William The Conqueror by Richmal Crompton

her, murmuring something incoherent about ‘seein’ her off. He saw the moment of explanations looming
near, but wished to postpone it as far back as possible. He heard his mother calling him back, but hurried on with the fair sightseer, leaving Mrs Brown to demand explanations from the other
Outlaws, whose professed ignorance she regarded with deep distrust.
    When William and Miss Burford reached the car ‘Pop’ was just waking up.
    ‘What – where – why?’ he said sleepily. ‘Where are we?’
    ‘At Stratford, Pop, darling,’ said his daughter brightly.
    ‘Seen it?’ asked her parent laconically. ‘Got it ticked off?’
    ‘ Sure ,’ said Miss Sadie happily. ‘I’ve had a real grand time.’
    ‘Wal, come on, then,’ he said, ‘and let’s git back to London for dinner. I’m jes’ one ragin’ vac-u-um.’
    She got up beside him, smiling brightly.
    ‘I guess I won’t miss the way back,’ she said. ‘We came pretty straight. Say, kid –’ she slipped something into William’s hand – ‘buy
yourself some candy.’
    They were gone.
    William stood in the middle of the road, watching the cloud of dust till it had vanished. Then he stared almost incredulously at the ten-shilling note he held.
    He had decided on his course of action when he reached home.
    Mrs Brown had recovered slightly, but she was still curious and suspicious.
    ‘I felt she might become violent any minute and murder us all,’ she said. ‘William, who was she, and why on earth did you bring her here?’
    ‘I dunno who she was ’cept that she said she was called Miss Burford, an’ I din’ bring her. She jus’ said she wanted to come.’
    ‘But why?’
    ‘You heard her talkin’. She jus’ kep’ goin’ on like that. She jus’ said she wanted to come to our house. That’s all I c’n tell you. You heard her
talking. She jus’ told me that her name was Miss—’
    ‘But where did you find her?’
    ‘In a motor-car. Cryin’. She told me she was called Miss Burford.’
    ‘Do stop saying that. What else did she say? What made her come with you?’
    ‘I’ve told you. She said her name was Miss— All right, I won’t say it. But I keep telling you what happened. She said that an’ we walked about a bit an’ she
said she wanted to come to our house. I din’ want her to. I din’ ask her to. I din’ think you’d like it. But she asked to come an’ I couldn’t stop her. I did all
I could. I took her a longer way round. I simply don’t know anything about her ’cept that she said her name was Miss Burford, an’,’ virtuously, ‘I think I’d
better go an’ do my homework, cause I want to get on an’ get good marks, an’ – an’ not waste your money, an’ all that.’
    The startling nature of this last announcement deprived Mrs Brown of the power of speech. William retreated to the morning-room and sat down at the table with a book. After a few minutes he
opened the door cautiously. He could hear his mother talking to his sister.
    ‘It was the saddest thing,’ she was saying. ‘I’ve no idea how William got hold of her or where she is now. She was quite young, but absolutely mad –
raving. I wanted to ask William more about it, but he’s doing his homework and I don’t like to disturb him.’
    William closed the door again silently, opened the morning-room window, lightly vaulted into the garden and sauntered down to the gate. There he found Ginger, Douglas and Henry. He took his
ten-shilling note out of his pocket and held it up.
    Ginger, Douglas and Henry turned head-over-heels in the road with delight.
    William climbed to the top rung of the gate and looked down at them.
    ‘Fr’en’s, Rome and countrymen,’ he began; then proudly and self-consciously through his nose, ‘Say, kids, you’re sure plumb crazy!’
    When Miss Burford returned home, she gave a little lecture on her English travels.
    She told of her visit to Anne Hathaway’s cottage, whose present occupant was very old