Holiday House Part 5

"If it could take us both, I should be very happy, but I will not go without you, Laura, after you were so good to me, and gave me this in a present. No, no! I only wish we could do like the poor madman grandmama mentioned, who planted sixpences in the ground that they might grow into shillings."

"Pray! what are you two looking so solemn about?" asked Frank, hurrying into the room, at that moment, on his way to school. "Are you talking of some mischief that has been done already, or only about some mischief you are intending to do soon?"

"Neither the one nor the other," answered Laura. "But, oh! Frank, I am sure you will be sorry for us, when we tell you of our sad disappointment!"

She then related the whole story of the party to Arthur's Seat, mentioning that Mr. Harwood had kindly offered to take charge of Harry and herself, but as her little fortune had been so foolishly squandered, she could not go, and Harry said it would be impossible to enjoy the fun without her, though Lady Harriet had given them both leave to be of the party.

All the time that Laura spoke, Frank stood, with his hands in his pockets, where he seemed evidently searching for something, and when the whole history was told, he said to Harry, "Let me see this poor little sixpence of yours! I am a very clever conjuror, and could perhaps turn it into a shilling!"

"Nonsense, Frank!" said Laura, laughing; "you might as well turn Harry into uncle David!"

"Well! we shall see!" answered Frank, taking up the sixpence. "I have put the money into this box!--rattle it well!--once! twice!

thrice!--there, peep in!--now it is a shilling! I told you so!"

Frank ran joyously out of the room, being much amused with the joke, for he had put one of his own shillings into the box for Harry and Laura, who were excessively surprised at first, and felt really ashamed to take this very kind present from Frank, when he so seldom had money of his own; but they knew how generous he was, for he often repeated that excellent maxim, "It is more blessed to give than to receive."

After a few minutes, they remembered that nothing could prevent them now from going with Mr. Harwood to Arthur's Seat, which put Laura into such a state of ecstacy, that she danced round the room for joy, while Harry jumped upon the tables and chairs, tumbled head over heels, and called Betty to come immediately that they might get ready.

When Mrs. Crabtree heard such an uproar, she hastened also into the room, asking what had happened to cause this riot, and she became very angry indeed, to hear that Harry and Laura had both got leave to join in this grand expedition.

"You will be spoiling all your clothes, and getting yourselves into a heat! I wonder her ladyship allows this! How much better you would be taking a quiet walk with me in the gardens! I shall really speak to Lady Harriet about it! The air must be very cold on the top of them great mountains! I am sure you will both have colds for a month after this Tom-foolery."

"Oh no, Mrs. Crabtree! I promise not to catch cold!" cried Harry, eagerly; "and, besides, you can scarcely prevent our going now, for grandmama has set out on her long airing in the carriage, so there is n.o.body for you to ask about keeping us at home, except uncle David!"

Mrs. Crabtree knew from experience, that Major Graham was a hopeless case, as he always took part with the children, and liked nothing so much for old and young as "a ploy;" so she grumbled on to herself, while her eyes looked as sharp as a pair of scissors with rage. "You will come back, turned into scare-crows, with all your nice clean clothes in tatters," said she, angrily; "but if there is so much as a speck upon this best new jacket and trowsers, I shall know the reason why."

"What a comfort it would be, if there were no such things in the world as 'new clothes,' for I am always so much happier in the old ones," said Harry. "People at the shops should sell clothes that will never either dirty or tear!"

"You ought to be dressed in fur, like Robinson Crusoe, or sent out naked, like the little savages," said Mrs. Crabtree, "or painted black and blue like them wild old Britons that lived here long ago!"

"I am black and blue sometimes, without being painted," said Harry, escaping to the door. "Good-bye, Mrs. Crabtree! I hope you will not die of weariness without us! On our return we shall tell you all our delightful adventures."

About half an hour afterwards, Harry and Laura were seen hurrying out of the pastry-cook, Mrs. Weddell's shop, bearing little covered baskets in their hands, but n.o.body could guess what was in them. They whispered and laughed together with very merry faces, looking the very pictures of happiness, and running along as fast as they could to join the noisy party of their cousins and companions, almost fearing that Mr. Harwood might have set off without them. Frank often called him "Mr.

Punctuality," as he was so very particular about his scholars being in good time on all occasions; and certainly Mr. Harwood carried his watch more in his hand than in his pocket, being in the habit of constantly looking to see that n.o.body arrived too late. Mail-coaches or steamboats could hardly keep the time better, when an hour had once been named, and the last words that Harry heard when he was invited were, "Remember!

sharp twelve."

The great clock of St. Andrew's Church was busy striking that hour, and every little clock in the town was saying the same thing, when Mr.

Harwood himself, with his watch in his hand, opened the door, and walked out, followed by a dozen of merry-faced boys and girls, all speaking at once, and vociferating louder than the clocks, as if they thought everybody had grown deaf.

"I shall reach the top of Arthur's Seat first," said Peter Grey. "All of you follow me, for I know the shortest way. It is only a hop, step, and a jump!"

"Rather a long step!" cried Robert Fordyce. "But I could lead you a much better way, though I shall show it to n.o.body but myself."

"We must certainly drink water at St. Anthony's Well," observed Laura; "because whatever any one wishes for when he tastes it, is sure to happen immediately."

"Then I shall wish that some person may give me a new doll," said Mary Forrester. "My old one is only fit for being lady's maid to a fine new doll."

"I am in ninety-nine minds what to wish for," exclaimed Harry; "we must take care not to be like the foolish old woman in the fairy tale, who got only a yard of black pudding."

"I shall ask for a piebald pony, with a whip, a saddle, and a bridle!"

cried Peter Grey; "and for a week's holidays,--and a new watch,--and a spade,--and a box of French plums,--and to be first at the top of Arthur's Seat,--and--and--"

"Stop, Peter!--stop! you can only have one wish at St. Anthony's Well,"

interrupted Mr. Harwood. "If you ask more, you lose all."

"That is very hard, for I want everything," replied Peter. "What are you wishing for, Sir?"

"What shall I ask for?" said Mr. Harwood, reflecting to himself. "I have not a want in the world?"

"O yes, Sir! you must wish for something!" cried the whole party, eagerly. "Do invent something to ask, Mr. Harwood!"

"Then I wish you may all behave well till we reach the top of Arthur's Seat, and all come safely down again."

"You may be sure of that already!" said Peter, laughing. "I set such a very good example to all my companions, that they never behave ill when I am present,--no! not even by accident! When Dr. Algebra examined our cla.s.s to-day, he asked Mr. Lexicon, 'What has become of the best boy in your school this morning?' and the answer was, 'Of course your mean Peter Grey! He is gone to the top of Arthur's Seat with that excellent man, Mr. Harwood!'"

"Indeed!--and pray, Master Peter, what bird whispered this story into your ear, seeing it has all happened since we left home!--but people who are praised by n.o.body else, often take to praising themselves!"

"Who knows better!--and here is Harry Graham, the very ditto of myself,--so steady he might be fit to drill a whole regiment. We shall lead the party quite safely up the hill, and down again, without any ladders."

"And without wings," added Harry, laughing; "but what are we to draw water out of the well with?--here are neither buckets, nor tumblers, nor gla.s.ses!"

"I could lend you my thimble!" said Laura, searching her pocket. "That will hold enough of water for one wish, and every person may have the loan of it in turn."

"This is the very first time your thimble has been of use to anybody!"

said Harry, slyly; "but I dare say it is not worn into holes with too much sewing, therefore it will make a famous little magical cup for St.

Anthony's Well. You know the fairies who dance here by moonlight, lay their table-cloth upon a mushroom, and sit round it, to be merry, but I never heard what they use for a drinking cup."

Harry now proceeded briskly along to the well, singing as he went, a song which had been taught him by uncle David, beginning,

I wish I were a brewer's horse, Five quarters of a year, I'd place my head where was my tail, And drink up all the beer.

Before long the whole party seated themselves in a circle on the gra.s.s round St. Anthony's Well, while any stranger who had chanced to pa.s.s might have supposed, from the noise and merriment, that the Saint had filled his well with champagne and punch for the occasion, as everybody seemed perfectly tipsy with happiness. Mr. Harwood laughed prodigiously at some of the jokes, and made a few of his own, which were none of the best, though they caused the most laughter, for the boys thought it very surprising that so grave and great a man should make a joke at all.

When Mary Forrester drank her thimbleful of water, and wished for a new doll, Peter and Harry privately cut out a face upon a red-cheeked apple, making the eyes, nose, and mouth, after which, they hastily dressed it up in pocket handkerchiefs, and gave her this present from the fairies, which looked so very like what she had asked for, that the laugh which followed was loud and long. Afterwards Peter swallowed his draught, calling loudly for a piebald pony, when Harry in his white trowsers, and dark jacket, went upon all-fours, and let Peter mount on his back. It was very difficult, however, to get Peter off again, for he enjoyed the fun excessively, and stuck to his seat like Sinbad's old man of the sea, till at last Harry rolled round on his back, tumbling Peter head over heels into St. Anthony's Well, upon seeing which, Mr. Harwood rose, saying, he had certainly lost his own wish, as they had behaved ill, and met with an accident already. Harry laughingly proposed that Peter should be carefully hung upon a tree to dry, till they all came down again; but the mischievous boy ran off so fast, he was almost out of sight in a moment, saying, "Now for the top of Arthur's Seat, and I shall grow dry with the fatigue of climbing."

The boys and girls immediately scattered themselves all over the hill, getting on the best way they could, and trying who could scramble up fastest, but the gra.s.s was quite short, and as slippery as ice, therefore it became every moment more difficult to stand, and still more difficult to climb. The whole party began sliding whether they liked it or not, and staggered and tried to grasp the turf, but there was nothing to hold, while occasionally a shower of stones and gravel came down from Peter, who pretended they fell by accident.

"Oh, Harry!" cried Laura, panting for breath, while she looked both frightened and fatigued, "If this were not a party of pleasure, I think we are sometimes quite as happy in our own gardens! People must be very miserable at home, before they come here to be amused! I wish we were cats, or goats, or any thing that can stand upon a hill without feeling giddy."

"I think this is very good fun!" answered Harry, gasping and trying not to tumble for the twentieth time; "you would like perhaps to be back in the nursery with Mrs. Crabtree."

"No! no! I am not quite so bad as that! But Harry! do you ever really expect to reach the top? for I never shall; so I mean to sit down quietly here, and wait till you all return."

"I have a better plan than that, Laura! you shall sit upon the highest point of Arthur's Seat as well as anybody, before either of us is an hour older! Let me go first, because I get on famously, and you must never look behind, but keep tight hold of my jacket, so then every step I advance will pull you up also."

Laura was delighted with this plan, which succeeded perfectly well, but they ascended rather slowly, as it was exceedingly fatiguing to Harry, who looked quite happy all the time to be of use, for he always felt glad when he could do any thing for anybody, more particularly for either Laura or Frank. Now, the whole party was at last safely a.s.sembled on the very highest point of Arthur's Seat, so the boys threw their caps up in the air, and gave three tremendous cheers, which frightened the very crows over their heads, and sent a flock of sheep scampering down the mountain side. After that, they planted Mr. Harwood's walking-stick in the ground, for a staff, while Harry tore off the blue silk handkerchief which Mrs. Crabtree had tied about his neck, and without caring whether he caught cold or not, he fastened it on the pole for a flag, being quite delighted to see how it waved in the wind most triumphantly, looking very like what sailors put up when they take possession of a desert island.

"Now, for business!" said Mr. Harwood, sitting down on the rock, and uncovering a prodigious cake, nearly as large as a cheese, which he had taken the trouble to carry, with great difficulty, up the hill. "I suppose n.o.body is hungry after our long walk! Let us see what all the baskets contain!"