William Again by Richmal Crompton Read Free Book Online Page B

sister, was saying, ‘to come to a country place like this and take no part in the life. He’s so mysterious. He took Beechwood
over a month ago and hardly a soul’s seen him. He never has anyone in and he never goes out.’
    ‘Of course,’ contributed Robert with the air of a man of the world, ‘a country place like this is an ideal place for murderers or other criminals to hide in. That’s
notorious. Much safer than London.’
    ‘And hardly anyone’s seen him,’ said Ethel.
    ‘What does he look like?’ said William excitedly.
    ‘Don’t talk with your mouth full,’ said Ethel.
    ‘Don’t listen to their nonsense, dear,’ said Mrs Brown.
    But William was afire. Here was someone to be reformed at his very doors – no mere ordinary trivial wrong-doer, but a murderer, a criminal, the real thing. He was longing to begin. He could
hardly wait till he had finished his bread and butter.
    ‘May I go, Mother?’ he said hastily, swallowing a quarter of a slice of bread as he spoke.
    ‘You’ve had no cake, dear,’ said his mother in surprise.
    William gave a look of set purposeful determination.
    ‘I don’t want cake today,’ he said in the voice of one who scornfully waves aside some trifle unworthy of him. With that he strode frowning from the room.
    ‘I do hope he’s not ill,’ said Mrs Brown uneasily. ‘He’s been awfully quiet today.’
    ‘He’s given us the first peaceful Sunday we’ve had for years,’ said Ethel.
    ‘It’s not over yet,’ said Robert, in a voice of warning.
    William was already on his way to Beechwood. In the road he found Ginger, his bosom friend on weekdays. On Sundays the two families, inspired solely by a selfish desire for
peace, tried to keep them as far apart as possible.
    ‘Sunday!’ said Ginger, bitterly voicing unconsciously the grievance of the majority of his countrymen. ‘There’s nothing to do !’
    ‘I’ve jolly well got something to do, I can tell you,’ said William in a voice in which mystery and self-importance were mingled.
    Ginger brightened.
    ‘Lemme help!’ he pleaded. ‘Lemme help an’ I’ll give you half the next thing anyone gives me.’
    ‘S’pose it’s something you can’t make a half of?’ said William guardedly.
    ‘Well, then, I’ll let you have it in turn with me,’ said Ginger generously.
    ‘Fair turns?’ said William.
    ‘Rather!’ said Ginger.
    ‘All right, then,’ said William. ‘Come on!’
    Ginger set off happily by his side.
    ‘What you goin’ to do, William?’ he asked.
    William sank his voice mysteriously.
    ‘I’m going to re form,’ (William put the accent on the first syllable), ‘a murderer – make him give up murdering – same as what he said in church this
mornin’.’
    ‘Crikey!’ said Ginger, impressed.
    They crept in at the open gates of Beechwood.
    ‘How’re you goin’ to begin?’ said Ginger in a loud whisper.
    ‘Dunno yet,’ said William, who always trusted to the inspiration of the moment.
    ‘S’pose – s’pose he murders us?’ whispered Ginger.
    ‘If he does,’ said William grimly, still aggrieved by his family’s general attitude to him, ‘I know some folks that’ll p’raps be sorry for some things!’
    Then suddenly –
    ‘He’s there!’ said William excitedly. ‘Look! I can see him!’
    They crept behind some bushes and watched. A man was digging in the middle of the lawn. He stood up to his neck in a large hole and was throwing up spadeful after spadeful of earth on to the
edge. Occasionally he stopped to wipe his brow. He was a thin, youngish man.
    ‘Diggin’ graves for dead folks he’s murdered,’ explained William.
    ‘Golly!’ breathed Ginger, his eyes and mouth wide open. ‘How’re you goin’ to stop him?’
    ‘Get him in the hole,’ said William, ‘an’ then – an’ then – I dunno yet,’ he ended uncertainly.
    The man bent down for another spadeful.
    ‘Come on!’ said William.
    They crept across the lawn and suddenly overturned the