Yr Ynys Unyg Part 5

"I hope this will find you, as it leaves me, in good health, but very low in my spirits. I hope you will be good honourable young gentlemen, and obey that good lady, your Mama; and also I hope you will learn your lessons, as a sight of learning is a good thing, tho' I don't rightly know who speaks them lingos as Madame talks. But, chiefly, my dear young gents, I write to say, I am very low in my spirits, and I shall have no peace until I see my dear young masters again. I have been very melancholy ever since that big worm swallowed my two dogs, and I now feel it more, as I should not have left you so uneasy in mind had they been left with you. They were rale good dogs, and would mind you, master Oscar, most as well as me. I am satisfied of one thing, that there is no beere in the hisland, and you won't be eat up, and certainly there never can be another such viper as that there, as took two dogs, swallowing Daisy. But I write, young gents, to beg you to be careful, and to mind them sharks; I have heard they swallow all things, and are particular fond of bright b.u.t.tons, and jackets like yours, young masters, and also I have heard they have nine rows of teeth, so there will be no escape, like Jonah in the whale's belly. Now I charge you to be careful, woe's me, that ever I be going to leave you. My heart is just broke, but do, master Oscar, be good to your little brother, and don't put on him. He has a high spirit, and it is no doubt cantankerous, but he must be honourably treated, and there's never a finer temper to be seed.

"Well, my hand is weary of this cramping, tho' I have a deal more to say. My respectful duty to the mistress and all the ladies, and my love to the little ladies and Jane. My compliments to Mrs. Hargrave. May good angels guard my dear young masters.

"Your true sorrowful servant till death, "T. SMART."

Leaving the others still to pore over the letters and directions, I wandered away to a shady nook, to recover the shock, only now _did_ it weigh upon my mind, what a responsibility rested on my shoulders, and, for a time, I was quite overcome with the fears that took possession of my heart. How long I sat I know not, but a hand was laid on my arm, interrupting my reverie. "For what reasonable purpose are you moping here?" said Schillie. "I am very melancholy," I answered. "There is such a weight on my heart, I cannot think how I ever suffered the captain to leave." "And in the name of all that is ridiculous why did you not stop him when you could? Now that it has become impossible, like a spoilt child you are crying for them all back again."

"Don't speak so roughly, Schillie, I am sad enough without being upbraided by you."

"I don't want to upbraid you, but you were so bent on humouring the children it was no use talking common sense to you; otherwise I could have suggested plenty of notions better than leaving a pack of women and children alone on this wretched little island, dull as ditch water."

"Then pray mention one."

"Why what could be more easy, than for us all to wait together, until some vessel came by, and getting them to take us away or take a message?"

"You adjured me in the name of all that is ridiculous, pray may I ask in the name of all that's sensible why you did not mention this before?"

"Because I saw you so bent on your own plans, and because I don't particularly care what happens so long as I am with you, and lastly because it has only just come into my head."

"Well, then, don't scold me any more, but comfort, me, Schillie." "With all my heart, should anything happen to us, it will be a great comfort to think that the captain will come and take away our bones to England, and give them decent burial."

"How cruel you are, Schillie."

"But I am quite in the dark as to what you expect will happen; you are crying your eyes out for some misfortune, but, unless you tell me what you fear, how can I comfort you?"

"I fear so many things; here we are all alone, without a single efficient person amongst us." "Pray speak for yourself."

"Well! then, only you with a spark of courage amongst us; and we don't know what may be here."

"Now, that's nonsense, you know that there is scarcely a fly on the island that will do you harm."

"Well, then, those sharks!"

"And, who is going to walk into the mouth of a shark, I should be glad to know?"

"n.o.body, certainly, but supposing a ship should come?"

"Then, we should have company, and a mighty good thing too. I think the society of women and children very mawkish for a continuance."

"But, then, supposing they should not be friends."

"Then that will be their own faults, we are not likely to quarrel with them."

"Stupid you are, Schillie! Don't you understand that they may take advantage of such a helpless party, and, if they are slavers may seize us, and sell us for slaves, and, if they are marauders or pirates they may murder or marry us!!!"

"Well! of those two latter fates one is as bad the other. But, I will comfort you by saying, n.o.body will want to marry you with that red nose.

Really if you go on fretting in this manner, you'll wear yourself into an old hag. I see grey hairs and wrinkles springing up like mushrooms."

"Now, I'll return good for evil, and tell you that I never saw you looking so well; your eyes are quite dazzling, and, as for your figure, it has become slim and handsome."

"You may amuse yourself as you like about my dumpy figure, so long as you smile and are merry; but, come, wash your face in the brook, and let us join the rest. If the girls were to see you with that face they would screech beyond stopping; and, as for Madame, she would go into such a fit we should never be able to bring her round."

So I washed my face, but, in the middle of the business, said Schillie, "You never told me what we should do if pirates and slaves come?"

"Do! Why, of course we would do the best we could. Wait till they come, and then see if we don't do something. For my part I am not going to be sold for a slave, and, as for a pirate's wife, there will be two words about that matter. I don't intend to darn any one's stockings, and I hate ordering dinner, both of which events occur, I suppose, in the establishments of pirates, as well as more homely folk. Come, don't be absurd, we have only six weeks to stay here, and we'll enjoy ourselves as much as we can."

"Very well, I won't bother you any more, but we will join the others, and settle what everybody is to do to pa.s.s away the time."

"Pooh! pooh! the time will pa.s.s quick enough. Why need ye fuss? But, if we have regular habits so much the better for the girls."

"Nonsense, let the poor girls lead the life of larks for a change, they will never have such another opportunity. You and I will always be together, and you shall talk to me, and Madame may ruralize on that green terrace with her book and big parasol; depend upon it we shall be happy."

"Now, it is my turn to say pooh! pooh! Don't you know that even the larks have to work to get them food?"

"Oh certainly, that I allow. I have no objection to help myself. I can cook a beefsteak and make lobster salad against any one."

"First catch your beefsteak and lobster, saith Mrs. Gla.s.s. But here are Madame and the girls."

"We are quite lost without our Mothers," said the girls as they sprang towards us. "Here's Madame, wanting us to do lessons," said Gatty, sending her great thumb right through her handkerchief. "I never heard of gipsies saying lessons and we are now no better than gipsies," said Serena.

"Or people at a pic-nic," said Sybil. "Madame, the next six weeks must be one great pic-nic; do consent, now do; we will sketch if you like, and sing songs, and eat and drink for ever."

"Saucy girls," said Madame, smiling most kindly on them, "but I am sure your Mama would not allow such thorough waste of time," a.s.suming a slight austerity of manner.

"Oh yes she will, Madame," said Schillie, "so betake yourselves off girls, wherever you choose, provided you don't come and bother us."

"Leave them alone, Madame," said I, in answer to her beseeching looks at me, "let them have their own way for a day or two, and you will find them come to you and beg for a dose of the multiplication table."

"Now, that's very comfortable, girls, you have leave to go to the moon if you choose, and, Madame, I'll go for your parasol and book, and you can amuse yourself on that sunny bank, watching us all," said Schillie.

But Madame was much more easily disposed of than the girls, in spite of Schillie's broad hints, and, at last, open remonstrances, that they would go about their own business, not one would stir.

"What's the use of a holiday, unless we may spend it with our Mothers?"

said Sybil.

"That's all that we want a holiday for," said Serena, "that we may be with you all day."

"Yes," said Gatty, "this is most jolly, and now you may have one side of the big Mother, and Sybil shall have the other; Serena shall sit behind her, and I'll sit here," throwing herself down at our feet with such force that we both sprang up with pain.

"How do you like this lark's life?" said I, laughing.

"Good lack, girls, do you mean to say that you are going to be such geese, as to sit here all day? Have you no curiosity to examine those caves, no wish to discover figs and plums, no ambition to get on the top of that rock?"

"No," said Sybil, "our curiosity is at a low ebb, our wishes are quite fulfilled at being seated here, and we have no ambition but to remain."

"Indeed, Miss Sybil, your tongue runs very glibly, but if you think I am going to stand the bore of the company of you girls all day you are mistaken, and, good lack, look at my handkerchief, with a hole in it a dog could get through."

"Indeed, I beg your pardon, little Mother," said Gatty, reddening all over, "I thought it was mine."