Мэри Поппинс
East Wind
Suchathing,JaneandMichaelknew,hadneverbeendonebefore.Down,ofcourse,fortheyhadoftendoneitthemselves.Butup—never!Theygazedcuriouslyatthestrangenewvisitor.
"Well,that’sallsettled,then."Asighofreliefcamefromthechildren’sMother.
"Quite.AslongasI’msatisfied,"saidtheother,wipinghernosewithalargeredandwhitebandannahandkerchief.
"Why,children,"saidMrs.Banks,noticingthemsuddenly,"whatareyoudoingthere?Thisisyournewnurse,MaryPoppins.Jane,Michael,sayhowdoyoudo!Andthese"—shewavedherhandatthebabiesintheircots—"aretheTwins."
MaryPoppinsregardedthemsteadily,lookingfromonetotheotherasthoughsheweremakinguphermindwhethershelikedthemornot.
"Willwedo?"saidMichael.
"Michael,don’tbenaughty,"saidhisMother.
MaryPoppinscontinuedtoregardthefourchildrensearchingly.Then,withalong,loudsniffthatseemedtoindicatethatshehadmadeuphermind,shesaid:
"I’lltaketheposition."
"Foralltheworld,"asMrs.Bankssaidtoherhusbandlater,"asthoughsheweredoingusasignalhonour."
"Perhapssheis,"saidMr.Banks,puttinghisnoseroundthecornerofthenewspaperforamomentandthenwithdrawingitveryquickly.
WhentheirMotherhadgone,JaneandMichaeledgedtowardsMaryPoppins,whostood,stillELSapost,withherhandsfoldedinfrontofher.
"Howdidyoucome?"Janeasked."Itlookedjustasifthewindblewyouhere."
"Itdid,"saidMaryPoppinsbriefly.
