Yr Ynys Unyg Part 7

_Felix._--"They will never catch me doing anything so silly. I like Mama better than twenty thousand mermaids, and so I won't be ticed, Lilly."

_Lilly._--"Enticed, my dear boy, you mean, and that signifies that you cannot help yourself. They will carry you down into the sea, full of great polypuses, with a hundred blood red arms."

_Oscar._--"Lilly, you are talking great stuff, no mermaids shall ever catch Felix or me, I shall shoot them first. And besides I won't believe there are any mermaids."

_Gatty._--"And also besides, if they did come up from the sea, and look at Otty and Felix, I don't think they would steal them away from us, without a great battle on our parts."

"But," said Lilly, who always stuck pertinaciously to her text, "I have read it in a book, that they comb their long, sea-green hair, and sing all the time so beautifully, that men jump into the sea after them."

_Felix._--"Well! I shall not do that, for green hair must be very ugly."

_Oscar._--"And you need not bother about it any more, Lilly, for I hate singing."

_Felix._--"And we must take care of ourselves, because we are the only two men you have got to take care of you all."

_Sybil._--"Ah! indeed that is very true, you must be very careful, because what should we do without our protectors."

_Felix._--"Yes, but, Aunt Sib, don't you think it is very wrong of Lilly to frighten us. Pray tell us, do mermaids really steal men away?"

_Schillie._--"What is all this nonsense about mermaids, eh? Felix." She was told; then added, "Don't alarm yourselves, if an army of mermaids were to come, they would not take either of you for men; so comfort yourself, my boys, with that notion."

As most of the party agreed with her the subject dropped. After dinner we all took a siesta for two or three hours, a necessary rest during the heat of the day. Afterwards the same scene occurred as before dinner the "green parasol" meandered up and down, the little ones ran about, being now a.s.sisted by the boys, the elder ones hung about us two until tea-time, when all had some employment again. Afterwards we chatted and worked until the sun went down. This sometimes occurred so suddenly that we had to run like lapwings, from the great chestnut down to the tents, in order to scramble into bed before it was quite dark. So pa.s.sed the first few days, I purposely proposing neither work nor any employment that the girls might be thoroughly sickened of idleness. Each day, however, the "green parasol" became more elevated, the measured tread more majestic. Madame was getting seriously angry, having no idea that their love of idleness would last so long. Even to me monosyllables only were vouchsafed, and matters a.s.sumed a lowering aspect. Schillie's temper had been gone two days, and she was at open war with the three girls, extremely cross with me that I did not order them away, though too proud to acknowledge it. Sybil had taken refuge in books, and was always so deeply immersed in her stories and novels, that she could think of nothing else. Her wits were anywhere but where they ought to have been, and she was of no use to any one. Serena was making a child of herself, with the little ones, which pleased them very much, and gave her some employment for her useless activity. As for Gatty, having nothing else to do, she was in every boy's way. When every handkerchief she had was full of holes, she proceeded to destroy other people's private property. The "green parasol" having been inadvertently left alone for a short time, was used as a mark to throw stones at, and, ere its owner appeared to rescue it, had several great holes in it. An offer to a.s.sist the boys in their fishing tackle caused inextricable confusion amongst their work. The necessity of making some use of such restless activity occasioned Jenny to be gratuitously a.s.sisted in cooking the dinner, which ended in there being nothing eatable that day. Cross with Serena because she would make a baby of herself with the little ones, angry with Sybil because she was buried in silly stories, irate with the little Mother because she had called her a great plague, afraid of the big Mother because she looked so gravely at her, not on speaking terms with any of the little ones for various misdemeanours, the poor Gatty wandered up and down on a particular evening (the fourth day) like a perturbed young elephant shut up in a cage. She wanted something to do, and she glanced around each party to see which she might venture to join. The "green parasol" was to be avoided at all rates, the two Mothers had forbidden her approach for an hour. Jenny had declined a kitchen maid's help with a stammering apology that clearly told why. She was too proud to join those who had called her cross. Sybil sat alone; her feet almost in the stream, her head buried in her book, so absorbed that she saw and heard nothing. Gatty approached her from above, and, being obliged to do something, saw at one glance a most beautiful opportunity of startling Sybil out of her studies, and became quite exhilarated with the work. With a little trouble she moved some stones, made a channel in the sand, and in a few minutes a rippling stream ran down it, gathering force as it went, and, stopping for neither stick nor stone, dashed upon Sybil, as if animated with Gatty's own spirit of mischief. Up she jumped, her cry of surprise being in chorus with Gatty's shriek of delight. Thoroughly roused, her usual meek spirit gave way, she threw down her book, sprang towards the aggressor, her fair face blushed with anger, her dark eyes flashing indignantly. So nimble was she, that she was almost upon the delighted culprit ere she restrained her laughter. In endeavouring to avoid the injured one her foot slipped, over she rolled just as Sybil reached her, and down they both went into the brook, rolling over and over several times.

Having watched the whole business from our resting place, we were down at the spot, ere they had recovered themselves, and risen from the water.

The conch-sh.e.l.l sounded for tea, at the same moment, and in a high state of excitement, every body talking their loudest we all adjourned. Then every body opened their hearts. I confessed I had let them be so idle, in order to make them resume their lessons with pleasure and zest.

Schillie allowed she was very wrong to take them from their books, which were much better for them than idling about and bothering her. Madame had wondered at my permitting such disorderly doings, as had been going on from day to day, but would excuse it as I seemed to have a motive, and the young ladies were penitent. Sybil confessed she was tired of reading so much, and would much prefer doing something rational. Serena said she and the little ones had been privately learning something, just to employ themselves. Gatty alone still declared it was a great shame to do lessons in this hot climate, but she would not mind music and summing. Zoe and Winny joyfully agreed to learn anything, so that they might have something to do. Lilly made a stipulation about having time to pick up sh.e.l.ls, before she finally capitulated; and the boys having been very good up to this minute, neither troublesome or quarrelsome, but on the contrary very useful, turned round completely, became naughty and rude, declaring that lessons were humbug, French a bore, German a nuisance, and almost openly declaring a complete rebellion.

This mutiny of course was quelled, we retired to bed in harmony and good humour, and rose the next morning determined to do our best, to be industrious and useful. Madame was in high spirits. Schillie most benign. The boys happy in the privilege of not having to go to their studies until an hour after the girls, and to do part of them with the Mothers. The girls all in high spirits, so that when the conch-sh.e.l.l sounded twice as indicative that school time had commenced, great alacrity was shown on all sides, and good humour reigned supreme.

CHAPTER XV.

"Now then," said I to the little Mother, "what are you and I to do with ourselves."

_Schillie._--"Oh, I am perfectly comfortable, now that we are not to be plagued with those girls. Let us sit down here, and now you shall talk to me."

_Mother._--"I don't intend to do anything of the sort; I said, 'What shall we do?' merely to know if you had any private business on hand.

Because if you have not, I have."

_Schillie._--"I have nothing in the world to do, and I have not the least inclination to exert myself, and I won't allow you to do anything either, in spite of your private business."

_Mother._--"Nevertheless, whether you help me or not, I am going to build a little hut."

_Schillie._--"Good lack! if you are not mad to think of such a thing! I am gasping with heat, and really melt away so fast, on the slightest exertion, and have such indifferent dinners to make amends, that if the captain does not arrive precisely to his date, my skin will be a bag containing nothing but rattling bones."

_Mother._--"Don't distress yourself, you look very jolly yet, and if those cannibals come, of whom Madame is so afraid, you will be the first delicate morsel chosen, I am certain. But about this hut."

_Schillie._--"Don't, June, you will kill me outright if you mention such hard work again. Let us go and botanize a bit. Did you ever see such a fellow as this! He must be a plantain I think."

_Mother._--"Yes! these are the broad leaves that will roof our hut!"

_Schillie._--"You will drive me mad with your hut, who wants a hut? and what is the good of putting ourselves into a fever, spoiling our hands, and such like, merely for your whims. Let us go round that point, and see if any turtle land on this island. I am sure it will be a blessing to have something decent to eat."

_Mother._--"I shall be delighted to go, but I think we shall dirty our hands much more slaughtering a great turtle than building a nice little hut."

_Schillie._--"Now, Mrs. June, if you bother me any more about that hut, I won't stir one finger to help you."

_Mother._--"Oh, so you will help me, well! that's all I want, so sit down here while I tell you all about my hut."

She made some ineffectual efforts to escape, was very indignant, stormed, and spluttered, and wound up by saying, "Well! now, my Mistress, what do you wish me to do?" which was exactly the state into which I had intended to bully her. "You know how hot we are in the tent every night," said I. "Good me! and those horrid girls snoring and talking, one worse than another, to say nothing of someone who shall be nameless snoring like ten pigs." "That snorer is not me, I flatter myself, so make no more remarks, but listen, you see I have brought you to a very pretty little spot on the cliffs, and here are six or seven nice little trees, that look so pliant and slender we can bend them into any shape, but you are not listening."

_Schillie._--"I wonder what trees these are. They all seem to proceed from the same ma.s.s of roots, and yet they are nearly in the form of a square; leaves, shiny, dark, green, pinnated, I cannot make them out."

_Mother._--"What does it matter to us about their names and property, if they will do for us to make our hut."

_Schillie._--"And how can you imagine that I can make a hut or live in it, until I have found out the name of these trees."

So we were nearly coming to a rupture again, but waiting patiently until she had exhausted every idea on the subject we set to work once more.

"You see these trees are in the form of a square already, and will just mark out the size of our hut."

"Yes very well for me, but if our hut has a window you will have to lay with your head out of it, or if a door with your feet ditto."

_Mother._--"Come don't be rude about my length of limb. The square is quite seven feet this way, and we may make it double that the other way by cutting down this one tree."

_Schillie._--"I wish I knew what those two trees are."

_Mother._--"Then we can twist these pliant sort of reeds in and out."

_Schillie._--"Reeds, June! those are not reeds, I wonder what these are?

They must be all of the same family, only these are young ones.

Something of the willow sort, I imagine."

_Mother._--"Well! we can twist them in and out between the stems."

_Schillie._--"Or perhaps they are a species of gigantic rush, but that we shall know by the flower."

_Mother._--"Twist them in and out like basket work."

_Schillie._--"I wish you would cease with your twistings in and out, and help me to guess what these things are."

_Mother._--"My dear, I have guessed long ago, and think I am quite right too in my guess."

_Schillie._--"And why are you so unkind as not to tell me? you know how anxious I am."

_Mother._--"I am quite surprised that you did not see at once, they are only gigantic 'fighting c.o.c.ks,' as we used to call plantain in our youth."