Chapter One

They Couldn't Go Back To School

'I thought those three children were going off to school today,' said Mr Lynton. 'Why aren't they down punctually to breakfast?'
'Oh, Richard - isn't it tiresome - Snubby and Diana aren't well,' said Mrs Lynton. 'They've both got temperatures - and I can't send Roger back in case Snubby and Diana are going to have something infectious. The school would not take him back if so.'
'Good gracious!' said Mr Lynton, exasperated. 'After four long weeks of Easter holidays, when there has been nothing but noise and racing about, and that dog Loony under my feet all the time - now we get another two or three weeks of it, I suppose!'
'Oh, well, Richard, we can't help it if they fall ill,' said his wife. 'Snubby really must be feeling bad - he can't even eat a sausage for his breakfast, and you know how fond he is of them.'
'It won't hurt him to starve for a week,' said Mr Lynton hard-heartedly. 'I'm not wasting any pity on Snubby. I've never known anyone eat as he does. They can't make a penny profit on Snubby at school, I'll be bound!'
He gathered up his papers and went off to catch his train, looking rather gloomy. He had been looking forward to a little peace in the house, with the three children enjoying themselves away at school. Now it looked as if they wouldn't be gone for another week or so, possibly longer.
Mrs Lynton went up to see Snubby. He groaned when she came in. 'I do feel bad, Aunt Susan. And do you think you could possibly take Loony out again? He keeps wanting me to play and I can't bear it. He's such a very scrapey dog this morning - scrapes the clothes off me, and scrapes the rugs off the floor, and - '
'I know, I know,' said his aunt soothingly, pulling the clothes straight. 'There's not much about Loony that I don't know already. Now try to get a little sleep till the doctor comes. I'm going in to see Diana.'
Diana was feeling bad too. Mrs Lynton felt her hot hands. 'I think you've both got a touch of 'flu,' she said. 'What a pity, just at the end of the holidays!'
Roger still seemed all right, though he was in bed too, as he had just a slight temperature. He had been able to manage a little breakfast.
The doctor came at half-past ten, and tripped over Sardine, the cat, on the stairs. 'I'm so sorry,' said Mrs Lynton. 'I should have warned you! Sardine, if you do that again, I'll send Loony after you.'
'Dear me - who's Loony?' asked the doctor, and knew immediately, as Loony came racing down the stairs after Sardine, nearly sending him to the bottom.
He was a nice, cheery doctor, and the children liked him, though Snubby and Diana could only raise rather feeble smiles when he made his jokes.
'Ha! I suppose this is all faked just to get out of going back to school!' he said, taking Diana's hand to feel her pulse. 'I know these tricks! I've half a mind to order you up and about!'
'I couldn't possibly get up,' said Diana weakly. 'I got up in the night to get a drink and I could hardly stand.'
'Well, don't worry,' said the doctor cheerily. 'You've only got a touch of this wretched 'flu that's going round. You'll soon be all right.'
'Well, thank goodness it's only 'flu and not scarlet fever or anything like that,' said Mrs Lynton, when the doctor went downstairs with her again.
'It's a pretty nasty 'flu, though,' said the doctor, looking for his gloves. 'Now - where did I put my gloves?'
'Loony! You've got them!' said Mrs Lynton sharply to the black spaniel. 'Drop them! Bad dog!'
The doctor got back his gloves at last. 'Well, as I was saying,' he said, 'it's a pretty nasty 'flu. Keep them in bed till I say they can get up - and then, I'm afraid, they ought not to go back to school for another ten days or so. They'll feel pretty washed out afterwards. Perhaps you could get them away somewhere.'
'I'll see what I can do,' said Mrs Lynton. 'Well, thank you, Doctor, I'll be seeing you tomorrow then.'
Roger was soon as bad as the others, and the amount of grumbling and groaning that went on was terrific. Perhaps the most miserable person in the house was Loony the spaniel. He wasn't ill, of course - but he simply couldn't understand why the three children were kept in bed and didn't appear to want his company at all!
'He's awful,' complained Diana. 'If I let him in, he goes mad, and I simply can't stand it, I've got such a headache - and if I don't let him in, he scrapes at the door and whines till I do. Can't Snubby have him in his room? He's Snubby's dog.'