"Well, that I can do too, sir. Look, here are two small bed-rooms. We will retire into one, and in the other any honest man who wants shelter can have it--rest, if not comfort. If you also would like to stay, you will have to be contented with the little garret, as both the rooms will have women in them. There is new hay there, and sailors are not particular."
Timar puzzled his head as to the position of this woman, who chose her words so well and expressed herself so sensibly. He could not reconcile it with this hut, which was more like a cave, and with the residence on this lonely island in the midst of a wilderness. "Many thanks, good lady; I"ll hurry back and bring up my pa.s.sengers."
"All right; only don"t go back to your boat the same way you came. You can"t bring a lady through those marshes and briers. There"s a tolerable path all along the bank, rather overgrown with gra.s.s, it is true, for it is very little trodden, and turf grows quickly here; but you shall be conducted to where your boat lies; then when you come back in a larger one, you can land rather nearer. I will give you a guide now. Almira!"
Timar looked round, to see from what corner of the house or from what bush this Almira would appear who was to show him the way. But the great black Newfoundland rose and began to wag her tail, whose strokes made a noise on the door-post as if an old drum was touched.
"Off, Almira; take the gentleman to the sh.o.r.e," said the woman; on which the creature growled something to Timar in dog"s language, and taking the edge of his cloak in her teeth, pulled at it, as if to say, Come along.
"So this is Almira, who is to conduct me. I am much indebted to you, Miss Almira," Timar said smiling, and took his gun and hat; then saluted his hostess and followed the dog. Almira led the guest steadily in all friendship by the hem of his cloak. The way lay through the orchard, where one had to tread carefully so as not to crush the plums which covered the ground. The white cat, too, had not remained behind; she wanted to know where Almira was conducting the stranger, and leaped here and there in the soft gra.s.s.
When they arrived at the edge of the orchard, somewhere above was heard the call of a musical voice, "Narcissa!"
It was a girl"s voice, in which some reproach, but much love and maidenly shyness, were blended--a sympathetic voice. Timar looked round: he wanted to know, first, where it came from, and then to whom it belonged.
He soon discovered who was called, for at the sound the white cat sprung quickly to one side, and, curling her tail, climbed zigzag up a gnarled pear-tree, through whose thick foliage Timar saw something like a white dress glimmering. He had no time for further research, for Almira gave a few deep sounds which, in quadruped"s language, probably meant, "What business have you to spy about?" and so he was obliged to follow his leader, if he did not desire to leave a piece of his cloak in her teeth.
Almira led Timar by a soft turf path along the bank to the place where his boat was made fast. At this moment a couple of snipe rose with their shrill cry close to the island. Timar"s first thought was of the savory dish they would make for Timea"s supper. In an instant he had shouldered his gun, and with a well-aimed right and left brought down both snipe.
But the next moment he was himself on the ground. As soon as he had fired, Almira seized him by the collar, and like lightning pulled him down. He tried to rise, but soon felt that he had to do with an overpowering adversary who was not to be trifled with. Not that Almira had hurt him, but she held him by the collar, and would not allow of his getting up.
Timar tried every conceivable means to soften her, called her Miss Almira, his dear friend, and explained to her sport and its usages; where the devil had she heard of a dog that retrieves a sportsman? she should rather go after the snipe in the rushes: but he talked to deaf ears.
He was at last relieved from this dangerous situation by the woman of the island, who had run up at the report of the gun, and called Almira by name from afar, on which the dog let go her hold.
"Oh, my G.o.d!" she lamented, hastening over the stones to the point of danger. "I forgot to tell you not to shoot, because Almira was sure to attack you. She gets in a fury when a shot is fired. Well, I was stupid not to tell you."
"Never mind, good woman," said Timar, laughing. "Almira would really make a capital gamekeeper. But look, I have shot a couple of snipe; I thought they would be a help toward the supper that you will set before your guests."
"I will fetch them; get into your boat, and when you come back, just leave your gun at home, for, believe me, if the dog sees you with a gun on your arm, she will take it away from you. You can"t joke with her."
"So I find. A powerful, grand animal that! Before I had time to defend myself, I was on the ground: I can only thank Heaven that she did not bite my head off."
"Oh, she never bites any one; but if you defend yourself, she seizes your arm in her teeth, as if it were in irons, and then holds you fast till we come and call her off. _Auf Weidersehen!_"
In less than an hour the larger boat had landed its pa.s.sengers safely at the island. All the way from the vessel to the sh.o.r.e, Timar talked to Timea of Almira and Narcissa, to make the poor child forget her sickness and her fear of the water. As soon as she set foot on sh.o.r.e, her seasickness vanished.
Timar went on in front to show the way; Timea followed, leaning on Euthemio"s arm; and two sailors and the steersman carried behind them on a stretcher the equivalent of the barter in sacks. Almira"s bark was heard a long way off. These were the sounds of welcome by which the dog acknowledged the approach of good friends. Almira came half-way, barked at the whole party, then had a little talk to the sailors, the steersman, and Timar; then trotting to Timea, tried to kiss her hand.
But when the dog came to Euthemio, it was quiet, and began to sniff at him from the soles of his feet upward, never leaving his heels. It snuffed continually, and shook its head violently, rattling its ears till they cracked. It had its own opinion on this subject.
The mistress of the island settlement awaited the strangers at the door, and as soon as they appeared between the trees, called in a loud voice, "Noemi!"
At this summons some one appeared from inside the garden. Between two tall thick raspberry hedges, which, like green walls, almost closed in an arch at the top, came a young girl. Face and form those of a child just beginning to develop, dressed in a white chemise and petticoat, and carrying in her upturned overskirt fruit freshly plucked.
The figure coming out of the green grove is idyllic. The delicate tints of her face seem to have been borrowed from the complexion of the white rose when she is grave, and take that of the red rose when she blushes, and that up to the brow. The expression of the clear-arched brow is personified sweet temper, in complete accord with the innocent look of the expressive blue eyes; on the tender lips lies a mixture of devoted regard and modest shyness. The rich and luxuriant golden-brown hair seems to be curled by nature"s hand; a lock thrust back gives a view of an exquisite little ear. Over the whole face gentle softness is spread.
It is possible that a sculptor might not take each feature as a model, and perhaps if the face were hewn in marble one might not think it beautiful; but the head and the whole figure, just as they are, shine with a loveliness which charms at the first glance, and inthralls more every moment.
From one shoulder the chemise has dropped, but, that it may not remain uncovered, there sits a white cat, rubbing her head against the girl"s cheek. The delicate feet of the maiden are naked--why should she not go barefoot? She walks on a carpet of richest velvet. The spring turf is interspersed with blue veronica and red geranium.
Euthemio, his daughter, and Timar, stopped at the entrance of the raspberry arcade to await the approaching figure.
The child knew of no more friendly reception to give the guests than to offer them the fruit she had in her lap. They were beautiful red-streaked Bergamot pears. She turned first to Timar. He chose the best, and gave it to Timea.
Both girls shrugged their shoulders impatiently. Timea because she envied the other one the white cat on her shoulder, but Noemi because Timar had given the fruit to Timea.
"Oh, you rude thing!" cried the mistress to her from the cottage; "could you not put the fruit in a basket, instead of offering it in your ap.r.o.n?
Is that the proper way?"
The little thing grew red as fire, and ran to her mother; the latter whispered a few words into her ear, so that the others might not overhear, then kissed the child on the forehead, and said aloud, "Now go and take from the sailors what they have brought, carry it into the store-room, and fill the sacks with corn-flour, the pots with honey, and the baskets with ripe fruit: of the kids, you can choose two for them."
"I can"t choose any," whispered the girl; "they must do it themselves."
"Foolish child!" said the woman with a kind reproof; "if it were left to you, you would keep all the kids and never let one be killed. Very well, let them choose for themselves, then no one can complain. I will look after the cooking."
Noemi called the sailors, and opened the food and fruit stores, which were each in a different cave and shut off by a door. The rock which formed the summit of the island was one of those wandering blocks, called "erratic" by geologists--an isolated bowlder, a monolith, which must once have been detached from a distant mountain, some limestone formation from the Dolomites, out of a moraine. It was full of large and small caves, which the first person who took possession of it had adapted to his own purposes: the largest with the natural chimney for the kitchen, the highest, as a dove-cote, the others for summer and winter storehouses. He had settled on the heaven-sent rock, and, like the wild birds, built his nest there.
The child managed the barter with the crew well and honestly. Then she gave each his gla.s.s of elder-wine to wet the bargain, begged for their custom when they pa.s.sed again, and went back to the kitchen.
Here she did not wait to be told to lay the table. She spread a fine rush mat on the small table in the veranda, and placed on it four plates, with knives and forks and pewter spoons. And the fifth person?
She will sit at the cat"s table. Near the steps to the veranda stands a small wooden bench; in the center is placed an earthenware plate with a miniature knife and fork and spoon, and at each end a wooden platter, one for Almira, the other for Narcissa. They require no _couvert_. When the three guests and the mistress of the house have sat down and helped themselves from the dish, it goes to the cat"s table, where Noemi serves her friends. She conducts the division with great fairness--the soft pieces to Narcissa, the bones to Almira--and helps herself last. They must not touch their food till she has cooled it for them, however much Almira may c.o.c.k her ears, and the cat snuggle up to her mistress"s shoulder. They must obey the girl.
The island woman wished, according to the good or bad Hungarian custom, to show off before her guests, and especially to prove to Timar that her larder was independent of his game. She had cooked the two snipe with oatmeal, but whispered to Timar that that was only food for ladies; for the gentlemen she had some good fried pork. Timar attacked it bravely, but Euthemio touched none of it, saying he had no appet.i.te, and Timea rose suddenly from the table. But that was natural: she had already cast many inquisitive glances toward the party at the other table; there was nothing remarkable in her rising suddenly and going over to sit by Noemi. Young girls soon make friends. Timea did not know Hungarian, nor Noemi Greek; but between them was Narcissa, to whom both languages were the same.
The white cat seemed to understand perfectly when Timea said "Horaion galion" to it, and stroked its back with a soft white hand: then it crept from Noemi"s lap to Timea"s, raised its head to her face and gently rubbed its white head against her white cheeks, opened its red mouth, showed its sharp teeth, and blinked at her with cunning eyes; then sprung on her shoulder, crawled round her neck, and clambered to Noemi and back again.
Noemi was pleased that the strange young lady liked her favorite so much, but bitterness mingled with her pleasure when she saw how much the stranger had fallen in love with the cat, kept and kissed it; and still more painful was it to realize how easily Narcissa became untrue to her, how willingly it accepted and replied to the caresses of its new friend, and took no notice when Noemi called it by name to come back to her.
"Horaion galion" (pretty p.u.s.s.y) pleased it better. Noemi grew angry with Narcissa, and seized her by the tail to draw her back. Narcissa took offense, turned her claws on her mistress, and scratched her hand.
Timea wore on her wrist a blue enameled bracelet in the form of a serpent. When Narcissa scratched her mistress, Timea drew off the elastic bracelet, and wanted to put it on Noemi"s arm, obviously with the intention of comforting her in her pain; but Noemi misunderstood, and thought the stranger wanted to buy Narcissa with it. But she was not for sale.
"I don"t want the bracelet! I won"t sell Narcissa! Keep the bracelet!
Narcissa is mine. Come here, Narcissa!" and as Narcissa would not come, Noemi gave her a little box on the ear, on which the frightened animal made a jump over the bench, puffing and spitting, climbed up a nut-tree, and looked angrily down from thence.
As Timea and Noemi at this moment looked into each other"s eyes, each read there a dreamy presentiment. They felt like a person who shuts his eyes for a moment, and in that short time dreams whole years away; yet, when he awakes, has forgotten it all, and only remembers that the dream was very long. The two girls felt in that meeting of looks that they would some day mutually encroach on each other"s rights, that they would have something in common--a grief or a joy--and that, perhaps, like a forgotten dream, they would only know that each owed this grief or joy to the other.
Timea sprung up from beside Noemi and gave the bracelet to the housewife: then she sat down by Euthemio and leaned her head on his shoulder.
Timar interpreted the gift. "The young lady gives it to the little girl as a remembrance--it is gold."
As soon as he said that it was of gold, the woman threw it, frightened, from her hand, as if it were a real snake. She looked anxiously at Noemi, and was not even able to articulate "Thank you."
Then Almira suddenly drew attention to herself. The dog had sprung quickly from its bed, had uttered a low howl with its head up, and now began to bark with deafening noise. In the sound lay something of the lion"s roar; it was a vehement, defiant tone, as if calling to the attack, and the dog did not run forward, but remained by the porch, planted its paws on the ground, and then threw up the earth with its hind feet.
The woman turned pale. A figure appeared between the trees on the footpath.
"The dog only barks in that way at one man," she murmured. "There he comes. It is he!"