You never use it, do you?” said Snubby, neatly getting back at his cousin for her jibes of a minute or two ago. “What good is it to you? You might as well let Loony play with it.”
The brush was rescued and Loony got a few spanks with it from Diana. He retired under the table, and looked at her mournfully with big brown eyes.
“Now you’ve hurt his feelings,” said Snubby.
“I’d like to hurt a lot more of him than that,” said Diana. “Now I shall have to wash this chewed-up brush. Blow Loony!”
“Blow everything!” said Snubby dismally. “Fancy—coaching with Mr. Young. I can’t think of anything worse!”
CHAPTER IV
CHANGED PLANS
But after all Mr. Young didn’t come to coach the three children. Two days later, when Roger, Diana and Snubby had put out their school books neatly on the study table, and had gloomily sharpened their pencils and found their pens, the telephone bell rang shrilly.
“I’ll answer it, Miss Pepper, I’ll answer it!” yelled Snubby, who adored answering the phone and pretending that he was one of the grown-ups in the house. He rushed to answer.
The others listened, bored. Probably it was the butcher saying he couldn’t send the meat, and one of them would have to fetch it.
“Yes. This is Rockingdown Cottage,” they heard Snubby say. “Oh—who? Oh, Mrs. Young. Oh, yes, certainly. Yes, I can give any message you like. Certainly, certainly. Dear dear, how very very sad. I’m so sorry to hear that. Well, well, to think how suddenly these things happen! And is he getting on all right? That’s wonderful, isn’t it? You have my deep sympathy, Mrs. Young—such a terrible time for you. Yes, yes, I’ll give your message. Certainly. Good-bye.”
By this time both Diana and Roger were out in the hall, amazed at Snubby’s telephoning.
“What is it? What are you saying? Who on earth are you pretending to be, Snubby?” demanded Diana.
“Nobody. I’m just being polite and helpful,” said Snubby, beaming. “I say—Mr. Young’s gone and got appendicitis and he’s NOT COMING! What do you think of that?”
The others stared at him. “Gosh—we couldn’t think what you were doing, talking in that idiotic way over the phone!” said Diana.
“It wasn’t idiotic. It was only like grown-ups talk,” said Snubby. “I can tell you I felt very sorry for poor Mr. Young—you know, having to go to hospital and everything.”
“You didn’t,” said Roger. “You know you’re always saying appendicitis is nothing, and telling us how you had it and enjoyed it. But I say—does this mean no coaching then? Of course, it’s upsetting for Mrs. Young—but it does solve a problem for us. We can enjoy ourselves now.”
Loony was barking round their ankles, sensing their excitement. Miss Pepper came down the stairs.
“What’s all the excitement about? Who was that on the telephone? I hope it wasn’t the butcher again.”
“No. It was Mrs. Young,” said Snubby. “Mr. Young is in hospital with appendicitis, Miss Pepper. He’s not coming here to coach us.”
“Dear, dear! I am sorry for poor Mrs. Young,” said Miss Pepper in exactly the same voice that Snubby had used over the telephone. “Well—that does put us into a difficulty.”
“Does it?” said Diana, astonished. “It seems to us that we’ve got out of one.”
“Oh, dear me, no!” said Miss Pepper at once. “I shall get someone else to coach you. I can’t imagine who, though. I shall have to go through my list of tutors. Snubby, stop Loony eating that rug. He’s had more than half of it since he arrived and I should like a little bit left.”
“He thinks it’s a rabbit—it’s a fur rug, you see,” said Snubby.
“I don’t care what he thinks it is,” said Miss Pepper. “You heard what I said. Take Loony out of the hall at once. I’m getting tired of him already. I’m thinking of buying a whip—a nice strong whip.”
Snubby stared at her in horror. What, whip Loony! Surely nobody could think of doing that! Smacking, yes—but whipping with a whip!
“He’s run off with Mrs. Round’s hearthbrush and left it somewhere. He’s been in the larder twice. He’s pulled every mat into a heap on the landing. And if I catch him under my bed again I shall BUY THAT WHIP,” said poor Miss Pepper.
Loony suddenly sneezed and looked very surprised at himself. He was always surprised when he sneezed. He sneezed again.
“Now what’s the matter with him?” said Miss Pepper. “Sneezing all over the place.”
“He’s had too much pepper,” said Snubby at once. “That’s what it is—too much pepper—it’s got up his nose. There’s a lot of it about these days.”
Miss Pepper looked at him coldly. “Don’t be rude, Snubby,” she said, and went into the dining-room. Roger roared and Snubby grinned.
“Let’s all sneeze when Miss Pepper gets peppery,” he said. “She’ll stop rowing us then. Loony, clear out. You really will get into trouble if you go off with any more of Mrs. Round’s brushes. Besides, you’re not to, anyway. She’s nice.”
Mrs. Round appeared at this minute. She was certainly like her name, and her face shone like the harvest moon, it was so red and round.
“That dog of yours,” she began, “if he hasn’t got my hearthbrush somewhere now! And if I chase him off with my broom what does he do but think I’m playing a game with him. Loony by name and Loony by nature that dog is.”
“What’s for pudding to-day, Mrs. Round?” asked Snubby, changing the subject in his clever way. “Are you going to make us one of your smashing treacle puddings again? Honestly, I wish you’d come and be cook at our school. The boys would cheer you every day.”
Mrs. Round beamed and patted the bun of hair at the back of her head. “Oh, go on with you now!” she said in her pleasant country drawl. “You keep that dog of yours out of my kitchen, and I might make you pancakes with raspberry jam.”
“Loony! Don’t you dare to go into Mrs. Round’s kitchen to-day,” said Snubby sternly, and Loony wagged his little black stump of a tail. He crawled humbly on his tummy to Snubby and lay quite flat in front of him.
“All humbug,” said Diana. “He’s as good at pretending as you are, Snubby!”
Miss Pepper came out into the hall. “Are you still here?” she said to Loony, who promptly went out of the front door at top speed. She turned to the children. “I’m going to telephone to one or two coaches I know to see if one is free to come. Go and clear away your books now. There certainly won’t be any lessons to-day.”
They cleared away their books thankfully. Miss Pepper telephoned for some time and then came into the study. “It’s no use,” she said. “Everyone is either
