Menhardoc Part 66

"Yes," said Arthur uneasily, and then smiling, he added, "I forgot all about it."

"Forgot all about it!" said d.i.c.k. "I should think so. Why, it wouldn't matter how bad a fellow were: a day's trawling would make him well."

CHAPTER THIRTY.

TAFF OBJECTS TO EARLY RISING AND BEING TREATED AS A SEAL.

It wanted a perfectly calm day for the visit to the seal-cave, and this was long in coming. There were plenty of fine days when the sun shone brightly and the sea was as clear as crystal; but there was generally a pleasant breeze, and the pleasant breeze that only seemed to ripple the water was sufficient twice over to raise good-sized waves amongst the rocks, and to send a rush of broken water enough to upset a boat, foaming and dashing in at the mouth of the cave.

Failing the success of this enterprise, Mr Temple, who was with them, made Will and Josh row on to the rift in the cliff where the vein of white spar had been found by Will; and leaving all in the boat, d.i.c.k's father went up by himself and stayed for long enough, while his sons were rowed to and fro fishing with more or less success.

One morning, though, as d.i.c.k was dreaming of being in the green-house at home when the hail was pattering down, there seemed to come three or four such sharp cracks that he awoke and jumped out of bed. The next moment he was at the window pulling up the blind and looking out, to see Will on the rugged pathway waiting for him to open the window.

"Seal-cave to-day," he said. "Look out to sea."

d.i.c.k looked out to sea, where there was a dense mist that seemed to wrap everything in its folds. The luggers appeared dim--those that were near sh.o.r.e--while others were completely hidden. Overhead the sky was clear, and the sun was shining brightly, while where its light fell upon the mist it became rosily transparent, and the masts of some of the luggers looked double their usual size.

"Seals, Taff, seals!" cried d.i.c.k, shaking his brother's shoulder, with the effect of making him hurriedly scramble out of bed, yawning terribly, and gazing in an ill-used way at his brother, as he sat down and began to rub his feet one over the other.

"Don't sit down, Taff; dress yourself. I'm going to call father."

"Shut that window first," cried Arthur; "it's so horribly cold."

"Cold! Ha! ha! Ha! ha! ha!" laughed d.i.c.k. "What a chap you are, Taff!

Here, Will, he says it's cold. Go to the pump for a pail of cold water to warm him."

"He had better not," cried Arthur, hurriedly scuffling into his trousers. "If he did I would never forgive him."

"I'm not going to get any water, Master Arthur," cried Will; "but make haste down, it's such a glorious morning!"

"'Tisn't," said Arthur, whose eyes were swelled up with sleepiness.

"It's all misty and thick, and the window-sill's wet, and the roses outside look drenched. Heigh, ho, ha, hum!" he yawned. "I shall go to bed for half an hour longer--till the sun comes out."

"No, you sha'n't," cried d.i.c.k, seizing the pillow for a weapon of offence. "If you do, I'll bang you out of bed again."

"If you dare to touch me," cried Arthur furiously, "I shall complain to papa."

"And he'll laugh at you," said d.i.c.k; "and serve you right."

Arthur s.n.a.t.c.hed off his lower garment with the obstinacy of a half-asleep individual, and scrambled into bed again, dragging the clothes up over his chest, and scowling defiantly at his brother, as if saying, "Touch me if you dare."

"There's a stupid, obstinate, lazy old pig," cried d.i.c.k, throwing the pillow at him and standing rubbing one ear. "Here--hi, Will!" he said, going to the window, "come round and upstairs. Here's a seal in his cave asleep. Come and let's tug him out."

"He had better not dare to come into my bed-room," cried Arthur, punching the pillow thrown at him viciously, and settling down in his place; not that he wanted more rest, but out of dislike to being disturbed, and from a fit of morning ill-temperedness getting the upper hand.

Just then d.i.c.k was leaning out of the window half-dressed, and with his braces hanging down as if they were straps to haul him back in case he leaned too far.

Arthur glanced at his brother for a moment and then shouted:

"Here, d.i.c.k, shut that window!"

d.i.c.k evidently did not hear him, and a low giggling laugh reached his ears.

"They had better not try to play any tricks with me," said Arthur to himself, as he lay frowning and feeling very much dissatisfied, as he thought, with d.i.c.k, but really with himself.

Then he heard more laughing, the sound of steps in the garden, and something thump against the wall of the house.

There was no mistake now about Arthur's wakefulness, as he lay with the clothes drawn right above his nose; one eye glanced at the window, and he breathed quickly with indignation as d.i.c.k drew a little on one side to make room for Will, who had obtained the short ladder used by his uncle to nail up his creepers, and placed it against the wall, and he was now on the top with his jersey-covered arms resting on the window-sill, and his sun-browned face above them looking in.

"Good-morning, sir!" he said merrily. "Want anybody to help you dress?"

"How dare you!" cried Arthur indignantly. "Go away, and shut that window directly. It's disgraceful. We had no business to come to such a place as this," he continued, forgetting all his good resolves, and giving rein to his anger.

"Why, hullo! what's all this?" said Mr Temple, entering the room, dressed for going out.

"I'm glad you've come, papa," cried Arthur, whose face was scarlet with anger. "These boys have--"

"Oh, I say, Taff, don't be disagreeable," cried d.i.c.k. "It was all my doing, father. Taff wouldn't get up, and Will here had come to call us, and I told him to get up the ladder and look in, pretending that there _was_ a seal in a cave, and Taff turned cross about it."

"Get up directly, Arthur," said Mr Temple quietly, "and make haste down. How would to-day do to visit the seal-cave?" continued Mr Temple, turning to Will.

"I came to tell the young gentlemen it was just the morning, sir," said Will, who was feeling very uncomfortable. "It is as still as can be, and the tide will suit. I should go, sir, directly after breakfast."

"And so we will," said Mr Temple. "There, finish dressing, d.i.c.k," he said, as Will slid down the ladder and took it away. "I thought there was to be no more of this petty anger, Arthur. You are old enough to know better, and yet you behave like a fractious child. Don't tease him, d.i.c.k; he can't bear it, I suppose."

Mr Temple left the room, and d.i.c.k went on hurriedly dressing, while Arthur, flushed and uncomfortable, sat in his trousers on the edge of the bed, his hair touzled and the pillow creases marked like a map on his right cheek.

"Here, I say, get dressed, Taff," cried d.i.c.k, "and let's go down and collect some sea-anemones before breakfast."

"I don't want to dress," said Arthur. "I'm always wrong. I'm a miserable wretch, and n.o.body understands me. I sha'n't go to the seal-cave to-day."

"Yes, you will," cried d.i.c.k, who was very sympathetic but very busy, for he had suddenly awakened to the fact that he had put too much pomatum on his hair. The result was that it looked shiny and greasy, and there was nothing for it but to give it a good rub over with the sponge and then towel it, which he was doing by holding the cloth over his head, and sawing it vigorously to and fro.

"No, I shall not go," said Arthur despondently. "I shall stop at home."

"So shall I then," said d.i.c.k panting, and out of breath from his exertions. "It's all right, Taff, I tell you. Get dressed. You'll feel as different as can be when you've had your breakfast. That's what's the matter with you. It makes you feel cross sometimes when you are so precious hungry."

Arthur sat unmoved, making no effort to dress, and d.i.c.k, who was nearly complete, wanting only his jacket, turned to him once more.

"Come on, Taff," he cried. "Get dressed, and let's find some anemones, and put in a tub of salt-water. We can feed 'em on shrimps."

"I wish we were back in london," said Arthur bitterly.

"What! to have the fellows shouting 'sweep!' and the girls beating the mats and knocking their brooms against the area railings as you're dressing. No, thank you. I like being here. Oh, I say, how lovely old Mr Marion's flowers smell! Here's a lugger! Hi, Will, what boat's that?"

"The _Grey Gull_, Thomson's boat," came up from the garden. "Been out all night for pilchards. I'll go down and get some for bait."