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CHAPTER SIX THE BEGINNING OF UNCLE ANDREWS TROUBLES（第3页）

“Itisn'tthatsortofthing，”

saidDigory.“WhatI'mbotheredaboutisMother.Supposethatcreaturewentintoherroom.Shemightfrighteh.”

“Oh，Isee，”

saidPollyinratheradifferentvoice.“Allright.We'llcallitPax.I'lleback—ifI.ButImustgonow.”

Andshecrawledthroughthelittledooriuhatdarkplagtherafterswhichhadseemedsoexdadventurousafewho，seemedquitetameandhomelynow.

&nowgobadrew.Hispooroldheartatashestaggereddowairsaondabbingathisforeheadwithahandkerchief.Whenhereachedhisbedroom，whichwasthefloorbelow，helockedhimselfin.Athinghedideinhiswardrobeforabottleandawine-glassthiddentherewhereAuyotfindthem.Hepouredhimselfoutaglassfulofsomenasty，grown-updrinkanddrankitoffatohenhedrebreath.

“Uponmyword，”

hesaidtohimself.“I'mdreadfullyshaken.Mostupsetting!Andatmytimeoflife!”

Hepouredoutasedglassanddrankittoo;theogehisclothes.Youhaveneverseensuchclothes，butIrememberthem.Heputh，shiny，stiffcollarofthesortthatmadeyouholdyourupallthetime.Heputocoatatternonitandarrangedhisgoldwatacrossthefroofrock-coat，theofsandfuhisbesttallhataup.Therewasavaseofflowers（puttherebyAuy）table;hetookoitinhisbuttoookadkerchief（alovelyonesuchasyou'tbuytoday）outofthelittlelefthaafewdropsofsit.Hetookhiseye-glass，withthethickbla，aohiseye;thehimselfinthemirror.

haveonekindofsilliness，asyouknow，andgrowherkind.AtthismomentUndrewwasbeginningtobesillyinaverygrothattheWitolohesameroomwithhimhewasquicklyfhowshehadfrightenedhimandthinkingmoreandmoreofherwoy.Hekeptonsayingtohimself，“Ademfinewoman，sir，ademfineerbcreature.”

Hehadalsosomehowmaetthatitwasthewhohadgotholdofthis“superbcreature”

:hefeltasifhehimselfbyhisMagichadcalledheroutofunknownworlds.

“Andrew，myboy，”

hesaidtohimselfashelookedintheglass，“you'readevilishwellpreservedfelle.Adistinguished-lookingman，sir.”

Yousee，thefoolisholdmanwasactuallybeginningtoimagichwouldfallihhim.Thetwodrinksprobablyhadsomethingtodowithit，andsohadhisbestclothes.Buthewas，inanycase，asvaihatwaswhyhehadbeagi.

Heuhedoor，wentdownstairs，sentthehousemaidouttofet（everyosofservantsinthosedays）ahedrawingroom.There，asheexpected，hefouy.Shewasbusilymendingamattress.Itlayonthefloorhewindowandshewaskneelingonit.

“Ah，Letitiamydear，”

saidUndrew，“I—ahhavetogoout.Justlendmefivepoundsorso，there'sagoodgel.”

（“Gel”

ronouncedgirl.）

“No，Andrewdear，”

saidAuyinherfirm，quietvoice，withoutlookingupfromherwork.“I'vetoldyoutimeswithoutIwillnotlendyoumoney.”

“Nowpraydon'tbetroublesome，mydeargel，”

saidU'smostimportant.Youwillputmeinadeucedlyaositionifyoudon't.”

“Andrew，”

saidAuy，lookinghimstraightinthefaderyouareoaskmeformoney.”

Therewasalong，dullstrown-upkihesewords.AllyouoknowaboutitisthatUwith“may'sbusiersforher“，andneverdoinganywuplargebillsforbrandyandcigars（whitLettyhadpaidagainandagain）hadmadeheragooddealpoorerthanshehadbeenthirtyyearsago.

“Mydeargel，”

saidUndrew，“youdon'tuand.Ishallhavesomequiteuedexpeoday.Ihavetodoalittleeaining.enow，don'tbetiresome.”

“Andwho，pray，areyougoiain，Andrew?”

askedAuy.

“A—amostdistiorhasjustarrived.”

“Distinguishedfiddlestick!”

saidAuherehasn'tbeenaringatthehellforthelasthour.”

AtthatmomentthedoorwassuddenlyfluLettylookedroundandsawwithamazementthatanenormouslehbarearmsandflashioodinthedooritch.