Новые приключения Великолепной Пятерки

[417] 'I know - but what's the use of a secret we don't know the meaning of ourselves?' said Julian. I'll tell you what we could do - ask him to explain the words to us, and not show him the bit of linen.’

[418] 'But we can't read some of the words ourselves,' said Dick. 'So that's no use. You'd have to show him the whole thing, and tell him where we got it.'

[419] 'Well, I'll see,' said Julian, getting into bed.

[420] The next day there were lessons again from half-past nine to half-past twelve. George appeared without Tim.

She was angry at having to do this, but it was no good being defiant and refusing to come to lessons without Tim. Now that he had snapped at Mr. Roland, he had definitely put himself in the wrong, and the tutor had every right to refuse to allow him to come. But George looked very sulky indeed.

[421

] In the Latin lesson Julian took the chance of asking what he wanted to know. 'Please, Mr. Roland,' he said, 'could you tell me what "VIA OCGULTA" means?'

[422] '"VIA OCCULTA"?' said Mr. Roland, frowning. 'Yes -it means "Secret Path", or "Secret Road". A hidden way - something like that. Why do you want to know?'

[423] All the children were listening eagerly. Their hearts thumped with excitement. So Julian had been right. That funny bit of rag contained directions for some hidden way, some secret path - but where to! Where did it begin, and end?

[424] 'Oh - I just wanted to know,' said Julian. 'Thank you, sir.'

He winked at the others. He was as excited as they were. If only, only they could make out the rest of the markings, they might be able to solve the mystery. Well - perhaps he would ask Mr. Roland in a day or two. The secret must be solved somehow.

[425] '"The Secret Way" ' said Julian to himself, as he worked out a problem in geometry. ' "The Secret Way". I'll find it somehow.'

[426

] Chapter Seven

DIRECTIONS FOR THE SECRET WAY

[427] FOR the next day or two the four children did not really have much time to think about the Secret Way, because Christmas was coming near, and there was a good deal to do.

There were Christmas cards to draw and paint for their mothers and fathers and friends. There was the house to decorate. They went out with Mr. Roland to find sprays of holly, and came home laden.

[428] 'You look like a Christmas card yourselves,' said Aunt Fanny, as they walked up the garden path, carrying the red-berried holly over their shoulders. Mr. Roland had found a group of trees with tufts of mistletoe growing from the top branches, and they had brought some of that too. Its berries shone like pale green pearls.

[429] 'Mr. Roland had to climb the tree to get this,' said Anne. 'He's a good climber - as good as a monkey.'

[430

] Everyone laughed except George. She never laughed at anything to do with the tutor. They all dumped their loads down in the porch, and went to wash. They were to decorate the house that evening.

[431] 'Is Uncle going to let his study be decorated too?' asked Anne. There were all kinds of strange instruments and glass tubes in the study now, and the children looked at them with wonder whenever they ventured into the study, which was very seldom.

[432] 'No, my study is certainly not to be messed about,' said Uncle Quentin, at once. 'I wouldn't hear of it.'

[433] 'Uncle, why do you have all these funny things in your study?' asked Anne, looking round with wide eyes.

[434] Uncle Quentin laughed. I'm looking for a secret formula!' he said.

[435] 'What's that?' said Anne.

[436

] 'You wouldn't understand,' said her uncle. 'All these "funny things" as you call them, help me in my experiments, and I put down in my book what they tell me -and from all I learn I work out a secret formula, that will be of great use when it is finished.'

[437] 'You want to know a secret formula, and we want to know a secret way,' said Anne, quite forgetting that she was not supposed to talk about this.

[438] Julian was standing by the door. He frowned at Anne. Luckily Uncle Quentin was not paying any more attention to the little girl's chatter. Julian pulled her out of the room.

[439] 'Anne, the only way to stop you giving away secrets is to sew up your mouth, like Brer Rabbit wanted to do to Mister Dog!' he said.

[440] Joanna the cook was busy baking Christmas cakes. An enormous turkey had been sent over from Kirrin Farm, and was hanging up in the larder. Timothy thought it smelt glorious, and Joanna was always shooing him out of the kitchen.

There were boxes of crackers on the shelf in the sitting-room, and mysterious parcels everywhere. It was very, very Christmassy! The children were happy and excited.

[441] Mr. Roland went out and dug up a little spruce fir tree. 'We must have a Christmas tree,’ he said. 'Have you any tree-ornaments, children?'

[442] 'No,' said Julian, seeing George shake her head.