“That’s not much fun!” said the Giant, looking down out of the car.
Peggy looked too—and could not help giving a little jump. Packed in the Square below them was the first crowd she had ever seen, and it was really rather frightening. Everybody was looking up and shouting and waving, and there was no doubt at all that they were very angry indeed. Still, in spite of the muddles the Giant so often made, Peggy always felt perfectly safe with him.
“I can’t hear what they say,” she said, “all talking at once like that! Do call down and ask them to speak clearer. They’ll hear you.”
But the Giant was shaking with fright, and trying to hide himself under the seat, which, considering he was many sizes too big for the car, looked a hopeless task.
“Better leave them alone,” he muttered. “They’ll only get angrier still if we answer them.”
At that moment Peggy noticed a little fat man in a long red gown making his way through the crowd. Behind him came two men carrying a long ladder. This they put against the Town Hall, and the little fat man climbed to the top, and then off on to the roof just below the car. He was purple in the face with breathlessness and rage.
CHAPTER VIII
THE MAYOR’S OUTING
“That’s the Mayor, that is,” said the Giant in a terrified whisper, and he practically stood on his head in his efforts to wriggle part of his face under the seat. “If there is one thing that frightens me more than another it is a Mayor! I remember in 1615, or thereabouts—but that will keep till another time. Do you think he can see me? Can’t we go on now?”
“Certainly not!” said Peggy. “I want to hear what he’s going to say. He can’t do anything to us, you know. Really, I think this is the best adventure of all!”