“I don’t think so,” said George, mournfully. “I like Tinker all right — he’s funny — and that little monkey is a darling — such a naughty little thing too. But oh dear, don’t you remember what it was like when Tinker’s father came to stay with us? It was awful! He never remembered to come to meals, and was always losing his coat or his hanky or his money, and losing his temper too. I got very tired of him.”

“Well, he’ll probably get very tired of us!” said Julian. “He won’t find it very funny to have four kids parked on him, especially if he’s in the middle of difficult work — to say nothing of a rather large, licky dog leaping round the house as well.”

“Timmy isn’t likely to lick him,” said George, at once, and put on one of her scowls. “I didn’t like Tinker’s father at all.”

“Well, don’t look like a thunderstorm,” said Julian. “I don’t expect he’ll like any of us either. But it’s decent of him to give us an invitation to stay at Big Hollow, and we’re jolly well going to behave ourselves, see? There’s to be no back-chat from you, George — even if he dares to disapprove of Timmy!”

“He’d better not,” said George. “In fact, I’ve a good mind not to go. I think I’ll live in the summer-house with Timmy, at the bottom of the garden!”

“You will NOT!” said Julian, taking firm hold of her arm. “You’ll play fair, come with us, and behave properly! Listen, there’s the bus. Come on, we’ll all wave, and hope the driver has a few empty seats.”

Anne had already stopped the bus, and run round to the back of it to ask the conductor if he could help with the bags. He knew the children very well, and leapt down at once.

“You’re going back to school pretty quick!” he said. “I thought the schools had only just broken up.”

“They have,” said Julian, “but we’re off to stay at Big Hollow. The bus goes there, doesn’t it?”

“Yes, we go right through the village of Big Hollow,” said the conductor, carrying three bags at once, much to Julian’s envy. “Whereabouts are you staying there?”

“At Professor Hayling’s house,” said Julian. “I think that’s called Big Hollow too, like the village.”

“Ah, we pass it,” said the conductor, “I’ll stop the bus just outside and give you a hand with your things again. My word — you’ll have to mind your Ps and Qs there — old Professor Hayling’s a bit peculiar, you know. Goes off the handle properly if things don’t go his way! Once a horse got into his garden and believe it or not he chased that horse for two miles, shouting at it all the way. And bless me, when he got back home, tired out, there was that horse, chewing up his garden again. The horse was cute — he’d taken a short cut back. Yes — you be careful how you behave at Big Hollow. The old man might get cross and pop you into one of his queer machines and grind you up into little pieces!”