Мэри Поппинс
Christmas Shopping
SheturnedsuddenlytoMaryPoppinsandpointedherfinger.
"Sheknowsme.Don’tyou?I’msureyouknowme!"
TherewasacuriouslookonMaryPoppins’sface.JaneandMichaelcouldseebluefiresinhereyesasthoughtheyreflectedtheblueofthechild’sdressandherbrightness.
"Doesit—doesit,"shewhispered,"beginwithanM?"
Thechildhoppedononelegdelightedly.
"Ofcourseitdoes—andyouknowit.M-A-I-A.I’mMaia."SheturnedtoJaneandMichael.
"Nowyourecogniseme,don’tyou?I’mthesecondofthePleiades.Electra—she’stheeldest—couldn’tcomebecauseshe’smindingMerope.Merope’sthebaby,andtheotherfiveofuscomeinbetween—allgirls.OurMotherwasverydisappointedatfirstnottohaveaboy,butnowshedoesn’tmind."
Thechilddancedafewstepsandburstoutagaininherexcitedlittlevoice:
"Oh,Jane!Oh,Michael—I’veoftenwatchedyoufromthesky,andnowI’mactuallytalkingtoyou.ThereisnothingaboutyouIdon’tknow.Michaeldoesn’tlikehavinghishairbrushed,andJanehasathrush’segginajam-jaronthemantelpiece.AndyourFatherisgoingbaldonthetop.Ilikehim.Itwashewhofirstintroducedus—don’tyouremember?Hesaidoneeveninglastsummer:
’"Look,therearethePleiades.Sevenstarsalltogether,thesmallestinthesky.Butthereisoneofthemyoucan’tsee.’
"HemeantMerope,ofcourse.She’sstilltooyoungtostayupallnight.She’ssuchababythatshehastogotobedveryearly.
