Dorothy's Travels Part 9

Dorothy, I suppose, will sleep in her own stateroom to-night, since Miss Greatorex is comfortable. Good night, and sleep well."

The deserted deck and the quiet gloom were a forcible contrast to the radiance and hilarity of the evening before, so that Mrs. Hungerford did not linger long after the Judge had left her, to pace up and down in earnest conversation with the "Bashful Bugler." Yet her thought was now upon the lad and his name which her brother had mentioned.

"Cook! Cook, from Yarmouth. Why, that's the same as that quaint old fellow brother took into his private office. He came from Nova Scotia, too, and called himself a typical Bluenose. Feared he was liable to consumption and left home for our milder climate. Wonder if he is a relative of the blond bugler! After all, as Molly so often exclaims, 'what a little bit o' world it is! Everybody you know turning up everywhere you go!' Quite a keen observer is my flighty little niece, in spite of all her nonsense; and bless her heart! I must go and see how she is and send small nurse Dorothy to her own slumbers."

So she too walked forward, and was seen no more till the grating sounds and the shouted orders told that the good ship "Prince" was docked and her goodly company had reached that safe "haven where they would be."

Then as if by magic the decks filled with a merry company, even those who had suffered most from seasickness the gayest of all.

"So good to go ash.o.r.e! Too early for breakfast? Of course; but I'll take a walk on dry--or fog-wet ground before I take mine!" said the gentleman who had been first to succ.u.mb to the "fog swell," and stepped down the ladder, whistling like a happy lad.

Miss Greatorex and Molly emerged from their staterooms a little pallid, rather shaky on their feet, but quite as happy as their neighbors. Not the less pleased, either, because the Judge promptly announced:

"We'll not bother for breakfast here. Some of us don't remember the 'Prince's' dining-room with great affection, eh?" and he playfully pinched Molly's wan cheek. "We're going to stop in Yarmouth for a few days, and the hotel carriage will take the rest of you up to it at once.

You'll find your rooms all ready for you. I'll see to our luggage and have that sent up, then follow in time to join you at table. All right, everybody? All your small belongings in hand? Then driver, pa.s.s on."

Already the fog was lifting, and the urbane old man upon the box leaned down and informed his fares:

"Going to be a fine day, ladies. You'll see Ya'mouth at her purtiest.

Ever been here before, any of you?"

Miss Greatorex's propriety began to return. A sure sign, Mrs. Hungerford thought, that she was feeling better; and she watched in secret amus.e.m.e.nt the sudden stiffening of the angular figure and the compression of the thin lips as the "instructress" looked fixedly out of the carriage window and vouchsafed no other reply.

But Aunt Lu always adapted herself to the habits of any country of the many she had visited and replied, with an eagerness that was half-mischievous and for Miss Isobel's benefit:

"No, indeed! and we're anxious to see and learn everything new. So please point out anything of note, and thank you."

"Hmm. I should suppose there could be nothing 'of note' in a place like this," murmured Miss Isobel, severely, as she scornfully observed the dingy streets and dwellings of that neighborhood.

But the hackman was gratified by Mrs. Hungerford's interest and a chance for his own garrulity, and promptly informed them:

"'Tain't never fair to judge no town by its water-front. Course not.

Stands to reason that shipyards and docks and sailorses' saloons ain't laid out for beauty. But just you wait till we get up the hill a speck and then you'll see somethin' worth seein'. True. There ain't a nicer town in the whole Province o' Novy Scoshy 'an Ya'mouth is. Now we're a gettin'. _Now!_ See there?"

"Ah! how lovely!" "Oh! Auntie Lu!" "Oh! my heart, my heart! If only darling Father John could see that hedge? What is it, Auntie Lu, can you tell?" cried Dorothy in rapture; for, indeed, the hedges of this old town by the sea are famous everywhere the name of Yarmouth is heard.

The driver didn't wait for Mrs. Hungerford to reply, even if she could have done so. He received every question and exclamation as personal and proudly answered:

"Ha'tho'n, them are, this side. Then yonder is spruce. And our gardens!

If you women-folks love posies as most females does, you'd ought to be here a spell later. Roses ain't out yet but cherries is in flower."

"Roses not in bloom? Why, they're past it with us!" responded Auntie Lu, surprised.

"Hmm, ma'am. And where might that be, if I c'n make so bold?"

"The vicinity of New York, I was recalling."

"Hmm. Exactly. A poor kind of country, New York is, even though they do call it the 'Empire State' and try to bolster up its failin's with a lot of fine talk. Now our Province o' Novy Scoshy, and this Ya'mouth, don't need to do no talkin'. All's necessary for us and them is just to--BE!

Once a feller comes and gets a good square look at us--no water-front way--" he interpolated, with a shrewd glance toward Miss Isobel's averted face and an absurd wink to Mrs. Hungerford--"he just sets right down and quits talkin' of his own places. Fact. I've lived here all my life and that's the reason I know it."

The man's good nature and self-satisfaction were vastly amusing to Aunt Lucretia, who ignored what seemed impertinence to the more formal Miss Greatorex, while the former inwardly delighted in this to her "new type"

of liveryman, and was already antic.i.p.ating the Judge's entertainment when the story of this ride was told him.

But Molly waxed indignant over his disparagement of her native land and exclaimed:

"I wish you'd not talk that way! We're Americans. I don't like it!"

"American, be you? So'm I."

"Oh! well. Course it's all America, but I mean we're from--from the States," as she chanced to recall an expression she had heard.

"From the States, hey? So be I."

"Yet you say you've lived here all your life. If you hadn't you'd have been more--more liberal--like travel makes people. If you'd once seen New York you wouldn't think that little Yarmouth was so mighty pretty. A right smart you know about it, anyway!"

"Huh! Gid-dap!" was the scornful rejoinder, as Jehu whirled about on his seat and touched his team to a gallop.

Mrs. Hungerford gave Molly a warning tap, though she was inwardly pleased to find the child so far recovered as to take an interest in defending her own home.

It was rather startling to have an ensuing silence broken by the old driver's facing about once more and declaring with great glee:

"You ain't no New Yorker, so you needn't be touchy about that little village. You're from down south."

"How do you know?"

"Yorkers don't say 'mighty pretty' and 'right smart,' as the Johnny Rebs do. I know. I've druv a power of both lots. As for me, I'm a Yankee, straight descent. My forbear, Sealed Waters, was one the first settlers here. A Yankee I claim to be, and the 'wa'' ain't over yet, 'pears like.

Ha, ha, ha!"

His mirth was contagious and they all joined in it; even Miss Greatorex emitting a faint little cackle, which was all her dignity permitted.

Also, by that time the carriage had been halted before a fine hotel, into which other pa.s.sengers from their steamer were already pa.s.sing; and they were duly helped to alight and enter, their loquacious jehu calmly extending his card with his name and number and, after a most business-like fashion, requesting their patronage during the rest of their stay.

"Show you the purtiest little town in the world, and'll live to hear you admit it, Ma'am. Thank you, ma'am, and good-day to you."

The Judge had secured their rooms long in advance of their arrival, and it was well that he had. The Province had come greatly to the fore as a summer pleasure ground and less thoughtful travelers did not always obtain such quarters as they preferred.

"Oh! this is fine!" exclaimed Mrs. Hungerford, as she entered her chamber with its neat appointments and refreshing bath. But Miss Greatorex was not enthusiastic. She was disappointed in the inn as she had been in the steamer, having antic.i.p.ated something much larger and finer. The exaggerated term of "palatial," which the proprietors had attached to both, had deceived her and it was no great comfort to have her companion explain:

"Of course, one can't find Broadway hostelries nor European 'liners' in this part of the world; but brother has often stayed in this house and knows it well. There is a larger, newer hotel, but he likes this little inn. The fare is excellent, the place is safe and quiet, and the landlord becomes your actual host. That's the charm of the Canadians; they are all so simple and so courteous. Try and ignore the disadvantages, dear Miss Isobel, and get all the fun out of our trip you can. If you'd seen some of the places I've slept in you'd think this is really 'palatial.'"

The girls were out of hearing and Mrs. Hungerford felt herself justified in thus much of admonition to her traveling mate, whose ideas had been too highly raised by the circulars and descriptions she had read. Fortunately, Miss Greatorex was so thankful to be once more on land that she really tried to forget minor annoyances and to look upon whatever happened as so much further "education." Her little notebook was promptly put to use and she filled several pages with memoranda of the old seaport which she had so despised at first and found so historically instructive afterward. Indeed, as Molly declared:

"You'll have to buy a good many books to hold all you want to write, even in that fine hand, dear Miss Greatorex; and what a lot of things you'll have to tell the girls at our 'twilight talks!'"

Nor could any inexperienced traveler have found better companions than Judge Breckenridge and his sister. They were so simple, so friendly, and such keen observers. Everywhere they went they met and mingled with the people exactly as if they were old and familiar friends; and in the gentleman's case this was quite true. He had been in the Province many times, as has been said, and he had the happy gift of a good and _willing_ memory. He never forgot an acquaintance nor recalled one unkindly, and it surprised even Mrs. Hungerford to see how many faces brightened at his approach and how often the greeting came: "Welcome, welcome, friend!"

"Why, Judge, you back again? Well, I'm certain glad to see you?

'Tourists' like you are the sort we welcome heartiest to Ya'mouth. Fact, ain't it? The more folks know, the more they've traveled, the more they find to admire and enjoy even in such a place as this!" cried one old seaman, whom they met on their morning walk.

For having enjoyed a most excellent breakfast and the sun now shining brilliantly, they set out for a stroll through the pretty streets and past the charming gardens of the town; and finally brought up at the postoffice where there were letters for everybody, even for Dorothy.