"George, don't behave fiercely to-day, will you?" said Julian, afterbreakfast. "It won't do you or Timothy any good at all.""Do you suppose I'm going to behave well when I know perfectly well thatMr. Roland will never let me have Tim indoors all these holidays?" saidGeorge."Well—they said a week," said Dick. "Can't you try for a week?""No. At the end of a week Mr. Roland will say I must try for anotherweek," said George. "He's got a real dislike for poor Tim. And for metoo. I'm not surprised at that, because I know that when I try to behorrid, I really _am_ horrid. But he shouldn't hate poor Timmy.""Oh George—you'll spoil the whole holls if you are silly, and keepgetting into trouble," said Anne."Well, I'll spoil them then," said George, the sulky look coming back onher face."I don't see why you have to spoil them for us, as well as foryourself," said Julian."They don't need to be spoilt for you," said George. "You can have allthe fun you want—go for walks with your dear Mr. Roland, play gameswith him in the evening, and laugh and talk as much as you like. Youdon't need to take any notice of me.""You are a funny girl, George," said Julian, with a sigh. "We like you,and we hate you to be unhappy—so how can we have fun if we know you aremiserable—and Timmy too?""Don't worry about _me_," said George, in rather a choky voice. "I'mgoing out to Tim. I'm not coming in to lessons to-day.""George! But you must!" said Dick and Julian together."There's no 'must' about it," said George. "I'm just not coming. I won'twork with Mr. Roland till he says I can have Timothy indoors again.""But you know you can't do things like that—you'll be spanked orsomething," said Dick."I shall run away if things get too bad," said George, in a shaky voice."I shall run away with Tim."She went out of the room and shut the door with a bang. The othersstared after her. What could you do with a person like George? Anyonecould rule her with kindness and understanding—but as soon as she cameup against anyone who disliked her, or whom she disliked, she shied awaylike a frightened horse—and kicked like a frightened horse, too!Mr. Roland came into the sitting-room, his books in his hand. He smiledat the three children."Well? All ready for me, I see. Where's George?"Nobody answered. Nobody was going to give George away!"Don't you know where she is?" asked Mr. Roland in surprise. He lookedat Julian."No, sir," said Julian, truthfully. "I've no idea where she is.""Well—perhaps she will come along in a few minutes," said Mr. Roland."Gone to feed that dog of hers, I suppose."They all settled down to work. The time went on and George did not comein. Mr. Roland glanced at the clock and made an impatient clicking noisewith his tongue."Really, it's too bad of George to be so late! Anne, go and see if youcan find her."Anne went. She looked in the bedroom. There was no George there. Shelooked in the kitchen. Joanna was there, making cakes. She gave thelittle girl a hot piece to eat. She had no idea where George was.Anne couldn't find her anywhere. She went back and told Mr. Roland. Helooked angry."I shall have to report this to her father," he said. "I have never hadto deal with such a rebellious child before. She seems to do everythingshe possibly can to get herself into trouble."Lessons went on. Break came, and still George did not appear. Julianslipped out and saw that the yard-kennel was empty. So George had goneout with Timmy! What a row she would get into when she got back!No sooner had the children settled down after Break to do the rest ofthe morning's lessons, than a big disturbance came.Uncle Quentin burst into the room, looking upset and worried."Have any of you children been into my study?" he asked."No, Uncle Quentin," they all answered."You said we weren't to," said Julian."Why, sir? Has something been broken?" asked Mr. Roland."Yes—the test tubes I set yesterday for an experiment have beenbroken—and what is worse, three most important pages of my book havegone," said Uncle Quentin. "I can write them out again, but only after agreat deal of work. I can't understand it. Are you _sure_, children,that none of you has been meddling with things in my study?""Quite sure," they answered. Anne went very red—she suddenly rememberedwhat George had told her. George said she had taken Timmy into UncleQuentin's study last night, and rubbed his chest with oil! But Georgecouldn't possibly have broken the test-tubes, and taken pages from herfather's book!Mr. Roland noticed that Anne had gone red."Do you know anything about this, Anne?" he asked."No, Mr. Roland," said Anne, blushing even redder, and looking veryuncomfortable indeed."Where's George?" suddenly said Uncle Quentin.The children said nothing, and it was Mr. Roland who answered:"We don't know. She didn't come to lessons this morning.""Didn't come to lessons! Why not?" demanded Uncle Quentin, beginning tofrown."She didn't say," said Mr. Roland dryly. "I imagine she was upsetbecause we were firm about Timothy last night, sir—and this is her wayof being defiant.""The naughty girl!" said George's father, angrily. "I don't know what'scome over her lately. Fanny! Come here! Did you know that George hasn'tbeen in to her lessons to-day?"Aunt Fanny came into the room. She looked very worried. She held alittle bottle in her hand. The children wondered what it was."Didn't come in to lessons!" repeated Aunt Fanny. "How extraordinary!Then where is she?""I don't think you need to worry about her," said Mr. Roland, smoothly."She's probably gone off with Timothy in a fit of temper. What is verymuch more important, sir, is the fact that your work appears to havebeen spoilt by someone. I only hope it is not George, who has beenspiteful enough to pay you out for not allowing her to have her dog inthe house.""Of _course_ it wasn't George!" cried Dick, angry that anyone shouldeven think such a thing of his cousin."George would never, never do a thing like that," said Julian."No, she never would," said Anne, sticking up valiantly for her cousin,although a horrid doubt was in her mind. After all—George _had_ been inthe study last night!"Quentin, I am sure George would not even _think_ of such a thing," saidAunt Fanny. "You will find those pages somewhere—and as for thetest-tubes that were broken, well, perhaps the wind blew the curtainagainst them, or something! When did you last see those pages?""Last night," said Uncle Quentin. "I read them over again, and checkedmy figures to make sure they were right. Those pages contain the veryheart of my formula! If they got into anyone else's hands, they coulduse my secret. This is a terrible thing for me! I _must_ know what hashappened to them.""I found this in your study, Quentin," said Aunt Fanny, and she held upthe little bottle she carried. "Did you put it there? It was in thefender."Uncle Quentin took the bottle and stared at it. "Camphorated oil!" hesaid. "Of course I didn't take it there. Why should I?""Well—who took it there, then?" asked Aunt Fanny, puzzled. "None of thechildren has a cold—and anyway, they wouldn't think of the camphoratedoil, and take it into the study to use! It's most extraordinary!"Everyone was astonished. Why should a bottle of camphorated oil appearin the study fender?Only one person could think why. It suddenly came into Anne's mind in aflash. George had said she had taken Timmy into the study, and rubbedhim with oil! He had had a cough, that was why. And she had left the oilin the study. Oh dear, oh dear—now what would happen? What a pityGeorge had forgotten the oil!Anne went very red again as she looked at the oil. Mr. Roland, whoseeyes seemed very sharp this morning, looked hard at the little girl."Anne! You know something about that oil!" he said, suddenly. "What doyou know? Did you put it there?""No," said Anne. "I haven't been into the study. I said I hadn't.""Do you know anything about the oil?" said Mr. Roland, again. "You _do_know something."Everyone stared at Anne. She stared back. This was simply dreadful. Shecould not give George away. She could _not_. George was in quite enoughtrouble as it was, without getting into any more. She pursed up herlittle mouth and did not answer."Anne!" said Mr. Roland, sternly. "Answer when you are spoken to."Anne said nothing. The two boys stared at her, guessing that it wassomething to do with George. They did not know that George had broughtTimothy in the night before."Anne dear," said her aunt, gently. "Tell us if you know something. Itmight help us to find out what has happened to Uncle Quentin's papers.It is very, very important."Still Anne said nothing. Her eyes filled with tears. Julian squeezed herarm."Don't bother Anne," he said to the grown-ups. "If she thinks she can'ttell you, she's got some very good reason.""I think she's shielding George," said Mr. Roland. "Is that it, Anne?"Anne burst into tears. Julian put his arms round his little sister, andspoke again to the three grown-ups."_Don't_ bother Anne! Can't you see she's upset?""We'll let George speak for herself, when she thinks she will come in,"said Mr. Roland. "I'm sure she knows how that bottle got there—and ifshe put it there herself she must have been into the study—and she'sthe only person that _has_ been there."The boys could not think for one moment that George would do such athing as spoil her father's work. Anne feared it, and it upset her. Shesobbed in Julian's arms."When George comes in, send her to me in my study," said Uncle Quentin,irritably. "How can a man work when these upsets go on? I was alwaysagainst having children in the house."He stamped out, tall, cross and frowning. The children were glad to seehim go. Mr. Roland shut the books on the table with a snap."We can't do any more lessons this morning," he said. "Put on yourthings and go out for a walk till dinner-time.""Yes, do," said Aunt Fanny, looking white and worried. "That's a goodidea."Mr. Roland and their aunt went out of the room. "I don't know if Mr.Roland thinks he's coming out with us," said Julian, in a low voice,"but we've got to get out first and give him the slip. We've got to findGeorge and warn her what's up.""Right!" said Dick. "Dry your eyes, Anne darling. Hurry and get yourthings. We'll slip out of the garden door before Mr. Roland comes down.I bet George has gone her favourite walk over the cliffs. We'll meether!"The three children threw on their outdoor things and crept out of thegarden door quietly. They raced down the garden path, and out of thegate before Mr. Roland even knew they were gone! They made their way tothe cliffs, and looked to see if George was coming."There she is—and Timothy, too!" cried Julian, pointing. "George!George! Quick, we've got something to tell you!"
