It was great fun on Christmas morning. The children awoke early andtumbled out of bed to look at the presents that were stacked on chairsnearby. Squeals and yells of delight came from everyone."Oh! a railway station! Just what I wanted! Who gave me this marvellousstation?""A new doll—with eyes that shut! I shall call her Betsy-May. She looksjust like a Betsy-May!""I say—what a whopping great book—all about aeroplanes. From AuntFanny! How decent of her!""Timothy! Look what Julian has given you—a collar with big brass studsall round—you _will_ be grand. Go and lick him to say thank you!""Who's this from? I say, who gave me this? Where's the label? Oh—fromMr. Roland. How decent of him! Look, Julian, a pocket-knife with threeblades!"So the cries and exclamations went on, and the four excited children andthe equally-excited dog spent a glorious hour before a late Christmasbreakfast, opening all kinds and shapes of parcels. The bedrooms were ina fine mess when the children had finished!"Who gave you that book about dogs, George?" asked Julian, seeing rathera nice dog-book lying on George's pile."Mr. Roland," said George, rather shortly. Julian wondered if George wasgoing to accept it. He rather thought she wouldn't. But the little girl,defiant and obstinate as she was, had made up her mind not to spoilChristmas Day by being "difficult." So, when the others thanked thetutor for their things she too added her thanks, though in rather astiff little voice.George had not given the tutor anything, but the others had, and Mr.Roland thanked them all very heartily, appearing to be very pleasedindeed. He told Anne that her Christmas card was the nicest he had everhad, and she beamed at him with joy."Well, I must say it's nice to be here for Christmas!" said Mr. Roland,when he and the others were sitting round a loaded Christmas table, atthe mid-day dinner. "Shall I carve for you, Mr. Quentin? I'm good atthat!"Uncle Quentin handed him the carving knife and fork gladly. "It's niceto have you here," he said, warmly. "I must say you've settled inwell—I'm sure we all feel as if we've known you for ages!"It really was a jolly Christmas Day. There were no lessons, of course,and there were to be none the next day either. The children gavethemselves up to the enjoyment of eating a great deal, sucking sweets,and looking forward to the lighting of the Christmas tree.It looked beautiful when the candles were lighted. They twinkled in thedarkness of the hall, and the bright ornaments shone and glowed. Tim satand looked at it, quite entranced."He likes it as much as we do," said George. And indeed Tim had enjoyedthe whole day just much as any of the children.They were all tired out when they went to bed. "I shan't be long beforeI'm asleep," yawned Anne. "Oh, George—it's been fun, hasn't it? I didlike the Christmas tree.""Yes, it's been lovely," said George, jumping into bed. "Here comesMother to say good night. Basket, Tim, basket!"Tim leapt into his basket by the window. He was always there whenGeorge's mother came in to say good night to the girls—but as soon asshe had gone downstairs, the dog took a flying leap and landed onGeorge's bed. There he slept, his head curled round her feet."Don't you think Tim ought to sleep downstairs to-night?" said George'smother. "Joanna says he ate such an enormous meal in the kitchen thatshe is sure he will be sick.""Oh _no_, Mother!" said George, at once. "Make Tim sleep downstairs onChristmas night? Whatever would he think?""Oh, very well," said her mother, with a laugh. "I might have known itwas useless to suggest it. Now go to sleep quickly, Anne andGeorge—it's late and you are all tired."She went into the boys' room and said good night to them too. They werealmost asleep.Two hours later everyone else was in bed. The house was still and dark.George and Anne slept peacefully in their small beds. Timothy slept too,lying heavily on George's feet.Suddenly George awoke with a jump. Tim was growling softly! He hadraised his big shaggy head and George knew that he was listening."What is it, Tim?" she whispered. Anne did not wake. Tim went ongrowling softly. George sat up and put her hand on his collar to stophim. She knew that if he awoke her father, he would be cross.Timothy stopped growling now that he had roused George. The girl sat andwondered what to do. It wasn't any good waking Anne. The little girlwould be frightened. Why was Tim growling? He never did that at night!"Perhaps I'd better go and see if everything is all right," thoughtGeorge. She was quite fearless, and the thought of creeping through thestill, dark house did not disturb her at all. Besides—she had Tim! Whocould be afraid with Tim beside them!She slipped on her dressing-gown. "Perhaps a log has fallen out of oneof the fire-places and a rug is burning," she thought, sniffing as shewent down the stairs. "It would be just like Tim to smell it and warnus!"With her hand on Tim's head to warn him to be quite quiet, George creptsoftly through the hall to the sitting-room. The fire was quite allright there, just a red glow. In the kitchen all was peace too. Tim'sfeet made a noise there, as his claws rattled against the linoleum.A slight sound came from the other side of the house. Tim growled quiteloudly, and the hairs on the back of his neck rose up. George stoodstill. Could it possibly be burglars?Suddenly Timothy shook himself free from her fingers and leapt acrossthe hall, down a passage, and into the study beyond! There was the soundof an exclamation, and a noise as if someone was falling over."It _is_ a burglar!" said George, and she ran to the study. She saw atorch shining on the floor, dropped by someone who was even nowstruggling with Tim.George switched on the light, and then looked with the greatestastonishment into the study. Mr. Roland was there in his dressing-gown,rolling on the floor, trying to get away from Timothy, who, although notbiting him, was holding him firmly by his dressing-gown."Oh—it's you, George! Call your beastly dog off!" said Mr. Roland, in alow and angry voice. "Do you want to rouse all the household?""Why are you creeping about with a torch?" demanded George."I heard a noise down here, and came to see what it was," said Mr.Roland, sitting up and trying to fend off the angry dog. "For goodnesssake, call your beast off.""Why didn't you put on the light?" asked George, not attempting to takeTim away. She was very much enjoying the sight of an angry andfrightened Mr. Roland."I couldn't find it," said the tutor. "It's on the wrong side of thedoor, as you see."This was true. The switch was an awkward one to find if you didn't knowit. Mr. Roland tried to push Tim away again, and the dog suddenlybarked."Well—he'll wake everyone!" said the tutor, angrily. "I didn't want torouse the house. I thought I could find out for myself if there wasanyone about—a burglar perhaps. Here comes your father!"George's father appeared, carrying a large poker He stood still inastonishment when he saw Mr. Roland on the ground and Timothy standingover him."What's all this?" he exclaimed. Mr. Roland tried to get up, but Timwould not let him. George's father called to him sternly."Tim! Come here, sir!"Timothy glanced at George to see if his mistress agreed with herfather's command. She said nothing. So Timothy took no notice of theorder and merely made a snap at Mr. Roland's ankles."That dog's mad!" said Mr. Roland, from the floor. "He's already bittenme once before, and now he's trying to do it again!""Tim! _Will_ you come here, sir!" shouted George's father. "George, thatdog is really disobedient. Call him off at once.""Come here, Tim!" said George, in a low voice. The dog at once came toher, standing by her side with the hairs on his neck still rising upstiffly. He growled softly as if to say, "Be careful, Mr. Roland, becareful!"The tutor got up. He was very angry indeed. He spoke to George's father."I heard some sort of a noise and came down with my torch to see what itwas," he said. "I thought it came from your study, and knowing you keptyour valuable books and instruments here, I wondered if some thief wasabout. I had just got down, and into the room, when that dog appearedfrom somewhere and got me down on the ground! George came along too, andwould not call him off."[Illustration: Mr. Roland was there in his dressing-gown, rolling on thefloor trying to get away from Timothy]"I can't understand your behaviour, George; I really can't," said herfather, angrily. "I hope you are not going to behave stupidly, as youused to behave before your cousins came last summer. And what is this Ihear about Tim biting Mr. Roland before?""George had him under the table during lessons," said Mr. Roland. "Ididn't know that, and when I stretched out my legs, they touched Tim,and he bit me. I didn't tell you before, sir, because I didn't want totrouble you. Both George and the dog have tried to annoy me ever since Ihave been here.""Well, Tim must go outside and live in the kennel," said George'sfather. "I won't have him in the house. It will be a punishment for him,and a punishment for you too, George. I will not have this kind ofbehaviour. Mr. Roland has been extremely kind to you all.""I won't let Tim live outside," said George furiously. "It's such coldweather, and it would simply break his heart.""Well, his heart must be broken then," said her father. "It will dependentirely on your behaviour from now on whether Tim is allowed in thehouse at all these holidays. I shall ask Mr. Roland each day how youhave behaved. If you have a bad report, then Tim stays outside. Now youknow! Go back to bed—but first apologise to Mr. Roland!""I won't!" said George, and, choked by feelings of anger and dismay, shetore out of the room and up the stairs. The two men stared after her."Let her be," said Mr. Roland. "She's a very difficult child—and hasmade up her mind not to like me, that's quite plain. But I shall be veryglad, sir, to know that that dog isn't in the house. I'm not at allcertain that Georgina wouldn't set him on me, if she could!""I'm sorry about all this," said George's father. "I wonder what thenoise was that you heard—a log falling in the grate, I expect.Now—what am I to do about that tiresome dog to-night? Go and take himoutside, I suppose!""Leave him to-night," said Mr. Roland. "I can hear noises upstairs—theothers are awake by now! Don't let's make any more disturbanceto-night.""Perhaps you are right," said George's father, thankfully. He didn't atall want to tackle a defiant little girl and an angry big dog in themiddle of a cold night!The two men went to bed and slept. George did not sleep. The others hadbeen awake when she got upstairs, and she had told them what hadhappened."George! You really are an idiot!" said Dick. "After all, why shouldn'tMr. Roland go down if he heard a noise! _You_ went down! Now we shan'thave darling old Tim in the house this cold weather!"Anne began to cry. She didn't like hearing that the tutor she liked somuch had been knocked down by Tim, and she hated hearing that Tim was tobe punished."Don't be a baby," said George. "_I'm_ not crying, and it's _my_ dog!"But, when everyone had settled down again in bed, and slept peacefully,George's pillow was very wet indeed. Tim crept up beside her and lickedthe salt tears off her cheek. He whined softly. Tim was always unhappywhen his little mistress was sad.
