Chapter 8

CHAPTER EIGHT On the floor near the radio lay a woman. She looked old and had silvery grey hair. She was dressed in outdoor things, and her hat lay on the floor. The children looked at her in horror- what could have happened?

At last, to their relief, they saw her eyes open, and she looked up at them. Then she tried to speak. 'Water!' she croaked. George darted out and found a bathroom with glasses. She filled one with water and brought it back. Julian eased the old woman up into a sitting position, and George helped her

to drink the water. She managed to give them a faint smile. 'So silly of me,' she said, in a faraway kind of voice. 'I was just going downstairs to leave the house by the back door, when I slipped here on the polished floor. And, and—'

She stopped for a moment, and Anne patted her hand. 'You fell and hurt yourself?' she said. 'Where?' 'I'm afraid it's my hip,' said the old lady. 'I couldn't get up off the floor. I just couldn't. So I wasn't even able to phone for help. And there was no one in the house- my niece had gone—' 'And your daily woman is deaf, so she wouldn't hear you call!' said Julian, remembering. 'Yes, yes,' said the old lady. 'I just managed to get my arm up to the radio and switched it on.' You see, I thought someone might hear it- perhaps a policeman coming round the house at night...'

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'How long have you been lying like this?' asked Anne anxiously. 'Since yesterday afternoon,' said the old lady. 'I just couldn't move, you see. I was glad I had my outdoor things on- I'd have frozen stiff last night, it was so cold! I was so thirsty, too. Not hungry. Just very, very thirsty.