"She said I could biff this old gong and I'm jolly well going to biff it off the stand. Watch me!"

"Stop a minute, Dickie. Agnes said that anyone might think the others had been up all night. I believe they have. I couldn't wake Jenny. Penny and Peter can't wake up. You tried the boys, didn't you?"

Dickie lowered the gong-stick.

"Do you really think they've been out somewhere without us all night, Mary?"

His twin nodded. "I bet they have."

Dickie ran for the stairs, flourishing the gong-stick.

"Come on!" he shouted. "I'll beat them out of their beds with this. We'll make them confess. We'll make them sorry to leave us out of things. The great hulking beasts. Those boys are the worst. They're bullies. Come on!" and here he fell over the top stair with a crash, picked himself up and dashed along the landing until he reached David's room. Then, with Mary panting only a few steps behind him, he raised the gong-stick with both hands and crashed it against the panels of the door. During the brief silence that followed, a sleepy voice from inside the room muttered:

"All right. Thank you, Agnes. Shan't be a sec."

"Di-di-did you hear that, Mary?" Dickie stuttered with tears of fury in his eyes.

Mary nodded and flung open the door.

Jon was still sleeping, but it must have been David who had answered, for he stirred as the twins ran over to his bed.

"Get up, you beast," Dickie yelled as he snatched back the bedclothes. "Get up and tell us the truth... If you don't tell us everything we'll go straight down and tell Agnes you've been out all night. Have you?"

David sat up in astonishment.

"Hello, Dickie. What's wrong?"

"What's wrong!" his brother yelled. "It's past nine o'clock and you've been out all night without us and you've jolly well got to tell us what you've been doing this instant minute."

Mary watched her twin with astonishment and admiration. She had never seen him like this before and was enjoying it. Suddenly Dickie wheeled on her.

"Go and do the same to those girls," he shouted. "Yank 'em out of bed. Make them tell you. Chuck water at them. Go on! I'll do Tom next."

Mary ran.

David reached for the bedclothes and began to pull them round him.

"No, you don't," Dickie yelled as he fought to pull them down again. "You beast, David. Have you been out all night without us? Jus' tell me now. That's all we want to know. That's all I ask. Just tell me the truth."

David was wide awake now. He put out a strong arm and scooped up his small brother on to the bed.

"Steady, Richard!" came David's calm voice. "What's wrong? Just sober down and I'll tell you everything... Don't be a little idiot, Dickie... Stop struggling else you'll get hurt... That's better."

Then Jon sat up in bed.