope he was.'

[⁴³] 'No - he wasn't,' said George, going rather red. 'You see, Mother, we are responsible for our pets and their behaviour ourselves - so if ever Timothy does anything bad I'm punished for it, because I haven't shut him up properly, or something like that.'

[⁴⁴] 'Well, you must have had quite a lot of punishments then,' said her mother, as she drove the little pony-trap along the frosty roads. 'I really think that's rather a good idea!' There was a twinkle in her eyes, as she spoke.

Christmas holidays think I'll keep on with the same idea - punish you every time Timothy misbehaves himself!'

[⁴⁵] The girls laughed. They felt happy and excited. Holidays were fun. Going back to Kirrin was lovely. Tomorrow the boys would come - and then Christmas would be there!

[⁴⁶] 'Good old Kirrin Cottage!' said Anne, as they came in sight of the pretty old house. 'Oh - look, there's Kirrin Island!' The two looked out to sea, where the old ruined castle stood on the little island of Kirrin - what adventures they had had there in the summer!

[⁴⁷] The girls went into the house. 'Quentin!' called George's mother. 'Quentin! The girls are here.'