“Stop jabbering, Dick,” said George, exasperated. “We can’t stay at Kirrin Cottage. Mother wouldn’t even let me go in at the front door! She shooed me away, and said I was to wait in the garden, the doctor was coming in a minute or two.”

Someone called to them from a window of Kirrin Cottage. “Are you all there, children? Julian, come here, will you?”

They all went into the garden, and saw their Aunt Fanny, George’s mother, leaning out of a bedroom window.

“Listen, dears,” she said. “Joan has scarlet fever, and is waiting for an ambulance to take her to the hospital, and…”

“Aunt Fanny — don’t worry. We’ll all turn to and help,” called back Julian, cheerfully.

“Dear Julian — you still don’t understand,” said his aunt. “You see, neither your uncle nor I have had scarlet fever — so we are in quarantine, and mustn’t have anyone near us, in case we get it, and give it to them — and that might mean we’d give it to all you four.”

“Would Timmy get it?” asked George, still sniffing dolefully.

“No, of course not. Don’t be silly, George,” said her mother. “Did you ever hear of dogs getting measles or whooping-cough or any of our illnesses? Timmy isn’t in quarantine. You can get him out of his kennel as soon as you like.”

George’s face lit up immediately, and she shot round the back of the house, yelling Timmy’s name. At once there came a volley of barks!

“Aunt Fanny — what do you want us to do?” asked Julian. “We can’t go to my home, because my people are still in Germany. Should we go to a hotel?”

“No, dear, I’ll think of somewhere you can all go,” said his aunt. “Good gracious, what a row Timmy is making! Poor Joan — she has such a splitting headache.”

“Here’s the ambulance,” cried Anne, as a big hospital van drew up outside the gate. Mrs Kirrin disappeared from the window at once to tell Joan. The ambulance man went up to the front door, his mate behind him carrying a stretcher. The four children watched in surprise. “He’s gone to fetch dear old Joan,” said Julian. And sure enough the stretcher was soon carried out with Joan lying on it, wrapped round in blankets. She waved to the children as the men carried her out.

“Soon be back!” she said, in rather a croaky voice. “Help Mrs Kirrin if you can. So sorry about this!”

“Poor Joan,” said Anne, with tears in her eyes. “Get better quickly, Joan. We shall miss you so!”

The ambulance door closed and the van went off very smoothly and quietly.

“Whatever shall we do?” said Dick, turning to Julian. ‘Can’t go home — can’t stay here! Oh, here’s TIMMY! How are you, Tim, old thing? Thank goodness

you can’t get scarlet fever. Don’t knock me over, old boy. Down! Gosh, what a licky dog you are!’