Mary Poppins Comes Back

his hand he carried a wooden cuckoo half-covered with grey paint and there were splashes of the same paint on his own nose.

'You called, my dear?' he asked, in a mild, respectful voice.

Then, he saw Mary Poppins.

'Ah, here you are at last, Miss Poppins! Nellie-Rubina will be pleased. She's been expecting you to help us with—'

He caught sight of the children and broke off suddenly.

'Oh, I beg pardon. I didn't know there was Company, my dear! I'll just go and finish this bird—'

'You will not, Uncle Dodger!' said Nellie-Rubina, sharply. 'I want the Conversations lifted down. Will you be so good?'

Although she had such a jolly, cheerful face, the children noticed that when she spoke to her Uncle she gave orders rather than asked favours.

Uncle Dodger sprang forward as swiftly as anybody could who had no legs.

'Certainly, my dear, certainly!' He lifted his arms jerkily and set the jar on the counter.

'In front of me, please!' ordered Nellie-Rubina haughtily.

Fussily Uncle Dodger edged the Jar along.

'There you are, my dear, begging your pardon!'

'Are those the Conversations?' asked Jane, pointing to the Jar. 'They look more like sweets.'

'So they are, Miss! They're Conversation Sweets,' said Uncle Dodger, dusting the jar with his apron.

'Does one eat them?' inquired Michael.

Uncle Dodger, glancing cautiously at Nellie-Rubina, leaned across the counter.

'One does,' he whispered behind his hand. 'But I don't, being only an Uncle-by- Marriage. But she—' he nodded respectfully towards his niece, 'she's the Eldest Daughter and a Direct Descendant!'

Neither Jane nor Michael knew in the least what he meant but they nodded politely.

'Now,' cried Nellie-Rubina gaily as she unscrewed the lid of the Jar. 'Who'll choose first?'

Jane thrust in her hand and brought out a flat star-shaped sweet rather like a peppermint.

'There's writing on it!' she exclaimed.

Nellie-Rubina shrieked with laughter. 'Of course there is! It's a Conversation! Read it.'

'You're My Fancy,' read Jane aloud.

'How very nice!' tinkled Nellie-Rubina, pushing the jar towards Michael. He drew out a pink sweet shaped like a shell.

'I Love You. Do You Love Me?' He spelled out.

'Ha, ha! That's a good one! Yes, I do!' Nellie-Rubina laughed loudly, and gave him a quick kiss that left a sticky patch of paint on his cheek.

John's yellow Conversation read 'Deedle, deedle, dumpling!' and on Barbara's was written in large letters, 'Shining-bright and airy.'

'And so you are!' cried Nellie-Rubina, smiling at her over the counter.

'Now you, Miss Poppins!' And as Nellie-Rubina tipped the Jar towards Mary Poppins, Jane and Michael noticed a curious, understanding look pass between them.

Off came the large woolen glove and Mary Poppins, shutting her eyes, put in her hand and scrabbled for a moment among the Conversations. Then her fingers closed on a white one shaped like a half-moon and she held it out in front of her.

'Ten o'clock to-night,' said Jane, reading the inscription aloud.

Uncle Dodger rubbed his hands together.

'That's right. That's the time when we—'

'Uncle Dod-GER!' cried Nellie-Rubina in a warning voice.

The smile died away from his face and left it sadder than before.

'Begging your pardon, my dear!' He said humbly. 'I'm an old man, I'm afraid, and I sometimes say the wrong thing — beg pardon.' He looked very ashamed of himself but Jane and Michael could not see that he had done anything very wrong.

'Well,' said Mary Poppins, slipping her Conversation carefully into her hand-bag. 'If you'll excuse us, Nellie- Rubina, I think we'd better be going!'

'Oh, must you?' Nellie-Rubina rolled a little on her disc. 'It has been Such a Satisfaction! Still,' she glanced out of a window, 'it might snow again and keep you imprisoned here. And you wouldn't like that, would you?' she trilled, turning to the children.

'I would,' said Michael, stoutly. 'I would love it. And then, perhaps, I'd find out what these are for.' He pointed to the painted branches, the sheep and birds and flowers.

'Those? Oh, those are just decorations,' said Nellie-Rubina, airily dismissing them with a jerky wave of her hand.

'But what do you do with them?'

Uncle Dodger leaned eagerly across the counter.

'Well, you see, we take them out and—'

'Uncle Dod-GER!' Nellie-Rubina's dark eyes were snapping dangerously.

'Oh — dear! There I go again. Always speaking out of my turn. I'm too old, that's what it is,' said Uncle Dodger mournfully.

Nellie-Rubina gave him an angry look. Then she turned smiling to the children.

'Good-bye,' she said, jerkily shaking hands. 'I'll remember our Conversations. You're my Fancy, I love You, Deedle-deedle and Shining-bright!'

'You've forgotten Mary Poppins' Conversation. It's 'Ten o'clock to-night,'' Michael reminded her.

'Ah, but she won't!' said Uncle Dodger, smiling happily.

'Uncle Dod-GER!'

'Oh, begging your pardon, begging your pardon!'

'Good-bye!' said Mary Poppins. She patted her hand-bag importantly and another strange look passed between her and Nellie-Rubina.

'Good-bye, good-bye!'

When Jane and Michael thought about it afterwards, they could not remember how they had got out of that curious room. One moment they were inside it saying good-bye to Nellie-Rubina and the next they were out in the snow again, licking their Conversations and hurrying after Mary Poppins.

'Do you know, Michael,' said Jane, 'I believe that sweet was a message.'

'Which one? Mine?'

'No. The one Mary Poppins chose.'

'You mean—?'

'I think something is going to happen at ten o'clock to-night and I'm going to stay awake and see.'

'Then so will I,' said Michael.

'Come along, please! Keep up!' said Mary Poppins. 'I haven't all day to waste…'

Jane was dreaming deeply. And in her dream somebody was calling her name in a small urgent voice. She sat up with a start to find Michael standing beside her in his pyjamas.

'You said you'd stay awake!' he whispered accusingly.

'What? Where? Why? Oh, it's you, Michael! Well, you said you would, too.'

'Listen!' he said.

There was a sound of somebody tip-toeing in the next room.

Jane drew in her breath sharply. 'Quick! Get back into bed. Pretend to be asleep. Hurry!'

With a bound Michael was under the blankets. In the darkness he and Jane held their breath, listening.

From the other Nursery, the door opened stealthily. The thin gap of light widened and grew larger. A head came round the edge and peered into the room. Then somebody slipped through and silently shut the door behind