Then Michael spoke.
“We couldn’t keep them, after all,” he said in a mournful whisper.
“She never meant us to,” said Jane, as she gazed at the empty sky.
They turned together from the window and the moon’s blue light streamed into the room. It lay like water upon the floor. It crept across the children’s cots till it reached the bed in the corner. Then, full and clear and bold and blue, it shone upon Mary Poppins. She did not wake. But she smiled a secret, satisfied smile as though, even in her deepest dreams, she was thoroughly pleased with herself.
They stood beside her, hardly breathing, as they watched that curious smile. Then they looked at each other and nodded wisely.
“She knows,” said Michael, in a whisper. And Jane breathed an answering “Yes.”
For a moment they smiled at her sleeping figure. Then they tip-toed back to their beds.
The blue moonlight lay over their pillows. It lapped them round as they closed their eyes. It gleamed upon Mary Poppins’ nose as she lay in her old camp bed. And presently, as though blue moons were nothing to her, she turned her face away. She pulled the sheet up over her head and huddled down deeper under the blankets. And soon the only sound in the Nursery was Mary Poppins’ snoring.
Chapter Six
HIGH TIDE
“AND BE SURE you don’t drop it!” said Mary Poppins, as she handed Michael a large black bottle.
He met the warning glint in her eye and shook his head earnestly.
“I’ll be extra specially careful,” he promised. He could not have gone more cautiously if he had been a Burglar.
He and Jane and Mary Poppins had been on a visit to Admiral Boom to borrow a Bottle of Port for Mr Banks. Now it was lying in Michael’s arms and he was walking gingerly – pit-pat, pit-pat – like a cat on hot bricks. And dawdling along behind came Jane, holding the Spotted Cowrie Shell that Mrs Boom had given her.
They had had a wonderful afternoon. The Admiral had sung “I Saw Three Ships a-Sailing” and shown them his full-rigged Ship in a Bottle. Mrs Boom had provided Ginger Pop and a plate of macaroons. And Binnacle, the retired Pirate who did the Admiral’s booking and mending, had allowed them to look at the Skull and Crossbones tattooed upon his chest.
Yes, thought Michael, looking down at the bottle, it had really been a lovely day.
Then, aloud, he said wistfully, “I wish I could have a Glass of Port. I’m sure it must be delicious!”
“Step up, please!” Mary Poppins commanded. “And don’t keep scratching at that label, Michael! You are not a Tufted Woodpecker!”
“I can’t step up any quicker!” he grumbled. “And why must we hurry, Mary Poppins?” He was thinking that when the bottle was empty he would make a ship to put in it. A beautiful little full-rigged ship, like the one in the Admiral’s bottle.
“We are hurrying,” said Mary Poppins, with awful distinctness, “because this is the Second Thursday and I am going out.”
“Oh!” groaned Michael, who had quite forgotten. “That means an evening with Ellen!”
He looked at Jane for sympathy but Jane took no notice. She was holding her Cowrie Shell to her ear and listening to the sound of the sea.
“I can’t bear Ellen!” Michael grumbled. “She’s always got a cold and her feet are too big.”
“I wish I could see the Sea!” Jane murmured, as she peered inside the shell.
Mary Poppins gave an impatient snort. “There you go! Wish, wish, wishing – all day long! If it isn’t a Glass of Port, it’s the Sea! I never knew such a pair for wishing!”
“Well, you never need to wish!” said Michael. “You’re perfect, just as you are!”
She’ll be pleased with that, he thought to himself, as he gave her a flattering smile.
“Humph!” said her disbelieving look. But a dimple danced suddenly into her cheek.
“Get along with you, Michael Banks!” she cried, and hustled them through the gate. . .
It turned out later, to Michael’s surprise, that Ellen had no cold. She had another ailment, however, which went by the name of ’Ay Fever. She sneezed and sneezed till her face grew red. And it seemed to Michael that her feet grew bigger.
“I’m afraid I’ll sneeze me ’ead right off!” she said lugubriously. And Michael almost wished she would.
“If there weren’t any Thursdays,” he said to Jane, “Mary Poppins would never go out!”
But, unfortunately, every week had a Thursday and once Mary Poppins was out of the house it was no good calling her back.
There she went now, tripping down the Lane. She wore her black straw hat with daisies and her best blue coat with silver buttons. The children leant from the Nursery window and watched her retreating back. The parrot-head of her umbrella had a perky look and she walked with a jaunty, contented air as though she knew that a pleasant surprise awaited her round the corner.
“I wonder where she’s going!” said Jane.
“I wish I were going too!” groaned Michael. “Oh, Ellen, can’t you stop sneezing!”
“Colder-hearted than a Toad, that boy is!” observed Ellen to her handkerchief. “As if I did it for choice! A-tishoo!”
She sneezed till the Nursery furniture trembled. She sneezed the afternoon away and she sneezed all through supper. She sneezed the five of them through their baths and put them into bed, still sneezing. Then she sneezed on the nightlight, sneezed the door shut and sneezed herself down the stairs.
“Thank goodness!” said Michael. “Now, let’s do something!”
If Mary Poppins had been on duty they would never have dared to do anything. But nobody took any notice of Ellen. She simply didn’t count.
Jane pattered over to the mantelpiece and took down the Cowrie Shell.
“It’s still going on!” she said with delight. “Singing and gently roaring!”
“Good gracious!” cried Michael, as he too listened. “I can even hear the fish swimming!”
“Don’t be so silly! What nonsense you talk! Nobody can hear a fish swim!”
Jane and Michael glanced round hurriedly. Whose voice was that? And where did it come from?
“Well, don’t stand goggling at each other! Come on in!” the strange voice cried. And this time it seemed to come from the Shell.
“It’s perfectly simple! Just shut your eyes and hold your breath – and dive!”
“Dive where?” said Michael disbelievingly. “We don’t want to hit our heads on the hearthrug!”
“Hearthrug? Don’t be so silly! Dive!” the voice commanded again.
“Come on, Michael! Stand beside me! At least we can try!” said Jane.
So, holding the Cowrie Shell between them, they shut their eyes and drew in their breath and dived as the voice had told them. To their surprise their heads hit nothing. But the roaring sound from the Shell grew louder and a wind ran swiftly by their cheeks. Down they went, swooping like a pair of swallows, till suddenly the water splashed around them and a wave went over their heads.
Michael opened his mouth and gave a splutter. “Oh, oh!” he cried loudly, “it tastes of salt!”
“Well, what did you think it would taste of? Sugar?” said the same little voice beside them.