go next? Incredible, quite incredible.
Up on the landing, half-hidden by the open cupboard door, was a most astonished Mrs. Lynton. She had overheard the extraordinary conversation and couldn’t understand a word of it. What was all this talk of Green Hands and all the shushings and warnings she had heard? She was filled with amazement.
“What’s Snubby up to now? And how does he know Uncle Robert? And what is this talk of Green Hands?” she thought, shutting the cupboard door impatiently. An agonised yowl made her jump. She opened the door hurriedly and Sardine jumped out.
“Silly cat! Why put your tail in the door when you know I’m going to shut it?” said Mrs. Lynton. “You’re always doing things like that. There now, I’m sorry I hurt your tail. And just look out for Loony, because I don’t want you streaking across the dining-table as soon as you see him!”
Loony was downstairs with the others. He had attached himself to Great-uncle Robert, much to Diana’s surprise. He was sniffing round his feet and pawing at his legs in a most friendly manner.
“He’s acting just as if he’s met you before,” said Diana.
“Er—is he?” said Uncle Robert, not knowing quite what to say. “Snubby—call him off, will you? I don’t particularly want his fleas, you know.”
“How do you know he’s got fleas?” asked Roger, surprised. “Has he, Snubby?”
It looked as if the conversation was now going to be awkward. Snubby pulled Loony away and shoved him firmly under the table.
“Of course he hasn’t got fleas,” he said. “You’d jolly well know if he had. Why, a chap at school had a dog that had about three hun . . .”
Mrs. Lynton came in, still looking puzzled. “What are you talking about?” she asked, sitting down at the head of the table.
Nobody told her. She didn’t encourage subjects of that sort at meal-times. Uncle Robert took his place gingerly, looking under the table to see exactly where Loony was.
“What’s that noise?” inquired Mrs. Lynton, hearing a thump-thump-thump on the floor under the table.
“Oh, just Loony scratching himself,” said Diana.
“Oh dear, Snubby—and I hope you haven’t brought Loony here with... ” began Mrs. Lynton.
“No Aunt Susan, I haven’t,” said Snubby hurriedly. “I say—is that chops—and chip potatoes—and ONIONS! Golly, how smashing!”
The subject was safely changed. Mrs. Lynton served the meal, still wondering about such curious things as Green Hands. She glanced at Uncle Robert. He seemed such a nice, harmless old fellow. What did he mean, whispering about running away and Green Hands up on the landing with Snubby?
It was really most extraordinary!
CHAPTER 4
GREAT-UNCLE TELLS HIS STORY
After the meal Snubby escaped into the garden with Roger and Diana, Loony at their heels. They all went into the little summer-house, which faced south and was very warm in the April sun.
“Gosh! It’s as hot as summer,” said Roger. “I’ll really have to take off my coat. I say—Great-uncle is rather an old stick, isn’t he? We’ll have to mind our manners a bit now, or he’ll get going on the ‘good old days when children knew their manners, and were seen and not heard,’ and all the rest of it.”
“I’ve got something to tell you,” said Snubby, rather awkwardly. “About Great-uncle.”
“Go on then—out with it. What have you been doing? Using his hair-lotion for Loony or something?” asked Roger.
“Don’t try and be funny,” said Snubby. “It doesn’t suit you. Listen—I came in the train with him, and I got off at the North Station and he went on to South, where you met him. We had quite a lot of—er—conversation.”
The other two looked at him in surprise. “You did?” said Diana. “Well—why ever didn’t you say so then? Why keep it such a deep, dark secret?”
“Well, you see—it’s like this—he told me a silly story about running away from somewhere he’d been staying, because thieves had got through locked doors and stolen papers and things,” said Snubby. “Lord Somebody’s letters and Lady Somebody’s recipes—a lot of awful nonsense. And—well—I told him a story too. I thought to myself, well, two can play at this game, and I sort of let myself go.”
“Do you mean you went and stuffed him up with some frightful fairy tale?” said Roger. “Whatever did you tell him?”
Snubby related the story he had told to Great-uncle Robert, ending with his running away from a gang called Green Hands, who always wore green gloves. Diana and Roger listened in astonishment that ended in giggles.
“Gosh, Snubby—you really are the biggest fathead that ever lived!” said Roger at last. “What in the world did you go and stuff Great-uncle up with that for?”
“Well, how was I to know he was your Great-uncle?” demanded Snubby. “I didn’t know you’d even got one. And I certainly didn’t know he was coming to stay with you. I got a shock, I can tell you, when I saw him in the guest-room. I nearly passed out.”
“You’ll get another when he tells Dad the rigmarole you told him,” said Roger. “Dad doesn’t like fairy tales of that sort. He doesn’t understand that kind of joke.”
“I know,” said Snubby dismally. “I’ve warned Great-uncle not to say a word. He really believes it all, you see. I expect he’s terrified of the Green Hands Gang now—just as terrified as he is of the thieves that walked through the locked doors at the house where he was staying.”
“Well, he must be a mutt if he believes a word you say,” said Diana. “Oh dear, Snubby—you always bring trouble with you. Now don’t you go frightening the old man with sinister notes, or drawings of green hands or anything.”
“Oooh—that’s an idea,” said Snubby, sitting up. “Oooh, I say—wouldn’t he have a fit!”
“Yes, he would—and the first thing he’d do would be to tell Dad, and you’d get a whacking,” said Roger.
“That’s no go then,” said Snubby, who had quite clear memories of one of Uncle Richard’s whackings. “I don’t want to go too far with Uncle Richard.”
“You’d better not,” said Roger. “He’s not in a very good mood so far these hols—because Great-uncle has come to stay, I think—and what with that, and us, and you and Loony, life seems pretty grim to him at the moment.”
“Poor Dad,” said Diana. “We’d better keep out of his way.”
“It’s an idea,” said Snubby, making up his mind not to obtrude himself on his Uncle Richard any more than could be helped. “I say—I wonder if Great-uncle will tell his thief-story to Uncle and Aunt.”
He did, that very night. They were all sitting in the lounge together, the children playing a game, Mrs. Lynton sewing, her husband reading, and Loony having one of his lengthy rolls all over the floor.
Great-uncle filled his pipe and then spoke to Mrs. Lynton. “It’s really very kind of you, Susan, to have me here at such short notice,” he said. “But to tell you the truth I was at my wits’ end. I simply had to leave the Manor House.”
“Did you, Uncle Robert? Why? Weren’t you comfortable?” asked Mrs. Lynton.
“Oh yes, quite. Very warm, comfortable house, the Manor House at Chelie,” said Uncle Robert. “But there were such extraordinary goings-on, you know.”
Mrs. Lynton looked rather startled. The children nudged one another and laid down their cards. “Now it’s coming,” whispered Snubby.