Новые приключения Великолепной Пятерки

[574] 'Well, children, are you ready?' asked Mr. Roland. 'You start off by yourselves, will you? I'll meet you at the farm-house later. I want to run down to the village first to get something.'

[575] So the three children set off by themselves, wishing that George was with them. She was nowhere to be seen.

[576] Old Mr. and Mrs. Sanders were pleased to see the three children, and sat them down in the big kitchen to eat ginger buns and drink hot milk.

[577] 'Well, have you come to find a few more secret things?' asked Mrs. Sanders, with a smile.

[578] 'May we try?' asked Julian. 'We're looking for a room facing east, with a stone floor, and panelling!'

[579] 'All the rooms downstairs have stone floors,' said Mrs. Sanders. 'You hunt all you like, my dears. You won't do any damage, I know. But don't go into the room upstairs with the cupboard that has a false back, will you, or the one next to it! Those are the rooms the two artists have.'

[580] 'All right,' said Julian, rather sorry that they were unable to fiddle about with the exciting cupboard again. 'Are the artists here, Mrs. Sanders? I'd like to talk to them about pictures. I hope one day I'll be an artist too.'

[581] 'Dear me, is that so?' said Mrs Sanders. 'Well, well -it's always a marvel to me how people make any money at painting pictures.'

[582] 'It isn't making money that artists like, so much as the painting of the pictures,' said Julian, looking rather wise. That seemed to puzzle Mrs. Sanders even more. She shook her head and laughed.

[583] 'They're queer folk!' she said. 'Ah well - you go along and have a hunt for whatever it is you want to find. You can't talk to the two artists today though, Master Julian -they're out.'

[584

] The children finished their buns and milk and then stood up, wondering where to begin their search. They must look for a room or rooms facing east. That would be the first thing to do.

[585] 'Which side of the house faces east, Mrs. Sanders?' asked Julian. 'Do you know?'

[586] 'The kitchen faces due north,' said Mrs. Sanders. 'So east will be over there.' she pointed to the right.

[587] 'Thanks,' said Julian. 'Come on, everyone!' The three children went out of the kitchen, and turned to the right. There were three rooms there - a kind of scullery, not much used now, a tiny room used as a den by old Mr. f Sanders, and a room that had once been a drawing-room, but which was now cold and unused.

[588] 'They've all got stone floors,' said Julian.

[589] 'So we'll have to hunt through all of the three rooms,' said Anne.

[590] 'No, we won't,' said Julian. 'We shan't have to look in this scullery, for one thing!'

[591] 'Why not?' asked Anne.

[592] 'Because the walls are of stone, silly, and we want panelling,' said Julian. 'Use your brains, Anne!'

[593] 'Well, that's one room we needn't bother with, then,' said Dick. 'Look - both this little room and the drawing-room have panelling, Julian. We must search in both.'

[594] 'There must be some reason for putting eight squares of panelling in the directions,' said Julian, looking at the roll of linen again. 'It would be a good idea to see whether there's a place with eight squares only - you know, over a window, or something.'

[595

] It was tremendously exciting to look round the two rooms! The children began with the smaller room. It was panelled all the way round in dark oak, but there was no place where only eight panels showed. So the children went into the next room.

[596] The panelling there was different. It did not look so old, and was not so dark. The squares were rather a different size, too. The children tried each panel, tapping and pressing as they went, expecting at any moment to see one slide back as the one in the hall had done.

[597] But they were disappointed. Nothing happened at all. They were still in the middle of trying when they heard footsteps in the hall, and voices. Somebody looked into the drawing-room. It was a man, thin and tall, wearing glasses on his long nose.

[598] 'Hallo!' he said. 'Mrs. Sanders told me you were treasure-hunting, or something. How are you getting on?'

[599] 'Not very well,' said Julian, politely. He looked at the man, and saw behind him another one, younger, with rather screwed-up eyes and a big mouth. 'I suppose you are the two artists?' he asked.

[600] 'We are!' said the first man, coming into the room. 'Now, just exactly what are you looking for?'

[601] Julian did not really want to tell him, but it was difficult not to. 'Well - we're just seeing if there's a sliding panel here,' he said at last. 'There's one in the hall, you know. It's exciting to hunt round.'

[602] 'Shall we help?' said the first artist, coming into the room. 'What are your names? Mine's Thomas, and my friend's name is Wilton.'