Mary Poppins Comes Back

More than one person, passing along Cherry Tree Lane, had looked over the fence of Number Seventeen and said—'How very extraordinary! Not a sound!'

Even the house, which usually took no notice of anything, began to feel alarmed.

'Dear me! Dear me!' it said to itself, listening to the silence. 'I hope nothing's wrong!'

Downstairs in the Kitchen, Mrs. Brill, with her spectacles on the tip of her nose, was nodding over the newspaper.

On the first-floor landing, Mrs. Banks and Ellen were tidying the Linen-cupboard and counting the sheets.

Upstairs in the Nursery Mary Poppins was quietly clearing away the luncheon things.

'I feel very good and sweet to-day,' Jane was saying drowsily, as she lay stretched on the floor in a patch of sunlight.

'That must be a change!' remarked Mary Poppins with a sniff.

Michael took the last chocolate out of the box Aunt Flossie had given him for his sixth birthday last week.

Should he offer it to Jane? He wondered. Or to the Twins? Or Mary Poppins?

No. After all, it had been his birthday.

'Last, lucky last!' he said quickly and popped it into his own mouth. 'And I wish there were more!' he added regretfully, gazing into the empty box.

'All good things come to an end, sometime,' said Mary Poppins primly.

He cocked his head on one side and looked up at her.

'You don't!' he said daringly. 'And you're a good thing.'

The beginnings of a satisfied smile glimmered at the corners of her mouth but it disappeared as quickly as it had come.

'That's as may be,' she retorted. 'Nothing lasts for ever.'

Jane looked round, startled.

If nothing lasted for ever it meant that Mary Poppins— 'Nothing?' she said uneasily.

'Nothing at all,' snapped Mary Poppins.

And as if she had guessed what was in Jane's mind she went to the mantel-piece and took down her large Thermometer. Then she pulled her carpet-bag from under the camp-bed and popped the Thermometer into it.

Jane sat up quickly.

'Mary Poppins, why are you doing that?'

Mary Poppins gave her a curious look.

'Because,' she said priggishly. 'I was always taught to be tidy.' And she pushed the carpet-bag under the bed again.

Jane sighed. Her heart felt tight and heavy in her chest.

'I feel rather sad and anxious,' she whispered to Michael.

'I expect you had too much steam pudding!' he retorted.

'No, it's not that kind of a feeling—' she began, and broke off suddenly for a knock had sounded at the door.

Tap! Tap!

'Come in!' called Mary Poppins.

Robertson Ay stood there yawning.

'Do you know what?' he said sleepily.

'No, what?'

'There's a Merry-go-round in the Park!'

'That's no news to me!' snapped Mary Poppins.

'A Fair?' cried Michael excitedly. 'With swinging-boats and a Hoop-la?'

'No,' said Robertson Ay, solemnly shaking his head. 'A Merry-go-round, all by itself. Came last night. Thought you would like to know.'

He shuffled languidly to the door and closed it after him.

Jane sprang up, her anxiety forgotten.

'Oh, Mary Poppins, may we go?'

'Say Yes, Mary Poppins, say Yes!' cried Michael dancing round her.

She turned, balancing a tray of plates and cups on her arm.

'I am going,' she remarked, calmly. 'Because I have the fare. I don't know about you.'

'There's sixpence in my money-box!' said Jane eagerly.

'Oh, Jane, lend me twopence!' pleaded Michael. He had spent all his money the day before on a stick of Liquorice.

They gazed anxiously at Mary Poppins, waiting for her to make up her mind.

'No borrowing or lending in this Nursery, please,' she said tartly. 'I will pay for one ride each. And one is all you will have.' She swept from the room carrying the tray.

They stared at each other.

'What can be the matter?' said Michael. It was now his turn to be anxious. 'She's never paid for anything before!'

'Aren't you well, Mary Poppins?' he asked uneasily, as she came hurrying back.

'Never better in my life!' she replied, tossing her head. 'And I'll thank you, if you please, not to stand there, peeking and prying at me as if I were a Waxwork! Go and get ready!'

Her look was so stern, and her eyes so fiercely blue, and she spoke so like her usual self that their anxiety vanished away and they ran, shouting, to get their hats.

Presently the quietness of the house was broken by the noise of slamming doors, screaming voices and stamping feet.

'Dear me! Dear me! What a relief! I was getting quite anxious!' said the house to itself, listening to Jane and Michael and the Twins plunging and tumbling downstairs.

Mary Poppins paused for a moment to glance at her reflection in the hall mirror.

'Oh, do come on, Mary Poppins! You look all right,' said Michael impatiently.

She wheeled about. Her expression was angry, outraged and astonished all at once.

All right, indeed! That was hardly the word. All right, in her blue jacket with the silver buttons! All right with her gold locket round her neck! All right with the parrot-headed umbrella under her arm!

Mary Poppins sniffed.

'That will be enough from you — and more!' she said shortly. Though what she meant was that it wasn't nearly sufficient.

But Michael was too excited to care.

'Come on, Jane!' he cried, dancing wildly. 'I simply can't wait! Come on!'

They ran on ahead while Mary Poppins strapped the Twins into the perambulator. And presently the garden gate clicked behind them and they were on the way to the Merry-go-round.

Faint sounds of music came floating across from the Park, humming and drumming like a humming-top.

'Good-afternoon! And how are we to-day?' Miss Lark's high voice greeted them as she hurried down the Lane with her dogs.

But before they had time to reply she went on, 'Off to the Merry-go-round, I suppose! Andrew and Willoughby and I have just been. A very superior Entertainment. So nice and clean. And such a polite Attendant!' She fluttered past with the two dogs prancing beside her. 'Good-bye! Good-bye!' she called back over her shoulder as she disappeared round the corner.

'All hands to the pump! Heave ho, my hearties!'

A well-known voice came roaring from the direction of the Park. And through the gates came Admiral Boom, looking very red in the face and dancing a Sailor's Hornpipe.

'Yo, ho, ho! And a bottle of Rum! The Admiral's been on the Merry-go-round. Bail her out! Cockles and Shrimps! It's as good as a long sea-voyage!' he roared, as he greeted the children.