The Spanish Chest Part 31

"I will," said Fran. "Thanks for the tip."

"I wanted to get weighed," said Roger, "because I know I am becoming a shadow studying so hard. I asked Miss Estelle where to go and told her I didn't think the nickel-in-the-slot machines were very accurate--Well, what's wrong with that?"

Roger stopped for both Win and Frances were laughing at him.

"Here you are knocking English customs," said Win at last. "As though Miss Estelle knew what a nickel was, let alone a slot machine, although I have seen some of them."

"I don't see anything so funny," said Roger huffily. "Perhaps she didn't know, but she was polite enough not to laugh and said the place to get weighed was the hair-dresser's--"

"Oh, come off," said Win. "That's too much, even for us."

"Well, it is where we went and where the scales were," retorted Roger, "but there weren't any pounds to it, only what they call stones. I weigh exactly seven stone and I won't tell you how many pounds that is."

"Ninety-eight," said Win so promptly that Roger looked disconcerted.

"How did you know?" he demanded.

"From a book," replied his brother. "A little article that you don't yet value as highly as you might. What next?"

"Oh, that was about all," said Roger, "except that Miss Estelle told me I might choose some crackers, I mean biscuit, and to buy half a kilo. I forgot and asked for half a litre and the clerk grinned very disagreeably."

"Liquid measure instead of dry," commented Win in amus.e.m.e.nt.

"After luncheon, Roger, permit me to introduce you to some parts of your arithmetic that you have evidently never examined. But go on."

"Then I stopped to look in a window and hurried to catch Miss Estelle and ran into a big fat man who was wearing stiff leather gaiters and a tam o' shanter. We came together rather hard,"

admitted Roger. "I didn't hurt myself much because he was quite soft, but his tam fell off and he said, 'Bless my soul, by George!"

"Roger, I can't stand any more," implored Frances.

"I don't follow the logic of that hair-dresser and the scales,"

mused Win, when he had stopped laughing. "Is it before and after a hair-cut or to see how much flesh the barber gouges out in a shave?"

"Give it up," said Fran. "There's the gong for luncheon and Edith bringing the mail. I hope there's a letter from mother."

"There is," said Edith.

"Please excuse me, Miss Estelle, if I read it now," begged Frances, settling into her seat at the table.

"Of course, dear," was the reply as Estelle took Mrs. Thayne's usual place, for she and Edith were having their meals with the young people.

"Now, Roger, pause," exclaimed Win, suddenly. "What are you going to do with that?" he added, as the attention of all was concentrated on the surprised Roger who sat with arrested hand suspending above his plate a spoon heaped with sugar.

"Whatever is he doing?" protested Estelle gently. "Such a mixture!

How can he eat sugar on his eggs?"

"Thought it was pancakes," explained Roger, indicating the omelet before him, but relinquishing the sugar.

"Mother's coming on Wednesday," Frances announced happily. "And she's met a friend in London, Mrs. Aldrich, who's coming with her for a few days. Isn't that splendid, boys? You'll like her, Miss Estelle. She's sweet."

"I shall be glad to see any friend of your mother's," said Estelle cordially. Looking to see whether Roger was sufficiently supplied with b.u.t.ter, she did not notice the smile with which Win glanced at her.

CHAPTER XXI

THE TWO CHAINS

"Estelle, will you do me a favor?" asked Mrs. Thayne, following her young landlady into the hall. The travelers from London had just arrived and in the drawing-room, Mrs. Aldrich was expatiating to the boys upon the roughness of the trip.

"Why, of course I will! You don't need to ask," replied Estelle affectionately.

"You and Edith have been taking your meals with the children during my absence. Please keep on doing it. Let us all be one family for the rest of our stay."

"It is lovely of you to want us, Mrs. Thayne," said Estelle, her face flushing. "We stopped with the children because I thought it would be better and then I could personally see that they had all they wanted. But now that you have a guest--"

"I want you and Mrs. Aldrich to know each other," said Mrs. Thayne quickly. "And this will be one of the easiest ways to get acquainted."

"I think Mrs. Aldrich is charming," remarked Estelle. "Isn't it odd, how sometimes a likeness in a total stranger strikes one? For a second, just as you introduced us, she reminded me so much of my dear mother that I could hardly pull myself together to speak. She must have thought me quite awkward."

"I know she didn't," said Mrs. Thayne, with difficulty keeping her face under control. She had seen Estelle start and noticed her amazed expression when Mrs. Aldrich greeted her. So Estelle had not been conscious of Mrs. Aldrich's constrained manner! "Then you will have luncheon with us?" she added.

"I will since you wish it," replied Estelle, vanishing to give directions to Nurse.

"Now, what is there to do this morning?" Mrs. Aldrich was asking the boys. "I propose to stay in this island exactly one week. Your mother was seasick so she ought to lie down and rest but I feel as fit as a fiddle. Frances is at school, you tell me. No, I don't want to drive this morning. Suppose you take me for a short walk, Roger and Win, and show me what is to be seen on the beach."

"We might take you to Noirmont Point," suggested Roger as they stopped at the end of the terrace to look at the view which was never twice the same. "What are those big vessels over beyond Castle Elizabeth?"

"They are English warships," replied Mrs. Aldrich. "Coming into the harbor we pa.s.sed close to them. The captain said it was a part of the Channel squadron, whatever that is."

"Oh, did you see their names?" demanded Roger eagerly, as he counted the great gray ships in the offing. "Fourteen, no, fifteen."

"Only a few. One was the _Princess Royal_ and I saw the _Thunderer_, the _Revenge_, the _Black Prince_ and the _Camperdown_."

Roger's eyes opened at this list of awe-inspiring names. "I wish we could get over to Elizabeth," he remarked. "We could see them better then."

"Tide's not right," said Win, casting a critical glance at the sea.

"What, to walk over to that island?" asked Mrs. Aldrich. "Is it ever possible?"

"We've been over," said Roger. "When the tide is 'way out, there is a raised causeway, quite smooth and easy."

"What is the place anyway?" asked Mrs. Aldrich, looking curiously across to the castle.

"Once it was an old abbey," Win explained, "dedicated to St.

Elericus, the patron saint of Jersey. I suppose the town was named for him."