It was the last week of the Christmas term, and all the girls atGaylands School were looking forward to the Christmas holidays. Anne satdown at the breakfast-table and picked up a letter addressed to her."Hallo, look at this!" she said to her cousin Georgina, who was sittingbeside her. "A letter from Daddy—and I only had one from him and Mummyyesterday.""I hope it's not bad news," said George. She would not allow anyone tocall her Georgina, and now even the mistresses called her George. Shereally was very like a boy with her short curly hair, and her boyishways. She looked anxiously at Anne as her cousin read the letter."Oh, George—we can't go home for the holidays!" said Anne, with tearsin her eyes. "Mummy's got scarlet fever—and Daddy is in quarantine forit—so they can't have us back. Isn't it just too bad?""Oh, I _am_ sorry," said George. She was just as disappointed forherself as for Anne, because Anne's mother had invited George, and herdog Timothy, to stay for the Christmas holidays with them. She had beenpromised many things she had never seen before—the pantomime, and thecircus—and a big party with a fine Christmas tree! Now it wouldn'thappen."Whatever will the two boys say?" said Anne, thinking of Julian andDick, her two brothers. "They won't be able to go home either.""Well—what are you going to do for the holidays then?" asked George."Won't you come and stay at Kirrin Cottage with _me_? I'm sure my motherwould love to have you again. We had such fun when you came to stay forthe summer holls.""Wait a minute—let me finish the letter and see what Daddy says," saidAnne, picking up the note again. "Poor Mummy—I do hope she isn'tfeeling very ill."She read a few more lines and then gave such a delighted exclamationthat George and the other girls waited impatiently for her to explain."George! We _are_ to come to you again—but oh blow, blow, blow!—we'vegot to have a tutor for the holls, partly to look after us so that yourmother doesn't have too much bother with us, and partly because bothJulian and Dick have been ill with 'flu twice this term, and have gotbehind in their work.""A tutor! How sickening! That means I'll have to do lessons too, I'llbet!" said George, in dismay. "When my mother and father see my report Iguess they'll find out how little I know. After all, this is the firsttime I've ever been to a proper school, and there are heaps of things Idon't know.""What horrid holls they'll be, if we have a tutor running after us allthe time," said Anne, gloomily. "I expect I'll have quite a good report,because I've done well in the exams—but it won't be any fun for me notdoing lessons with you three in the holls. Though, of course, I could gooff with Timothy, I suppose. _He_ won't be doing lessons!""Yes, he will," said George, at once. She could not bear the idea of herbeloved dog Timothy going off each morning with Anne, whilst she,George, sat and worked hard with Julian and Dick."Timothy can't do lessons, don't be silly, George," said Anne."He can sit under my feet whilst _I'm_ doing them," said George. "Itwill be a great help to feel him there. For goodness' sake eat up yoursausages, Anne. We've all nearly finished. The bell will go in a minuteand you won't have had any breakfast.""I am glad Mummy isn't very bad," said Anne, hurriedly finishing herletter. "Daddy says he's written to Dick and Julian—and to your fatherto ask him to engage a tutor for us. Oh dash—this is an awfuldisappointment, isn't it? I don't mean I shan't enjoy going to KirrinCottage again—and seeing Kirrin Island—but after all there are nopantomimes or circuses or parties to look forward to at Kirrin."The end of the term came quickly. Anne and George packed up theirtrunks, and put on the labels, enjoying the noise and excitement of thelast two days. The big school coaches rolled up to the door, and thegirls clambered in."Off to Kirrin again!" said Anne. "Come on, Timothy darling, you can sitbetween me and George."Gaylands School allowed the children to keep their own pets, andTimothy, George's big mongrel dog, had been a great success. Except forthe time when he had run after the dustman, and dragged the dustbin awayfrom him, all the way up the school grounds and into George's classroom,he had really behaved extremely well."I'm sure _you'll_ have a good report, Tim," said George, giving the doga hug. "We're going home again. Will you like that?""Woof," said Tim, in his deep voice. He stood up, wagging his tail, andthere was a squeal from the seat behind."George! Make Tim sit down. He's wagging my hat off!"It was not very long before the two girls and Timothy were in London,being put into the train for Kirrin."I do wish the boys broke up to-day too," sighed Anne. "Then we couldall have gone down to Kirrin together. That would have been fun."Julian and Dick broke up the next day and were to join the girls then atKirrin Cottage. Anne was very much looking forward to seeing them again.A term was a long time to be away from one another. She had been glad tohave her cousin George with her. The three of them had stayed withGeorge in the summer, and had had some exciting adventures together onthe little island off the coast. An old castle stood on the island andin the dungeons the children had made all kinds of wonderfuldiscoveries."It will be lovely to go across to Kirrin Island again, George," saidAnne, as the train sped off towards the west."We shan't be able to," said George. "The sea is terribly rough roundthe island in the winter. It would be too dangerous to try and rowthere.""Oh, what a pity," said Anne, disappointed. "I was looking forward tosome more adventures there.""There won't be any adventures at Kirrin in the winter," said George."It's cold down there—and when it snows we sometimes get frozen upcompletely—can't even walk to the village because the sea-wind blowsthe snow-drifts so high.""Oooh—that sounds rather exciting!" said Anne."Well, it isn't really," said George. "It's awfully boring—nothing todo but sit at home all day, or turn out with a spade and dig the snowaway."It was a long time before the train reached the little station thatserved Kirrin. But at last it was there steaming in slowly and stoppingat the tiny platform. The two girls jumped out eagerly, and looked tosee if anyone had met them. Yes—there was George's mother!"Hallo, George darling—hallo, Anne!" said George's mother, and gaveboth children a hug. "Anne, I'm so sorry about your mother, but she'sgetting on all right, you'll be glad to know.""Oh, good!" said Anne. "It's nice of you to have us, Aunt Fanny. We'lltry and be good! What about Uncle Quentin? Will he mind having fourchildren in the house in the winter-time? We won't be able to go out andleave him in peace as often as we did in the summer!"George's father was a scientist, a very clever man, but ratherfrightening. He had little patience with children, and the four of themhad felt very much afraid of him at times in the summer."Oh, your uncle is still working very hard at his book," said AuntFanny. "You know, he has been working out a secret theory—a secretidea—and putting it all into his book. He says that once it is allexplained and finished, he is to take it to some high authority, andthen his idea will be used for the good of the country.""Oh, Aunt Fanny—it does sound exciting," said Anne. "What's thesecret?""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.""Oh Mother, he's had a marvellous time at school," said George. "Hereally has. He chewed up the cook's old slippers . . .""And he chased the cat that lives in the stables every time he saw her,"said Anne."And he once got into the larder and ate a whole steak pie," saidGeorge; "and once . . .""Good gracious, George, I should think the school will refuse to haveTimothy next term," said her mother, in horror. "Wasn't he wellpunished? I hope he was.""No—he wasn't," said George, going rather red. "You see, Mother, we areresponsible for our pets and their behaviour ourselves—so if everTimothy does anything bad _I'm_ punished for it, because I haven't shuthim up properly, or something like that.""Well, you must have had quite a lot of punishments then," said hermother, as she drove the little pony-trap along the frosty roads. "Ireally think that's rather a good idea!" There was a twinkle in hereyes, as she spoke. "I think I'll keep on with the same idea—punish youevery time Timothy misbehaves himself!"The girls laughed. They felt happy and excited. Holidays were fun. Goingback to Kirrin was lovely. To-morrow the boys would come—and thenChristmas would be there!"Good old Kirrin Cottage!" said Anne, as they came in sight of thepretty old house. "Oh—look, there's Kirrin Island!" The two looked outto sea, where the old ruined castle stood on the little island ofKirrin—what adventures they had had there in the summer!The girls went into the house. "Quentin!" called George's mother."Quentin! The girls are here."Uncle Quentin came out of his study at the other side of the house. Annethought he looked taller and darker than ever. "And frownier!" she saidto herself. Uncle Quentin might be very clever, but Anne preferredsomeone jolly and smiling like her own father. She shook hands with heruncle politely, and watched George kiss him."Well!" said Uncle Quentin to Anne. "I hear I've got to get a tutor foryou! At least, for the two boys. My word, you _will_ have to behaveyourself with a tutor, I can tell you!"This was meant to be a joke, but it didn't sound very nice to Anne andGeorge. People you had to behave well with were usually very strict andtiresome. Both girls were glad when George's father had gone back intohis study."Your father has been working far too hard lately," said George's motherto her. "He is tired out. Thank goodness his book is nearly finished. Hehad hoped to finish it by Christmas so that he could join in the fun andgames—but now he says he can't.""What a pity," said Anne, politely, though secretly she thought it was agood thing. It wouldn't be much fun having Uncle Quentin to playcharades and things like that! "Oh, Aunt Fanny, I'm so looking forwardto seeing Julian and Dick—and won't they be pleased to see Tim andGeorge? Aunt Fanny, nobody calls George Georgina at school, not even ourForm mistress. I was rather hoping they would, because I wanted to seewhat would happen when she refused to answer to Georgina! George, youliked school, didn't you?""Yes," said George, "I did. I thought I'd hate being with a lot ofothers, but it's fun, after all. But Mother, you won't find my reportvery good, I'm afraid. There were such a lot of things I was bad atbecause I'd never done them before.""Well, you'd never been to school before!" said her mother. "I'llexplain it to your father if he gets upset. Now go along and get readyfor a late tea. You must be very hungry."The girls went upstairs to their little room. "I'm glad I'm not spendingmy holls by myself," said George. "I've had much more fun since I'veknown you and the boys. Hie, Timothy, where have you gone?""He's gone to smell all round the house to make sure it's his properhome!" said Anne, with a giggle. "He wants to know if the kitchen smellsthe same—and the bathroom—and his basket. It must be just as excitingfor him to come home for the holls as it is for us!"Anne was right. Timothy was thrilled to be back again. He ran roundGeorge's mother, sniffing at her legs in friendliness, pleased to seeher again. He ran into the kitchen but soon came out again becausesomeone new was there—Joanna the cook—a fat, panting person who eyedhim with suspicion."You can come into this kitchen once a day for your dinner," saidJoanna. "And that's all. I'm not having meat and sausages and chickendisappearing under my nose if I can help it. I know what dogs are, Ido!"Timothy ran into the scullery and sniffed round there. He ran into thedining-room and the sitting-room, and was pleased to find they had thesame old smell. He put his nose to the door of the study where George'sfather worked, and sniffed very cautiously. He didn't mean to go in.Timothy was just as wary of George's father as the others were!He ran upstairs to the girls' bedroom again. Where was his basket? Ah,there it was by the window-seat. Good! That meant he was to sleep in thegirls' bedroom once more. He curled himself up in his basket, andthumped loudly with his tail."Glad to be back," said his tail, "glad—to—be—back!"
