"That I"m sure she will," interrupted Jacob; "and Ben and Sam and I will all work for her, and keep her from harm, just as much as if mother had had a little maid, that we will."
"Yes, yes, Jacob, I am sure of it," exclaimed the dame, smiling her approval as she glanced affectionately at her son.
So the matter was settled, and the little girl was to be henceforth looked on as the daughter of the house.
"Of course, dame, I must do what I can, though, to find out whether the little maid has any friends in this country," observed Adam, after keeping silence for some minutes, as if he had been considering over the subject; "she may or she may not, but when I come to think of the poor dark woman who was on board, and who I take to have been her nurse, she must have come from foreign parts. Still, as she speaks English, even if her fair hair and blue eyes did not show that, it is clear that she has English parents, and if they were not on board, and I am very sure they were not, she must have been coming to some person in England, who will doubtless be on the look-out for her. So you must not set your heart on keeping the little maiden, for as her friends are sure to be rich gentlefolks she would be better off with them than with us."
"As to that Adam, I have been thinking as you have; but then you see it"s not wealth that gives happiness, and if we bring her up and she knows no other sort of life, maybe she will be as happy with us as if she were to be a fine lady," answered the dame looking affectionately at the sleeping child.
"But right is right," observed Adam; "we would not let her go to be worse off than she would be with us, that"s certain; but we must do our duty by her, and leave the rest in G.o.d"s hands."
Just then the child opened her large blue eyes, and after looking about with a startled expression, asked, "Where ayah?" and then spoke some words in a strange-sounding language, which neither the fisherman nor his wife could understand.
"She you ask for, my sweet one, is not here," said the dame, bending over her; "but I will do instead of her, and you just think you are at home now with those who love you, and you shall not want for anything."
While the dame was speaking the two elder lads came downstairs, and as the appearance of so many strangers seemed to frighten the little girl, Adam, putting on his thick coat and sou"-wester, and taking up his spygla.s.s, called to his sons to come out and see what had become of the ship.
They found it blowing as hard as ever. The sea came rolling towards the sh.o.r.e in dark foaming billows. The atmosphere was, however, clear; and the wreck could still be distinguished, though much reduced in size.
While Adam had his gla.s.s turned towards it he observed the mizzen-mast, which had hitherto stood, go by the board, and the instant afterwards the whole of the remaining part of the hull seemed to melt away before the furious seas which broke against it.
"I warned you that the ship was doomed, and that no human being would reach the sh.o.r.e alive," shrieked a voice in his ears; "such will be the fate, sooner or later, of all who go down on the cruel salt sea."
Adam turning saw Mad Sally standing near him, and pointing with eager gestures towards the spot where the wreck had lately appeared.
"Ah, ah, ah!" she shouted, in wild, hoa.r.s.e tones, resembling the cries of the sea-gull as it circles in the air in search of prey.
"Sad news, sad news, sad news I bring, Sad news for our good king, For one of his proud and gallant ships Has gone down in the deep salt sea, salt sea, Has gone down in the deep salt sea."
"Yonder ship has gone to pieces, there is no doubt about that, mother,"
said Adam; "but you were wrong to warn us not to go off to her, for go off we did, and brought one of her pa.s.sengers on sh.o.r.e who would have perished if we had listened to you, so don"t fancy you are always right in what you say."
"If you brought human being from yonder ship woe will come of it.
Foolish man, you fought against the fates who willed it otherwise."
"I know nothing about the fates, mother," answered Adam; "but I know that G.o.d willed us to bring on sh.o.r.e a little girl we found on board, and protected us while we did so."
"Think you that He would have protected you when He did not watch over my boy, who was carried away over the salt sea?" she exclaimed, making a scornful gesture at Adam. "He protects not such as you, who madly venture out when in His rage He stirs up the salt sea, salt sea, salt sea!" and she broke out into a wild song--
"There were three brothers in Scotland did dwell, And they cast lots all three, Which of them should go sailing On the wide salt sea, salt sea; Which of them should go sailing On the wide salt sea;"
and, wildly flourishing her arms, she stalked away towards the cliffs, up which she climbed, still making the same violent gestures, although her voice could no longer be heard, till she disappeared in the distance.
A number of people had collected along the beach, eagerly looking out for any portion of the wreck or cargo which might be washed on sh.o.r.e, but they looked in vain; the sands swallowed up the heavier articles, while the rest were swept by the tide out to sea. Nothing reached the sh.o.r.e by which the name or character of the vessel which had just gone to pieces could be discovered.
Adam Halliburt, finding that there was no probability of the weather mending sufficiently to enable the _Nancy_ to put to sea, returned home.
"Look you, lads," he observed, calling his sons to his side; "you heard what that poor mad woman said. You see how she was all in the wrong when she told us not to put off to the wreck, and warned us that we should come to harm if we did. Now, to my mind, she is just a poor mad creature; but if she does know anything which others don"t, it"s Satan who teaches her, and he was a liar from the beginning, and therefore she is more likely to be wrong than right; and when you hear her ravings, don"t you care for them, but go on and do your duty, and G.o.d will take care of you; leave that to Him."
"Ay, ay, father," answered Jacob; "she would have had us leave the little maiden to perish, if we had listened to her; I will never forget that."
While the elder lads went on board the _Nancy_ to do one of the numberless jobs which a sailor always finds to be done on board his craft, Jacob and his father entered the cottage.
The little girl was seated on the dame"s knee, prattling in broken language, which her kind nurse in vain endeavoured to understand. She welcomed the fisherman and his son with a smile of recognition.
"Glad to see you well and happy, my pretty maiden," said Adam, stooping down to kiss her fair brow, his big heart yearning towards her as if she were truly his child.
"Maidy May," she said, with an emphasis on the last word, as if wishing to tell him her proper name.
"Yes, our "Maiden May" you are," he answered, misunderstanding her, and from that day forward Adam called her Maiden May, the rest of the family imitating him, and she without question adopting the name.
CHAPTER FIVE.
DAME HALLIBURT.
Dame Halliburt was a good housewife, and an active woman of business.
Every morning she was up betimes with breakfast ready for her husband and sons waiting the return of the _Nancy_, and as soon as her fish-baskets were loaded, away she went, making a long circuit through the neighbouring country to dispose of their contents at the houses of the gentry and farmers, among whom she had numerous customers. She generally called at Texford, though, as Sir Reginald Castleton lived much alone, she was not always sure of selling her fish there, and had often to go a considerable distance out of her way for nothing. If Mr Grooc.o.c.k, the steward, happened to meet her on the road he seldom failed to stop his cob, or when she called at the house to come out and inquire what was going on at Hurlston, or to gain any bits of information she might have picked up on her rounds.
Maiden May had been for upwards of a year under her motherly care, when one morning as she was approaching Texford with her heavily-loaded basket, she caught sight of the ruddy countenance of Mr Grooc.o.c.k, with his yellow top-boots, ample green coat, and three-cornered hat on the top of his well-powdered wig, jogging along the road towards her.
"Good-morrow, dame," he exclaimed, pulling up as he reached her. "I see that you have a fine supply of fish, and you will find custom, I doubt not, at the Hall this morning. There are three or four tables to be served, for we have more visitors than Sir Reginald has received for many a day."
As he spoke he looked into the dame"s basket, turning the fish with the handle of his whip.
"Ah, just put aside that small turbot and a couple of soles for my table, there"s a good woman, will you? You have plenty besides for the housekeeper to choose from."
"I will not forget your orders, Mr Grooc.o.c.k," said the dame; "and who are the guests, may I ask?"
"There is Mrs Ralph Castleton and her two sons, the eldest, Mr Algernon, who is going to college soon, and Mr Harry, a midshipman, who has just come home from sea; a more merry, rollicking young gentleman I never set eyes on; indeed, if the house was not a good big one he would turn it upside-down in no time. There is also his sister, Miss Julia, with her French governess, and Sir Reginald"s cousins, the Miss Pembertons. One of them, the youngest, Miss Mary they call her, is blind, poor dear lady; but, indeed, you would not think so to see the bright smile that lights up her face when she is talking, and few people know so much of what is going on in the world, not to mention all about birds, and creeping things, and flowers. The other day she was going through the garden, when just by touching the flowers with her fingers she was able to tell their colour and their names as well as the gardener himself.
"Then there is a Captain Fancourt, a naval officer, a brother of Mrs Ralph Castleton, and Mr Ralph Castleton himself is expected, but he is taken up with politics and public business in London, and it is seldom he can tear himself away from them."
"I suppose Mr Ralph, then, is Sir Reginald"s heir," observed the dame.
"That remains to be seen," answered the steward. "You know Sir Reginald has another nephew older than Mr Ralph, who has been abroad since he was a young man. Though he has not been heard of for many years, he may appear any day. The t.i.tle and estates must go to him, whatever becomes of the personalty."
"You know when I was a girl I lived in the family of Mr Herbert Castleton, their father, near Morbury, so I remember the young gentlemen as they were then, and feel an interest in them, and so I should in their children."
"Ah! that just reminds me that you or your husband may do Master Harry a pleasure. He has not been on sh.o.r.e many days before he is wanting to be off again on the salt water, and who should he fall in with but Miles Gaffin, who came up here to see me about the rent of the mill. Master Harry found out somehow or other that Miles had a lugger, and nothing would content him but that he must go off and take a cruise in her.
Now, between ourselves, Mrs Halliburt, I do not trust that craft or her owner. You know, perhaps, as much about them as I do; your husband knows more, but I think it would content the young gentleman if Halliburt would take him off in his yawl, and he need not go so far from the sh.o.r.e as to run any risk of being picked up by an enemy"s ship."
"Bless you, Mr Grooc.o.c.k, of course Adam will be main proud to take out Sir Reginald"s nephew, and for his own sake will be careful not to go far enough off the land to run the risk of being caught by any of the French cruisers," answered the dame. "When would the young gentleman like to come? He must not expect man-of-war"s ways on board the _Nancy_, and it would not do for Adam and the lads to lose their day"s fishing."
"As to that, he is not likely to be particular, and the sooner he can get his cruise the better he will be pleased. It seems strange to me that any one, when once he is comfortable on sh.o.r.e, should wish to be tumbling about on the tossing sea. Though I have lived all my life in sight of the ocean, I never had a fancy to leave the dry land. Give me a good roof over my head, plenty to eat and drink, and a steady cob to ride, it"s all I ask; a man should be moderate in his desires, dame, and he will get them satisfied, that is my notion of philosophy."
"Ah! and a very good notion too," said Mistress Halliburt, who had great respect for the loquacious steward of Texford. "But you will excuse me, Mr Grooc.o.c.k, I ought to be up at the Hall. I will tell Adam of Master Harry"s wish, and he will be on the look-out for him."
"Here comes the young gentleman to speak for himself," said the steward.