Nan Sherwood's Summer Holidays Part 28

"I was there playing on the bagpipe," he continued, "as I always do, when she came in through the door. I swear that that's the truth. She sat and talked to me for a long time. She's a sweet little la.s.sie. Then I excused myself and went out for something, telling her that I would be right back. But I locked the door behind me. I was going to keep her there until it was too late for you to find her, but I had forgotten something--" he paused as though he couldn't remember what it was.

"Your bagpipe," James Blake supplied.

"Yes, that was it. It was my bagpipe," he went on looking at his brother throughout his confession. "When I opened the door again, she wasn't there! How she got away I don't know."

"Well, I do!" James Blake's exclamation fell like a thunderbolt on the rapt listeners. "I know where she is," he repeated, "And I'll have her here in a minute now!"

"Have who?" Everyone look around startled. It was Nan's voice!

James Blake went over to her side. "Then you found it, la.s.s! You found it!" His voice rang out through the Hall. "I might have known you would find it!" In his joy, he forgot completely that the a.s.sembled crowd didn't know what he was talking about.

"Found what?" Dr. Prescott asked the question everyone had on his tongue.

"The pa.s.sage, the secret pa.s.sage from the old gatehouse to the castle here," he answered. "Only a few know of its existence. Evidently my brother here has forgotten. How did you find it, la.s.s?"

"I scarcely know," Nan admitted. "When I found myself locked up, I tried all sorts of ways of getting out without any success at all. I was standing on a chair and trying to climb to that window high above--"

"But that's impossible, la.s.s," James Blake interrupted.

"I know," Nan agreed, "but I was so anxious to get out of there that nothing seemed impossible. Climbing up as I did, I felt closer to the outside anyway. I thought, too, that there was a slight chance of my getting hold of those rough stones that the walls are made of in such a way that I could climb up to the window.

"I couldn't, of course, but in trying, my foot slipped into a nick of some kind in the wall. I pressed down hard on it, hoping to boost myself up. I couldn't. I slipped. I fell. When I picked myself up, I saw that a sliding panel on the opposite wall had moved to one side leaving a great opening.

"I went through. It closed then. I walked on through the dark, and after what seemed ages, I came to the end. I groped around, knowing that there had to be something to make another panel move. Finally, I found it."

"That you did, la.s.s," James Blake was beaming on her now, "and there's not another in England or Scotland or America either that would have found the same. I am proud of you, so proud of you that I'd like to have you stay here always. But that's not to be. Already there are things afoot that require your presence and the presence of your friends in London."

"In London! I know, but we're not leaving here yet, are we?" Nan's voice was almost pleading. "Not when we've just come."

"Yes, la.s.s, that you are." James Blake was regretful, too. "But you'll be coming back."

"But why, why must we leave so soon?" Nan had learned just enough in her morning adventures about the grounds to make her want to explore every inch of the old castle. She had even considered, on her walk down the road and through the fields to the fateful gatehouse, the possibility of staying in Emberon through the coronation.

She had toyed with the idea of giving up the great London celebration so that she could live in the castle for a while. She had dismissed the thought, of course. Mr. and Mrs. Mason and Walter were to be in London.

She was to meet the friends she had made on the boat there, and the London celebration at the crowning of the new King and Queen would be, she knew, grander than anything she had ever seen.

She wanted to go on to London and she wanted to stay here in Emberon, too! These things all rushed through her mind as she stood in the great old Hall talking to James Blake.

"Yes, la.s.s," he repeated, "you've got to go. There's something waiting there for you that's far greater than anything that's ever happened to you before.

"You, in America, I don't know what you play when you are wee tots, but the children here are kings and queens when they play. A wooden box is their throne. With a lace curtain as a train for the queen then, and gold paper for a crown, they have all the trappings of royalty. All take part. Some are aids to the king. Others, to the queen.

"They live and breathe this from the time they first begin to notice things around them. So when the old king dies and the new king and queen come to live at Buckingham Palace and go to Westminster Cathedral to have the state crowns, gold with all sorts of precious jewels in them, put on their heads and the state swords put in their hands, then all the wee tots pretend they are ladies-in-waiting to the queen or gentlemen attendants of the king.

"When they see the grand pictures every place of the crowning at Westminster, they imagine themselves giving a sword to the king or helping to arrange the train of the queen. Aye, in imagination they are all there in that beautiful Cathedral helping with the service.

"But actually, only a few are so honored in real life. The privilege to a.s.sist at the crowning of the English king is pa.s.sed down by great families from generation to generation." He paused here to let the young la.s.sies get the full importance of his words.

Nan looked from him to her friends. What was this all about? What did it have to do with her going to London? Dr. Prescott seemed to know! She was smiling down at Nan. The other girls, did they know, too? They seemed to understand. Their faces were radiant as the old Scotsman spoke, for the truth is, they were understanding for the first time what James Blake had meant an hour before. He had said something then about the privilege of taking part in the coronation going across the water.

Could he have meant--

Now they all looked up at him as he concluded. "Nancy dear," he said, "as you know, the old Blake line has died out. Those who would have carried out the ancient privilege of a.s.sisting at the present crowning in London are dead. However, under terms of the will of the late Hugh Blake, you" he spoke low and slowly now, but very distinctly, "are chosen to act as a lady-in-waiting to the queen, G.o.d bless her soul!

That is why you must be off to London now."

CHAPTER XXIX

LONDON ON HOLIDAY

"But I don't want to do it!" Nan was up in her room in the old castle, packing, when she made this astonishing remark.

"Why, Nancy Sherwood, how you talk!" Bess just wouldn't believe that anyone could be so foolish as to mean what her closest friend had just said. "You don't want to be in Westminster Cathedral with all those lords and ladies, amba.s.sadors and ministers, kings and queens, when they crown the English king and queen? Why, Nan, you don't mean that at all.

You know you don't."

"I do too mean it." Nan's chin was firm and her voice very positive as she spoke. "I want to be with all of you, just as we had planned, when we are in London."

"Don't be silly!" Bess paused in her packing to look at her friend.

"You'll have a better time than any of us can ever hope to have. If I didn't like you so much, I'd just be green with envy. Think of it!

You'll see the whole royal family and talk to them.

"You'll have a long white court dress like those we have been seeing in the papers. You'll be driven up to Westminster in a carriage behind the royal coach and you'll go in there and see everything that we can only read about. And if you don't remember every single detail of what happens, I'll never speak to you again!

"You'll see all the court dresses, the ermine capes, the little coronets of the peeresses, and the grand coronation robes of the king and queen.

You'll see the little prince and princess, the d.u.c.h.ess and her handsome husband, and that new Amba.s.sador from the United States that everyone is talking about.

"You'll see them all and talk to them. Why, it's all something to dream about and here it's happened to you! Oh, Nan, I'm so excited I could cry."

"There, there, Bess," Laura came into the room, "if you cry all over that taffeta dress you are packing, you'll die of grief and never see Nan in all her glory.

"Nan," she turned to her friend, "you run along downstairs. They want you. I'll finish your packing and don't you dare let anyone at all hear you say what I heard you say to Bess about not wanting to be a lady-in-waiting to the queen! Forsooth! They hang people for less or else they throw them into musty old dungeons and let them die. It would be a shame to have you pining away in a prison, while we were sitting in the pleasant May sunshine watching golden coaches full of fair ladies drive by."

"Oh, I'll be good from now on," Nan promised as she disappeared down the stairs.

There, everything was in a turmoil, and Nan was the center of it all. It was, "Nan, darling, here's a cable from your mother," "La.s.s, a telegram from Edinburgh," and "Miss Nan, a phone call from London," and a thousand and one other exciting things until Nan didn't know which way to turn next.

Then she was whisked off with her friends to a train. They had a private coach this time, one provided by the village of Emberon from the funds collected at the celebration on the night of Nan's arrival. The whole town turned out to see them off. There was music and laughter and good wishes all round and a promise exacted from Nan to come back again.

James Blake was the last to bid her good-by. He pushed her through the crowd that swarmed about her on the station steps, took her into her coach, and seated her.

"Now, la.s.s," he said, "forget the unpleasant things that have happened and remember that Emberon is your home, too."

Nan nodded her head, and swallowed the lump that was in her throat. She couldn't speak. The excitement in leaving the castle and listening now to all the nice things that were being said was almost too much.

The old man understood her feelings, so without waiting for her to answer, he went on. "When you are down there in London, don't forget that the Blakes are a proud lot and that on this occasion, you are their representative. If you find that I can help you further, call me by phone. I'd give the world to be there," he added longingly, "but other matters that you know about keep me here. My brother must be taken care of now.

"So, la.s.s," he ended, "do your best and make us all proud of you." With this, he kissed her lightly on the cheek and left her. The last thing that she saw clearly on the station steps, as the great engine gathered speed, was old James Blake waving goodby with a big white handkerchief.