"Then that's settled," said the Inspector. "I'll be along your lane about four o'clock. It will be most pleasant for us all to meet again. I hope you agree with me."
"Oh, I do," said Fatty. "Good-bye, sir, and thank you very much."
Fatty put down the receiver and sped down the lane to Pip's house, full of excitement He ran up the drive and found the others in the garden.
"Well," said Fatty, "that's all settled. The Inspector is coming to tea with us tomorrow — a picnic tea down by the river. We'll tell him everything."
"Fatty! Is he really coming? Did you ask him to tea? Oh, Fatty, how marvellous!" cried the others. Fatty swelled up, full of pride and importance.
"You want a fellow like me to arrange these things," he said. "It's nothing to me to get things like this done. You'd better leave everything to me."
"Shut up!" said Larry and Pip at once. But they could not be annoyed with Fatty's boasting for long, because they were all so excited at the thought of seeing the big, kindly Inspector once more. Bets was really thrilled. She had liked him so much, and he had put everything right at once last time. Perhaps he could this time.
"We'll plan a fine tea," said Daisy. "Well tell our mothers who is coming with us, and they are sure to let us have anything we want. Even grown-ups seem to think that Inspectors are somebody to make a fuss about!"
Daisy was right. As soon as the children's mothers knew that the great Inspector Jenks had condescended to have a picnic tea with the children, they provided a very fine meal.
The children packed up the food, and went to stand at the front gate to watch for the Inspector. Mr. Goon came riding down on his bicycle. He jumped off when he saw them.