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Authors: Noel Streatfeild
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clothes.”
“If we need more money,” Anna suggested, “it may be difficult to take the clothes. Today they could travel in the suitcases.”
Francesco thought they were being very stupid.
“But, don’t you see, if we sell the clothes and then do not need the money, The Uncle cannot be given the money so he has to spend his money on our clothes. Well, we do not want this for as soon as S’William is home he will sell our picture, then we can pay.”
“Oh, very well,” said Gussie. “Come on, let’s get the suitcases.”
Always when Cecil went to London Mabel turned out the house. So when the children ran upstairs to fetch their cases the boys were horrified to find her in their bedroom. She was wearing a big apron and had her hair tied up in a tea cloth. She was polishing the floor with a hairy thing on theend of a long stick. The boys had made their beds and left the room, as they thought, reasonably tidy before they went out, so they saw no need for her presence.
“Let me do that,” Gussie said, trying to take the polisher from her.
“We always have helped clean since we were very little,” Francesco explained.
Mabel looked more like a frightened mouse than usual. When she spoke she seemed terribly out of breath.
“I haven’t touched anything. I have left the envelope under the paper.”
Francesco thought he would try and explain.
“It is only S’William’s address. We thought that was a safe place.”
“It is safe,” Mabel puffed. “I shall never touch it or say it is there.” She gave a nervous smile. “There is no need to be afraid of me, dears.”
Mabel looked as if she was going to say more, but at that second Anna came into the room carrying her suitcase.
It was a horrid moment for nobody knew what to say. Anna stared at Mabel as if she had turned into a dragon. Mabel gazed at the suitcase as if hypnotized. The boys just stood, both trying to think of some reason why Anna was carrying her suitcase.
“We thought …” Francesco began.
“Well, it’s always useful to have a case with you,” Gussie said in a rush. “You know, to put things in.”
Then Mabel surprised them. She leant her polisher againstthe wall and sat down on Francesco’s bed. She had great difficulty pushing out her words.
“Your uncle is a fine man but he likes to be alone, he does not want strangers in his house.”
“I wouldn’t call two nephews and a niece strangers,” said Gussie.
Mabel went on as if he had not spoken.
“For me your uncle always comes first, but when I can help you I will. We must work together to keep things peaceful. I do not interfere. If you wish to take out a suitcase that is nothing to me.”
Francesco thought The Aunt’s candour deserved candour in return.
“Really we are taking all three. It’s to sell, you see we need money for something.”
“Much money?” Mabel asked.
“To us a lot,” said Gussie. “We’ve got forty-five pence but we need one pound and forty pence.”
Mabel seemed so reasonable Francesco was beginning to wonder if they should tell her more, but evidently that was not what she wanted for suddenly she got up, picked up her polisher and darted out of the room.
Gussie looked after her in astonishment.
“Did you see? It was just as if she was a mouse and a cat was after her.”
Francesco took the suitcases out of the cupboard. He gave Gussie his.
“Come on, let’s take them to Wally’s mum.”
“Of course,” said Gussie when they reached the road, “we have never known an aunt. Do you suppose they are all like that?”
“Perhaps British ones,” Anna suggested.
Francesco felt somehow better inside because of what Mabel had said.
“It is not the way it was with us – I mean, before the earthquake, where everybody said everything they thought, but I think for her it was a lot, almost I think she meant she was a friend.”
Gussie refused to change his view of Mabel.
“To me she is just a mouse. She’d never be a friend.
“If we need more money,” Anna suggested, “it may be difficult to take the clothes. Today they could travel in the suitcases.”
Francesco thought they were being very stupid.
“But, don’t you see, if we sell the clothes and then do not need the money, The Uncle cannot be given the money so he has to spend his money on our clothes. Well, we do not want this for as soon as S’William is home he will sell our picture, then we can pay.”
“Oh, very well,” said Gussie. “Come on, let’s get the suitcases.”
Always when Cecil went to London Mabel turned out the house. So when the children ran upstairs to fetch their cases the boys were horrified to find her in their bedroom. She was wearing a big apron and had her hair tied up in a tea cloth. She was polishing the floor with a hairy thing on theend of a long stick. The boys had made their beds and left the room, as they thought, reasonably tidy before they went out, so they saw no need for her presence.
“Let me do that,” Gussie said, trying to take the polisher from her.
“We always have helped clean since we were very little,” Francesco explained.
Mabel looked more like a frightened mouse than usual. When she spoke she seemed terribly out of breath.
“I haven’t touched anything. I have left the envelope under the paper.”
Francesco thought he would try and explain.
“It is only S’William’s address. We thought that was a safe place.”
“It is safe,” Mabel puffed. “I shall never touch it or say it is there.” She gave a nervous smile. “There is no need to be afraid of me, dears.”
Mabel looked as if she was going to say more, but at that second Anna came into the room carrying her suitcase.
It was a horrid moment for nobody knew what to say. Anna stared at Mabel as if she had turned into a dragon. Mabel gazed at the suitcase as if hypnotized. The boys just stood, both trying to think of some reason why Anna was carrying her suitcase.
“We thought …” Francesco began.
“Well, it’s always useful to have a case with you,” Gussie said in a rush. “You know, to put things in.”
Then Mabel surprised them. She leant her polisher againstthe wall and sat down on Francesco’s bed. She had great difficulty pushing out her words.
“Your uncle is a fine man but he likes to be alone, he does not want strangers in his house.”
“I wouldn’t call two nephews and a niece strangers,” said Gussie.
Mabel went on as if he had not spoken.
“For me your uncle always comes first, but when I can help you I will. We must work together to keep things peaceful. I do not interfere. If you wish to take out a suitcase that is nothing to me.”
Francesco thought The Aunt’s candour deserved candour in return.
“Really we are taking all three. It’s to sell, you see we need money for something.”
“Much money?” Mabel asked.
“To us a lot,” said Gussie. “We’ve got forty-five pence but we need one pound and forty pence.”
Mabel seemed so reasonable Francesco was beginning to wonder if they should tell her more, but evidently that was not what she wanted for suddenly she got up, picked up her polisher and darted out of the room.
Gussie looked after her in astonishment.
“Did you see? It was just as if she was a mouse and a cat was after her.”
Francesco took the suitcases out of the cupboard. He gave Gussie his.
“Come on, let’s take them to Wally’s mum.”
“Of course,” said Gussie when they reached the road, “we have never known an aunt. Do you suppose they are all like that?”
“Perhaps British ones,” Anna suggested.
Francesco felt somehow better inside because of what Mabel had said.
“It is not the way it was with us – I mean, before the earthquake, where everybody said everything they thought, but I think for her it was a lot, almost I think she meant she was a friend.”
Gussie refused to change his view of Mabel.
“To me she is just a mouse. She’d never be a friend.
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