"You'd better go back to your own bedroom now, boys," said Aunt Fanny, appearing at the doorway.
"Look at Dick, almost dropping with sleep!
Well, you should all have pleasant dreams tonight, for you've had an adventure to be proud of.
George— is that Tim under your bed?"
"Well, yes it is, Mother," said George, pretending to be surprised.
"Dear me! Tim, what are you doing here?"
Tim crawled out and went over to George's mother.
He lay flat on his tummy and looked up at her most appealingly out of his soft brown eyes.
"Do you want to sleep in the girls' room tonight?" said George's mother, with a laugh.
"All right—just for once!"
"Mother!" yelled George, overjoyed.
"Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!
How did you guess that I just didn't want to be parted from Tim tonight?
Oh, Mother!
Tim, you can sleep on the rug over there."
Four happy children snuggled down into their beds.
Their wonderful adventure had come to a happy end.
They had plenty of holidays still in front of them— and now that Uncle Quentin was no longer poor, he would give them the little presents he wanted to.
George was going to school with Anne— and she had Tim for her own again!
The island and castle still belonged to George— everything was marvellous!
"I'm so glad Kirrin Island wasn't sold, George," said Anne, sleepily.
"I'm so glad it still belongs to you."
"It belongs to three other people too," said George.
"It belongs to me— and to you and Julian and Dick.
I've discovered that it's fun to share things.
So tomorrow I am going to draw up a deed, or whatever it's called, and put in it that I give you and the others a quarter-share each. Kirrin Island and Castle shall belong to us all!"
"Oh, George— how lovely!" said Anne, delighted.
"Won't the boys be pleased?
I do feel so ha ..." But before she could finish, the little girl was asleep.
So was George.
In the other room the two boys slept, too, dreaming of ingots and dungeons and all kinds of exciting things.
Only one person was awake— and that was Tim.
He had one ear up and was listening to the children's breathing. As soon as he knew they were asleep he got up quietly from his rug.
He crept softly over to George's bed. He put his front paws up and sniffed at the sleeping girl. Then, with a bound he was on the bed, and snuggled himself down into the crook of her legs. He gave a sigh, and shut his eyes.
The four children might be happy— but Tim was happiest of all.
"Oh, Tim," murmured George, half waking up as she felt him against her.
"Oh, Tim, you mustn't— but you do feel so nice.
Tim— we'll have other adventures together, the five of us— won't we?"
They will— but that's another story!