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Lily comes into the Story
Fatty really was too stiff to want to do anything more that day, so Larry, Pip and Daisy left Mm in the garden with Bets and Buster, reading quietly. They thought they would go down to Mr. Hick's house and talk to Mrs. Mi
"We ought really to find out if Mrs. Mi
"We'll take some fish for Sweetie, the cat," said Daisy.
"I think there was some left over that cook might let me have. Mrs. Miens will be awfully pleased to see us if we take a present for Sweetie."
The cook gave her a fish-head, wrapped up in paper. Buster smelt it and wanted to follow Daisy., but Fatty held him firmly by the collar.
"It's no good him coming," said Daisy. "He'd be sure to chase Sweetie, and then Mrs. Mi
They went down the lane together. "Leave me to do the talking," said Larry.
Daisy laughed. "Don't you worry — it will be Mrs. Mi
They arrived at the kitchen door and looked inside. Lily was there, writing a letter. She looked as if she had been crying. "Where's Mrs. Mi
"Upstairs," said Lily. "She's in a bad temper. I upset a jug of milk over her, and she keeps on saying I did it on purpose."
"Were you here on the night of the fire?" asked Larry. Lily shook her head.
"Where were you, then?" asked Larry. "Didn't you see the fire?"
"I saw it when I came back from my evening off," said Lily. "Never you mind where I was. It's got nothing to do with you!"
"I know," said Larry, surprised at Lily's violent tone. "What I can't understand is — why didn't Mrs. Mi
"Here's Mrs. Mirhis's sister now," said Lily, looking up as a very fat woman, with twinkling eyes under a big hat trimmed with flowers, came up to the kitchen door. She looked in and seemed surprised to see the children.
"Hallo, Mrs. Jones," said Lily sulkily. "Mrs. Mi
Mrs. Jones came in and sank into a rocking-chair, breathing heavily. "My, it's hot today," she said. "Who are all these children?"
"We live up the lane," said Pip. "We've brought a fish-head for Sweetie."
"Where are all the kittens?" said Daisy, looking at the empty basket.
"Oh!" said Lily. "I hope they haven't gone out of the kitchen and upstairs. Mrs. Mi
"Perhaps the kittens are outside," said Larry, shutting the door that led into the hall. He didn't particularly want Mr. Hick to hear the talking in the kitchen and come in. "Oh — there's Sweetie!"
The big black and white cat came into the kitchen, her tail straight up in the air. She smelt the fish-head and went to Daisy. Daisy unwrapped it and put it into the cat's di
"Was Sweetie frightened of the fire the other night?" asked Pip, thinking it was about time to start on the subject.
"She was kind of restless," said Mrs. Jones.
"Oh, were you here?" said Daisy, pretending to be surprised. "Goodness — how was it you didn't know the cottage was burning then?"
"I did" said Mrs. Jones indignantly. "Didn't I keep saying to Maria, 'Maria, there's something burning! I've a very good nose, but Maria hasn't. I kept sniffing round the kitchen, and I even put my nose into the hall, thinking there might be something burning there."
"Didn't Mrs. Mi
"Ah, Maria didn't want to move that evening," said Mrs. Jones. "She'd got her rheumatism back something cruel. She was stuck, real stuck."
"What do you mean, stuck?" asked Larry, with interest.
"Well, she sat down in this rocking-chair at tea-time, and she says to me, 'Ha
The children listened, and each of them thought the same thing. "If Mrs. Mi
"And didn't poor Mrs. Mi
"No — Maria just stayed put," said Mrs. Jones. "It wasn't till me nose told me there really was something burning terrible that Maria got up. I went to the kitchen-door and sniffed — and then I went out into the garden — and I saw the flare down at the bottom there. I shouted out, 'There's a fire, Maria! and she turned as white as a sheet. 'Come on, Maria! I says, 'We've got to do something. But poor Maria, she can't get out of her chair, she's so stuck!"
The children drank all this in. It certainly could have been nothing to do with Mrs. Mi
Mrs. Mi
"Well, Maria," said Mrs. Jones, "how's the rheumatics?"
"Good afternoon, Mrs. Mi
Mrs. Mi
"I didn't do it on purpose," said Lily sulkily. "Can I go to the post with this letter?"
"No, that you can't," said Mrs. Mi
"I want to catch the post," said Lily, looking ready to cry.
"Well, you won't," said Mrs. Mi
The children wondered how to mention Horace Peeks. They wanted to get his address so that they might go and see him.
"Has Mr. Hick got a new man-servant yet?" asked Larry, at last.
"He's been seeing some today," said Mrs. Mi
"Does Mr. Peeks live near here?" asked Pip i
"Yes," said Mrs. Mi
There came a most unwelcome interruption Just as it seemed that Mrs. Mi
Mr., Hick stood at the door, His front tuft of hair bristling like a parrot's crest.
"Those kittens were in my study!" he shouted. "Are my orders never to be obeyed? Unless they are out of the house by this evening, I’ll drown the lot!"
He was about to bang the door when he caught sight of the three children. He advanced into the kitchen and pointed a finger at them. "Didn't I turn you out before? How dare you come here again?"