Ellis Peters - George Felse 01 - Fallen Into The Pit by Ellis Peters Page B
Authors: Ellis Peters
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Only the supply of water in the well never seemed to decline, for it enclosed two vigorous springs, and the overflow sprang out from its pipe with force enough to strike your hand away if you held it against it. Dominic and Pussy knew all the interesting things which can be done with a strong jet of water, provided you do not mind getting a little draggled in the process. They had outgrown most of them, but tonight they had lingered longer than usual in the Comer pool, and emerged already far too late to get back to Comerford in time for the Road Safety Committee’s lectures to senior school-children, to which an hour and a half of their evening should have been dedicated; they felt, accordingly, guilty and abandoned enough to enjoy playing babyish games with water for a further twenty minutes or so, while the sun went down.
“They’ll be halfway through by now,” said Pussy cheerfully, wringing out water from the ends of her pigtails, when they were tired of making fountains.
“Not worrying about it, are you? It was an honest mistake, anyhow. I really didn’t notice the time.”
“You’re the one who has to worry,” said Pussy heartlessly. “Io might nag a little, but Dad hardly dare pretend to be concerned about road safety, I should think—not until his own driving improves a bit. You’re the one who’s going to catch it! Penalty of being the police-sergeant’s son!”
“Most of the time,” said Dominic peacefully, “I can manage him pretty well. But he does get parentish sometimes—I guess he has to, really, in his position. And I suppose it was rather letting him down, to stay away when he’s got to give the lecture. But I didn’t do it purposely.” This fact alone was enough to make him feel as virtuous as if he had not done it at all. He sat teasing burrs out of his wet hair with his fingers, and making faces over the snarls he found in it. “Got a comb, Puss? I seem to have been rolling in a patch of burdocks.”
Pussy had reached the stage of carrying a comb constantly upon her person. She fished it out of the top of her stocking, since the pocket of her skirt had somehow contrived to slit itself wide open in a thorn-bush on the way up the slope from the river; and having detached it from the folds of her handkerchief, she flicked it across to him, and went on wringing drops from the ends of her hair.
“What time is it?” asked Pussy then, flinging the plaits over her shoulders as a mettlesome horse tosses its mane and starts at the touch of it. She scrambled up from the grass and went to the well, to cup her hands in it and drink the icy water.
“Nearly half-past eight. They’ll be at it for another half-hour yet. Bit of a nerve, when you come to think of it,” said Dominic, stiffening into belated indignation as he squinted out from behind his tangled chestnut forelock with horrible grimaces, “to expect us to go to a lecture,
and
do our homework, and then go straight to bed, I suppose, without any fun at all. I didn’t forget the time on purpose, but I’m rather glad, all the same. And I don’t care if they do check up on us, either, it was worth it.”
The inconsiderate female administered comfort as cold as the water she was drinking: “Your father would be sure to look for you, anyhow. Almost anybody else could be missing without being noticed, but
you
can’t expect to.” She added, as a casual blow over the heart: “
Our
homework was excused!”
Dominic emerged to gape at her in incredulous envy. “Ours wasn’t! And I’ve only done part of it yet, too. My goodness, you girls get away with everything.” He thrust the dark red mass of his hair back from his forehead, gave it a last smooth with his hand, and waved the comb at her disgustedly. “Here, catch!”
The throw was strong and astray, perhaps with the injured weight of his unfinished homework behind it, and Pussy’s hands were wet. It sailed through her grabbing fingers, and flew over the top of the well,
“They’ll be halfway through by now,” said Pussy cheerfully, wringing out water from the ends of her pigtails, when they were tired of making fountains.
“Not worrying about it, are you? It was an honest mistake, anyhow. I really didn’t notice the time.”
“You’re the one who has to worry,” said Pussy heartlessly. “Io might nag a little, but Dad hardly dare pretend to be concerned about road safety, I should think—not until his own driving improves a bit. You’re the one who’s going to catch it! Penalty of being the police-sergeant’s son!”
“Most of the time,” said Dominic peacefully, “I can manage him pretty well. But he does get parentish sometimes—I guess he has to, really, in his position. And I suppose it was rather letting him down, to stay away when he’s got to give the lecture. But I didn’t do it purposely.” This fact alone was enough to make him feel as virtuous as if he had not done it at all. He sat teasing burrs out of his wet hair with his fingers, and making faces over the snarls he found in it. “Got a comb, Puss? I seem to have been rolling in a patch of burdocks.”
Pussy had reached the stage of carrying a comb constantly upon her person. She fished it out of the top of her stocking, since the pocket of her skirt had somehow contrived to slit itself wide open in a thorn-bush on the way up the slope from the river; and having detached it from the folds of her handkerchief, she flicked it across to him, and went on wringing drops from the ends of her hair.
“What time is it?” asked Pussy then, flinging the plaits over her shoulders as a mettlesome horse tosses its mane and starts at the touch of it. She scrambled up from the grass and went to the well, to cup her hands in it and drink the icy water.
“Nearly half-past eight. They’ll be at it for another half-hour yet. Bit of a nerve, when you come to think of it,” said Dominic, stiffening into belated indignation as he squinted out from behind his tangled chestnut forelock with horrible grimaces, “to expect us to go to a lecture,
and
do our homework, and then go straight to bed, I suppose, without any fun at all. I didn’t forget the time on purpose, but I’m rather glad, all the same. And I don’t care if they do check up on us, either, it was worth it.”
The inconsiderate female administered comfort as cold as the water she was drinking: “Your father would be sure to look for you, anyhow. Almost anybody else could be missing without being noticed, but
you
can’t expect to.” She added, as a casual blow over the heart: “
Our
homework was excused!”
Dominic emerged to gape at her in incredulous envy. “Ours wasn’t! And I’ve only done part of it yet, too. My goodness, you girls get away with everything.” He thrust the dark red mass of his hair back from his forehead, gave it a last smooth with his hand, and waved the comb at her disgustedly. “Here, catch!”
The throw was strong and astray, perhaps with the injured weight of his unfinished homework behind it, and Pussy’s hands were wet. It sailed through her grabbing fingers, and flew over the top of the well,
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