"Stewart, Mary - Thorny Hold" - читать интересную книгу автора (Mary Stewart - Thorny Hold)

along and she climbed aboard.

"That's strange," said my father, "it must be an extra. The regular
bus went ten minutes ago. I saw it."

My mother smiled. Then the smile vanished as her eye fell on the dog,
and on me, down beside him with both arms round him.

"Get up at once.

And if you are going to keep that dog, he will have to be tied up.

What on earth Geillis was thinking of, saddling us with a dog when
there
will be nobody here to look after him I do not know. " "I'll look
after him! I can easily-" "You won't be here."

I gaped at her. I waited. One did not question my mother. What she
wanted to tell, she told.

She set her mouth till it looked very like the one in my grandmother's
portrait.

"You are to go away to school. Cousin Geillis is right. You need
companionship, and to be brought out of yourself and made less of a
dreamer.

And since she-" "Don't look so stricken, darling." This was my father,
gently.

"You'll like it. You will, really. And you do need companionship and
friends. It's such a chance for us, we couldn't possibly afford it
ourselves, but Cousin Geillis has offered to pay the major part of your
fees.

As your godmother " "She prefers to be called a sponsor," said my
mother, a little sharply.

My father looked grieved.

"Yes, I know. Poor Geillis. But since she is so kindly helping us, we
must seize the chance. You do see, don't you. Jill

The dog was standing very close against me. I stooped and put my arms
around him again. Suddenly the bleak lonely vicarage seemed very
desirable, the meagre fields and the walks over the starved countryside
lovely and beckoning places.

"Please," I said, "oh, please, need I go, Mummy?"