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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/20492-h.zip b/20492-h.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..8175957 --- /dev/null +++ b/20492-h.zip diff --git a/20492-h/20492-h.htm b/20492-h/20492-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..8f126ed --- /dev/null +++ b/20492-h/20492-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,3157 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> + +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> + <head> + <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=iso-8859-1" /> + <title> + The Project Gutenberg eBook of Terry, by Rosa Mulholland. + </title> + <style type="text/css"> +/*<![CDATA[ XML blockout */ +<!-- + p { margin-top: .75em; + text-align: justify; + margin-bottom: .75em; + } + h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6 { + text-align: center; /* all headings centered */ + clear: both; + } + hr { width: 33%; + margin-top: 2em; + margin-bottom: 2em; + margin-left: auto; + margin-right: auto; + clear: both; + } + + table {margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;} + + body{margin-left: 10%; + margin-right: 10%; + } + + .pagenum { position: absolute; + left: 92%; + font-size: smaller; + text-align: right; + } /* page numbers */ + + .center {text-align: center;} + .smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} + .caption {font-weight: bold;} + .figcenter {margin: auto; text-align: center;} + // --> + /* XML end ]]>*/ + </style> + </head> +<body> + + +<pre> + +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Terry, by Rosa Mulholland + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Terry + Or, She ought to have been a Boy + +Author: Rosa Mulholland + +Illustrator: E. A. Cubitt + +Release Date: January 30, 2007 [EBook #20492] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TERRY *** + + + + +Produced by David Edwards, Paul Stephen, Nikolay Fishburne +and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at +https://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + +</pre> + + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 380px;"> +<img src="images/pic01.jpg" width="380" height="600" alt=""Vulcan, Vulcan, let me tie your cap-strings."" title=""Vulcan, Vulcan, let me tie your cap-strings."" /> +<span class="caption" style="font-size: smaller">"VULCAN, VULCAN, LET ME TIE YOUR CAP-STRINGS."</span> +<br /><br /></div> + +<h1><i>Terry</i></h1> + +<h3>or, She ought to have been a Boy</h3> + +<h4>BY</h4> + +<h2>ROSA MULHOLLAND</h2> + +<h4>(LADY GILBERT)</h4> + +<h4>Author of "Girls of Banshee Castle" "Four Little Mischiefs" "Giannetta" +"Cynthia's Bonnet-shop" &c.</h4> + +<h3><i>ILLUSTRATED BY E. A. CUBITT</i></h3> + +<h2>BLACKIE AND SON LIMITED</h2> + +<h3>LONDON GLASGOW AND DUBLIN</h3> + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2>CONTENTS</h2> + +<div class='center'> +<table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" summary="Contents"> + +<tr><td align='left'><span class="smcap">Chap.</span></td> +<td align='left'></td> +<td align='right'>Page</td></tr> + +<tr><td align='left'>I.</td> +<td align='left'>"<span class="smcap">I hope she will be changed!</span>"</td> +<td align='right'><a href='#Page_5'>5</a></td></tr> + +<tr><td align='left'>II.</td> +<td align='left'>"<span class="smcap">Only Miss Terry come back to us!</span>"</td> +<td align='right'><a href='#Page_11'>11</a></td></tr> + +<tr><td align='left'>III.</td> +<td align='left'><span class="smcap">A Wet Day</span></td> +<td align='right'><a href='#Page_20'>20</a></td></tr> + +<tr><td align='left'>IV.</td> +<td align='left'><span class="smcap">Dreadfully Good</span></td> +<td align='right'><a href='#Page_34'>34</a></td></tr> + +<tr><td align='left'>V.</td> +<td align='left'>"<span class="smcap">Bad Again</span>!"</td> +<td align='right'><a href='#Page_41'>41</a></td></tr> + +<tr><td align='left'>VI.</td> +<td align='left'><span class="smcap">A Brass Helmet</span></td> +<td align='right'><a href='#Page_61'>61</a></td></tr> + +<tr><td align='left'>VII.</td> +<td align='left'><span class="smcap">Up the Chimney</span></td> +<td align='right'><a href='#Page_76'>76</a></td></tr> + +<tr><td align='left'>VIII.</td> +<td align='left'><span class="smcap">The Runaway Boat</span></td> +<td align='right'><a href='#Page_93'>93</a></td></tr> +</table></div> + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="TERRY" id="TERRY"></a>TERRY</h2> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[Pg 5]</a></span></p> +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_I" id="CHAPTER_I"></a>CHAPTER I</h2> + +<h3>"I HOPE SHE WILL BE CHANGED!"</h3> + +<p>"Think of what it was to manage her in the summer months!" said dear old +Madam Trimleston, looking wistfully at Nurse Nancy. "What could we do with +her this winter weather? I do hope she will be changed. Don't you think it +likely that school will have done something for her?"</p> + +<p>"Of course I do, madam. What else did we break our hearts sendin' her there +for? And little Turly, that would ha' been content to stay here peaceable +if she would ha' let him alone! Sure it's often I say to myself that it's +Terry ought to have been the boy."</p> + +<p>"The same idea has occurred to me, Nancy. Not that we ought to criticise +the arrangements of Providence."</p> + +<p>"Well, madam," said Nurse Nancy, "I don't agree that Providence has +anything to do with<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[Pg 6]</a></span> it. Providence doesn't make many mistakes, I'm +thinkin'? It's ourselves mostly that steps behind His work an' puts things +asthray on Him."</p> + +<p>"You are right, and yet I do not perceive in what way we made mischief in +the matter of poor Terry. Her mother and father and myself have always done +our best for her."</p> + +<p>"Except when you gave her an unnatural name, if I may make bold to say it +to you, madam. She was born all right, God bless her; but when you put a +man's name on her, somethin' got into her, poor lamb, somethin' that'll +take a good while to work out of her."</p> + +<p>"That's a very queer idea, Nancy. You know well that she was named after a +brave ancestor. It was hoped she would have been a boy, and her father gave +her the name he had intended for a boy; only we softened it, Nancy, +softened and changed Terence into Terencia."</p> + +<p>A smile lighted up Nurse Nancy's wrinkled face.</p> + +<p>"Well now, madam, as if anybody couldn't see through that little thrick! To +call her for a fightin' ould warrior that bet Cromwell an' held his own in +spite of him! An' her havin' to grow up a young lady with nothin' but +niceness in her! Ah, then now, madam, why didn't ye call her Mary, the same +as her grandmother before her?"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[Pg 7]</a></span></p> + +<p>"We did, Nancy; you forget that we did," urged Madam mildly. "We named her +Terencia Mary."</p> + +<p>"Then ye put the cart before the horse, madam," said Nancy, shaking her +head grimly, "an' the ould warrior has got the foreway in her over the holy +lady that has the best right in her, in regard of her sex. But don't fret +now, madam, for it's my belief that the Mary is in her still, an' she'll be +the gentlest yet that iver walked of the name. Only it's us that'll have a +han'ful of her until the ould warrior has done with her."</p> + +<p>Madam smiled indulgently. Nurse Nancy would occasionally put forth a +fantastic notion like this, but in the main she was a patient, prudent, +wise creature who had well earned her honours in the family by long and +faithful friendship as well as service. During her latter lonely years old +Madam had drawn Nurse Nancy very close to her. While she smiled now she +said:</p> + +<p>"We must remember that until a year ago Terry was brought up in Africa, was +accustomed to perfect freedom, to long rides with her father, and all kinds +of adventures."</p> + +<p>"And so was little Turly, madam. Not that he isn't as brave as anything, +little darlin'; he'd follow Terry through thick an' thin, if it was<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[Pg 8]</a></span> +through the fire. But still an' all it never does be him that sets the +mischief goin'."</p> + +<p>"But Turlough is only eight years old. Terry is ten, and two years of a +bush life at that age make a great deal more difference than the count of +the days," said Madam musingly.</p> + +<p>Madam Trimleston was a pretty old lady who had soft white hair and sweet +blue eyes, and wore handsome lace caps with peachy ribbons in them; and she +usually sat in a high-backed arm-chair either at the fire or the window in +her own room with Nurse Nancy attending on her. For Madam was very +delicate, and since she had been left alone in old Trimleston House she +rarely went down into the great rooms below.</p> + +<p>"It would make you cry," Nancy would say, "to see her sittin' there all by +herself, afther the family she rared, an' them all scatthered about over +the four corners of the earth; an' the rest o' them in heaven!"</p> + +<p>It is true that Madam had sons holding posts in different lands, but her +daughters had "all died on her", as Nancy lamented. However, though old +Trimleston House stood in a lonely part of Ireland, between the hills and +the sea, yet Madam was not so desolate as might have been supposed, for she +was beloved by all the "neighbours" for twenty miles around, and poor and +rich made their sympathy felt by her. And<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[Pg 9]</a></span> everyone was glad when her +favourite son in Africa sent home his two children to her care; no one so +glad as the dear old granny herself, unless it might be Nurse Nancy.</p> + +<p>To tell how the grandmother and nurse, whose hands had once been so full +and were now so long empty, went into the deserted nurseries and furbished +them up till everything looked as good as new would require a chapter to +itself. A handy man was sent for to come two miles and paint up the old +rocking-horse which had been standing for years with its nose in a corner +of a closet and its sides all blistered with damp; and nine-pins, tops, and +marbles were hunted out of drawers and cupboards.</p> + +<p>"Mercy me! Look here, madam! If this isn't the dog that Misther Jack broke +the ear off knockin' its head against the wall one day and him in a +passion!" said Nurse Nancy.</p> + +<p>She was afraid to bring forth the dolls, with their associations, but the +mother herself went to look for them.</p> + +<p>"We are getting a little girl, Nancy," she said, "and we can't have nothing +but boys' toys for her to play with."</p> + +<p>Nancy nodded her head, but Madam went boldly to the drawer, looked at the +dolls with their faded cheeks and glassy eyes, shook out their gay frocks, +and laid them back in their<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[Pg 10]</a></span> place. Nancy said nothing, but when Madam +remarked that evening:</p> + +<p>"I am writing for one or two new ones. They will be fresher. And you might +lock up the old ones and leave them where they are," Nancy knew exactly +what her mistress was thinking of.</p> + +<p>But that was more than a year ago. The story of how the girl and boy came, +and how the two old women, who had many years ago been so clever in the +management of children, failed utterly with the "young African savages", as +a lady neighbour twenty miles distant described Terry and Turly, need not +be told. There had been utter dismay in Trimleston House: and after much +struggling with difficulties, Madam had been obliged to yield to the +decision of their father and to send them to school.</p> + +<p>There had been a summer vacation, the recollection of which made Madam and +Nurse Nancy tremble; hence the serious expectation with which they are +awaiting at the present moment the arrival of the children for the +Christmas holidays.</p> + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<div> +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[Pg 11]</a></span> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_II" id="CHAPTER_II"></a>CHAPTER II</h2> +</div> + +<h3>"ONLY MISS TERRY COME BACK TO US!"</h3> + +<p>"Yes," continued Madam; "from what the good schoolmistress has written to +me, and from the child's own letters, I am hoping to find my granddaughter +grown into quite a gentle little lady."</p> + +<p>A shout from somewhere below the windows interrupted her, a shout so +unusual and peculiar that Madam and Nurse Nancy were silenced, and sat +listening and looking at one another. More cries followed, astonished, +admiring, and then a sound from a little distance of wild, shrill cheering +began to come nearer.</p> + +<p>Madam and Nurse Nancy stood up and hurried to a window overlooking the +drive in front of the house, and then to another through which they could +see the avenue approaching it.</p> + +<p>There was a hint of dusk in the air, yet enough light to show a strange +sight, a horse and car flying along between the trees towards the house, +and followed by a little rabble of boys and girls, all clapping their hands +and cheering in the wildest delight. The cause of their excitement was +easily seen. In the driver's seat sat a small figure with a yellow curly +head, her<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[Pg 12]</a></span> hat blown off and hanging on her shoulders by the strings round +her neck, her hands grasping the reins, and her feet planted determinedly +against the dash-board.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 486px;"> +<img src="images/pic02.png" width="486" height="600" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + +<p>"Heavens!" cried Madam. "What is the meaning of this?"</p> + +<p>"Don't be puttin' yourself out, madam," said Nancy. "It's only Miss Terry +come back to us! Sure the ould warrior hasn't done with her yet awhile. +Good saints! to see the grip that the little bits of hands of her has on +the reins!"</p> + +<p>"It will kill me, Nancy, it will kill me. Can you see if there is anyone on +the car besides herself? What has become of Lally?"</p> + +<p>"Oh, goodness knows!" said Nancy. "He's not to be seen; but Turly's with +her safe enough, houldin' on for his bare life, one clutch on the rail of +the seat, and the other on the well o' the car. Goodness knows how much +longer he could stick to it. But she's bringin' all up to the hall-door +splendid, an' I declare you would think the ould horse was laughin' at the +joke!"</p> + +<p>"I hope she hasn't killed Lally and lost the luggage about the roads," +groaned Madam. "And where has she picked up all that crowd of wild +creatures that are screaming round the car?"</p> + +<p>"Sure, out of ivery place as they came along," said Nancy. "Now, I'll just +go down, madam<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[Pg 13]</a></span>, and bring the childher up to you, an' you're to sit there +and not to stir, for you're shakin' all over like the ould weather-cock on +a day whin the wind does be blowin' from ivery side."</p> + +<p>Meanwhile Terry had brought the car in triumph to the door and jumped down +from her perch, her yellow curls on end in the wind, her<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[Pg 14]</a></span> hat flapping on +her back, and the fur capes of her little coat standing up straight round +her ears. She threw away the reins and ran to the horse's head, putting her +cheek against his nose, petting him with her hands, and pouring out +flatteries enough to turn any animal's brain.</p> + +<p>"You darling, you angel, how lovely you did run for me! Has anybody got a +lump of sugar? No, well it is a shame. But I'll come to you to-morrow with +lots of it."</p> + +<p>"Miss Terry! Miss Terry! Welcome home, Miss Terry!" shrieked a chorus of +shrill young voices. "Sure we run a lot of the ways with ye, Miss Terry, +darlin'!"</p> + +<p>"So you did!" cried Terry. "Wasn't it splendid?" Her little purse was in +her hand in a moment. "Here is all I've got!" and she flung its contents of +shillings, sixpences, and coppers among the dancing youngsters, who +scrambled and wrangled for them, and finally disappeared in a headlong +scamper down the avenue.</p> + +<p>By this time Turly had got down from the car, disdaining the assistance of +the women who came to moan over him.</p> + +<p>"It's well you didn't kill your brother, Miss Terry," said Nurse Nancy +severely, "and your gran'ma is anxious to know whereabouts on the road you +murdhered Misther Lally."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[Pg 15]</a></span></p> + +<p>Terry stared at her with her big blue eyes, and then burst out laughing.</p> + +<p>"Oh, you dear, funny old Nurse!" she said; "I'm sure Granny never thought +of such a thing. Why, here is Lally, dear old slowcoach! Got off to pick me +some moss, and got left behind. And to think that Turly didn't know how to +hold on to a car! But please take me to Gran'ma, Nursey dear, I do so want +to see her!"</p> + +<p>Granny was sitting very erect in her chair, with a face that was intended +to be severe, but was only sad and frightened. The door opened and Nurse +Nancy appeared with the children. Terry flew forward, but Granny waved her +off, and began to address her seriously.</p> + +<p>"Terencia Mary" (Granny's voice quavered), "what is the meaning of your +behaving in this extraordinary manner?"</p> + +<p>"Oh, Granny dear, I didn't behave, I assure you I didn't. We had such a +glorious drive home, and I am so glad to see you. But oh, Granny dear, I'm +afraid you are sick; you look so pale."</p> + +<p>"No wonder if I am sick and pale at your conduct. Do they allow you to sit +in the driver's seat and drive the cars at Miss Goodchild's?"</p> + +<p>"They couldn't, Granny dear," said Terry, shaking back her bright curls, +and fixing her clear eyes on the old lady's face. "They have no cars, only +an omnibus to take us to the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[Pg 16]</a></span> station. And I couldn't drive an omnibus, now +could I, Granny?"</p> + +<p>"And do you think——" but Terry's arms were round her Granny's neck, and +the kisses of her fresh young lips were sweet on the wrinkled cheeks.</p> + +<p>"There, there, Terry, my darling, we must talk about it another time. You +won't do it again, will you, Terry?"</p> + +<p>"I won't indeed, Granny, not if you don't like it. But do give me a huge, +gigantic hug, Granny darling! And only look at Turly. Hasn't he grown fat +and big! Come close up, Turly dear; Granny wants to hug you."</p> + +<p>The hugs were given in plentiful measure and then Turly, who had been +standing aside, looking rather abashed, plucked up courage and remained by +Gran'ma's knee. He was a sturdily-built little fellow, with large, dark +eyes and a square forehead, ordinarily rather silent and slow in his +movements. The contrast between him and the light-limbed, quick-speaking +Terry was remarkable, and to no one more obvious than to Turly himself, who +had the most adoring admiration of his lively sister.</p> + +<p>"Are they to have their tea in the nursery, madam?" asked Nurse Nancy, who +had been standing by, a witness of Granny's attempt and failure to scold.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[Pg 17]</a></span></p> + +<p>"No, Nancy; no! Terencia is going to be good. They must have tea with me +here. Just put them into their evening clothes and bring them back to me."</p> + +<p>After half an hour's manipulation from Nurse Nancy the children returned to +Granny, who in the meanwhile had dozed in her chair, quite worn out with +the fatigues of expectation, and the necessity for being angry. Nothing +remained of the afternoon's excitement to Madam but the touch of fresh +young lips on her cheeks, and of warm, young arms clasping her round the +neck. When she opened her eyes they rested on a meek-looking little +gentlewoman in a white frock, with a blue silk work-bag hanging by long +blue ribbons from her arm.</p> + +<p>"Miss Goodchild taught me to make it, Granny, and she said you would like +me to have it; and I have worked you such a pretty linen cover for your +prayer-book; Nancy is going to unpack it after tea. And doesn't Turly look +sweet in his velvet knickers? The pockets of his other things are all gone +in holes with marbles. And oh, Turly, only see what a lovely tea Granny is +going to give us! Honey, jam, brown bread, hot tea-cakes! Turly is so fond +of sweeties, you know, Gran'ma."</p> + +<p>"Rather," said Turly, which was the first word he had uttered since he +escaped with his life from the car.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[Pg 18]</a></span></p> + +<p>The candles and lamps were now lighted in Granny's handsome sitting-room, +and a huge turf fire burned on the hearth, for it was a wintry evening. The +tea-table had been placed to one side, near Granny's chair, and as Madam +laughed heartily at Terencia's prattle no one could have suggested that the +coming of this bright little creature had been as a nightmare to the old +lady for many weeks past.</p> + +<p>But after the children were gone to bed Madam Trimleston said to Nancy:</p> + +<p>"I must say a few words to Lally. Ask him to come up here and speak to me."</p> + +<p>Very soon heavy footsteps were heard ascending the stair, and Michael +Lally, the coachman, was seen standing in the doorway.</p> + +<p>"God bless ye and good evenin' to ye, madam! It's glad I am to see you +lookin' so well, madam."</p> + +<p>"Thank you, Lally!" It was hard to begin to find fault after so genial a +greeting. "But I want to ask you a question, Lally. How am I to entrust my +children to your care after what happened this afternoon?"</p> + +<p>Lally passed his big hand over the back of his head and looked puzzled, +while a little smile lurked in the corners of his mouth.</p> + +<p>"Is it in the regard of Miss Terry dhrivin' home with herself in the car, +madam?" he said. "Sure I declare to your honour, madam, that<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[Pg 19]</a></span> I won't be +the better of it for this month to come."</p> + +<p>"The idea of your letting that child seize the reins—"</p> + +<p>"Well now, madam, she didn't. Says she in her coaxin' way: 'Lally,' says +she, 'just let me sit on your seat and hold the reins, and you can be +watchin' me,' says she. 'Sure,' says she, 'many's the time I drove my +pappy,' says she, 'when I was over there in Africa,' says she, 'and he did +used to be delighted with me, seein' me at it,' says she. An' I couldn't +stand her coaxin', and I just pleased her, till all of a suddent she took a +fancy to some moss that was growin' in the dyke. And nothin' would do her +but I was to get down and gather it for her, and the next thing was she had +jaunted off with herself and was lookin' back laughin' at me."</p> + +<p>"I know; I know her way," said Madam. "Lally, I intended to give you such a +scolding as you could never forget, but I see it's no use. I can only +implore of you not to give in to Miss Terry's coaxing again, no matter what +the consequences." And then Granny paused, remembering those kisses on her +cheek and those arms round her neck.</p> + +<p>"We must try to control her," she said, "or her wild daring will cost us +her life."</p> + +<p>"God forbid, madam!" said Lally.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[Pg 20]</a></span></p> + +<p>"You have had a long, cold journey to-day. Have you had a good supper, +Lally?"</p> + +<p>"Sorra bit could I ate, madam, till I had a word with yourself. But anyhow +I'll go and ate it now."</p> + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_III" id="CHAPTER_III"></a>CHAPTER III</h2> + +<h3>A WET DAY</h3> + +<p>Terry and Turly were snugly lodged on the same flat with Granny's bedroom +and sitting-room. Nurse Nancy's room stood between the two pretty little +chambers given to the children, and the big day nursery was close by. +Everything was very nicely arranged for the comfort of the little visitors +and for the maintaining of a proper control over them by Madam and Nurse +Nancy; Here they were to be safe night and day under the eyes of their +elders, except when allowed to go out with proper escort. The gate at the +back stairs, which gave on the landing and had been placed there years ago +for the protection of little children long since able to take care of +themselves, was as strong as ever and shut with as clever a snap, so that +there was no danger by that way. There were also guards on all the fires, +and an ornamental bar across each window<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[Pg 21]</a></span> to prevent little rash creatures +from throwing themselves out.</p> + +<p>"What mischief can she do?" Granny had asked Nancy after surveying all +these safeguards before the coming of the children; and Nancy's hearty +answer, "'t will puzzle her, madam," had been soothing to the anxious old +mother.</p> + +<p>When Terry wakened on the morning after her arrival she got up and put her +face to the window-pane.</p> + +<p>"Wet!" she said. "Mountains all wrapped up in white sheets with just their +heads out. Rain pouring. And I did so want to be out everywhere till +bed-time again!"</p> + +<p>She had taken her bath and dressed before Nancy had done with Turly and +came to look for her.</p> + +<p>"Now, Miss Terry, it's too much in your own hands you are entirely, Miss," +said Nancy. "You had a right to stay quiet till I came to give you leave to +get up."</p> + +<p>"But, Nancy dear, what would be the use in my lying there to be a trouble +to you when I have got a pair of hands of my own? But oh, Nursey, will you +put in a few buttons up my back for me? Now didn't I save up something to +be a bother to you?"</p> + +<p>"If that's all the bother you give me it won't be heavy on me," said Nancy, +giving her a few<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[Pg 22]</a></span> finishing touches before she brought her into tho nursery +to breakfast.</p> + +<p>After breakfast the children were told that Granny was not very well, a +result of the excitement of yesterday and the wet weather which affected +her. She could not have Terry and Turly with her until afternoon tea time, +except just for a minute to bid her good-morning.</p> + +<p>Terry was greatly distressed at this news until she had seen Granny +looking, to her eyes, just the same as ever, after which she was quite +contented. Only, how was the day to be spent?</p> + +<p>There was a little excitement about the unpacking of her things and setting +out the little presents she had got for Granny. Nurse Nancy too had to be +surprised and delighted at the gift of a nice, large, white lawn kerchief, +hemmed by Terencia, such as Nancy was accustomed to wear folded round her +neck and across her breast, and which was so becoming to her dear old black +eyes and brown face. And after that gratifying presentation how could Nurse +Nancy be exceedingly strict and distrustful on that particularly wet and +dark December morning? On the contrary, she was in her most amiable and +indulgent humour.</p> + +<p>"I've got such a fine lot of toys for good children," she said, and began +opening the cup<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[Pg 23]</a></span>boards and drawers. "Here's dolls and soldiers, and bricks +and all sorts of what-not. And you'll amuse yourselves with them like good +childher, for I'm goin' to be an hour or so in there, attendin' on your +gran'ma. Or will I send up Bridget to be lookin' afther ye?"</p> + +<p>"Oh no, please!" said Terry, "we can look after ourselves till you come +back. Now, can't we, Turly?"</p> + +<p>Turly, who was riding from Kimberley to Pretoria on the newly-painted +rocking-horse, waved an assent, and Nurse Nancy left the nursery without +misgiving.</p> + +<p>She was not long gone before Terry began to get impatient with the new +dolls. She had inspected them inside and outside, found what they were made +of, satisfied herself as to whether or not their clothes came off and on, +tossed up their curls and smoothed them down again, shaken them up and told +them to stand up straight, which they promptly refused to do. At last it +seemed that there was nothing more to be done with them.</p> + +<p>"Oh, you <i>are</i> stupid!" she exclaimed; "staring with your glassy eyes, +always your same pink cheeks, and never saying a word."</p> + +<p>"Dolls don't talk," said Turly, who was now solemnly engaged in making a +play on the floor with a box of soldiers.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[Pg 24]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Of course they don't," said Terry. "That's just what it is. I hate playing +with things that have got no life in them!"</p> + +<p>"Soldiers aren't alive," said Turly, as one tumbled over and he set it up +again, "but I'm having a splendid battle."</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 493px;"> +<img src="images/pic03.png" width="493" height="600" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + +<p>"Oh, Turly, how can you? Oh, I do so want things to be alive! Now, do just +come over to the window and look down into the yard at Vulcan sitting in +his kennel, poor dear, when he is longing to be running all over the world! +Oh, I declare, he sees us, and is wagging his tail! Just look at his big +eyes and his nose pointed up at us. Now, that is the kind of creature I +want to play with. But there he is shut up in his cage, and we—"</p> + +<p>"Can't we go down to him?" said Turly.</p> + +<p>"It's too wet. Nurse would be in such a fuss if we played in the yard. But +I don't see why we mightn't bring him up. He's the watch-dog, and +watch-dogs are only wanted there at night. It couldn't be any harm to have +him up here only for half an hour or so. I'll wipe his paws on the mat so +that he sha'n't make any mess. And he doesn't bark much unless he hears a +noise at night, so I am sure he wouldn't disturb Grandma."</p> + +<p>Turly had swept away his soldiers, and stood up ready for the adventure.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[Pg 25]</a></span></p> + +<p>"I won that battle," he said; "so now, come on!"</p> + +<p>"Take my hand, Turly. They sha'n't say I led you into mischief this time," +said Terry. "I'll take care you don't fall down the back stairs."</p> + +<p>"I can take care of that myself," said Turly.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[Pg 26]</a></span></p> + +<p>"No, you can't. You are not as old as I am, so hold on to me well in case +the stairs are slippy."</p> + +<p>They went out on the landing very quietly, "not to make any fuss", as Terry +said, and made for the gate at the top of the stairs. Terry knew the trick +of the hasp and it was quickly opened, and away they went, down flight +after flight, into the yard.</p> + +<p>"Oh, I say, it <i>is</i> wet!" said Turly, as they paddled across the yard with +the rain pouring on them.</p> + +<p>"Hush!" said Terry, "or someone will hear you and come running to prevent +us. And it can't be any harm. It will be such a delightful treat for poor +old Vulcan!"</p> + +<p>Turly said no more, and the two children stood with the rain drenching +their hair and clothes, and almost blinding them, as in silence they +unfastened the chain that held Vulcan to his kennel. The dog was scarcely +able to believe his senses when he felt the little soft hands pawing at his +neck, and as soon as he was free he jumped on them wildly, embracing them +with his hairy arms and covering them with mud.</p> + +<p>"Quiet, now, Vulcan!" said Terry softly. "You must be very good, or we +sha'n't be able to take you up to the nursery. Come along, old fellow, and +pick your steps over the sloppy places."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[Pg 27]</a></span></p> + +<p>They got safely across the yard, gained the door, and went up the stone +stair, leaving streams of muddy water on all the steps behind them.</p> + +<p>Arrived at the top, Terry looked round for a mat, but there was nothing +just at that spot except the carpet, so she took out her +pocket-handkerchief and wiped Vulcan's feet with it.</p> + +<p>"It makes no difference to his wetness," she said, "but that does not +matter. His feet will get dry by degrees."</p> + +<p>"We have made a mess on the stairs," said Turly, looking back.</p> + +<p>"Yes, I don't know how we ever got so wet," said Terry; "but stone stairs +dry up so quickly. Come along now, Vulcan, you are not to bark a word or +you may frighten your grandma!"</p> + +<p>Vulcan was quite in the spirit of the adventure, and trotted quietly along +with the children into the nursery.</p> + +<p>Then the door was shut and the merriment began.</p> + +<p>First of all the children took each one of his fore-paws and danced with +him many times round the room. Vulcan enjoyed the dance for a time, and +bore it patiently for another time, but at last he conveyed by a short +significant bark that he had had enough of it.</p> + +<p>"Is he getting cross?" said Turly.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[Pg 28]</a></span></p> + +<p>"No, but I'll tell you what it is," said Terry. "He gets tired sooner than +we do because we are accustomed to have only two legs to go with and he is +used to four. And we have taken away two of his legs. We have been making +arms of them."</p> + +<p>"Yes indeed," said Turly, dropping the dog's paw.</p> + +<p>"There now, Vulcan," said Terry, "you have got back all your legs, so don't +be grumbling. And don't let me hear you give that bark again or there will +be a fuss."</p> + +<p>"What are you going to do with him now?" said Turly. "If he can't dance +about or bark what's the good of him?"</p> + +<p>"I'll show you," said Terry. "Now, Vulcan, darling, you are going to sit +down in this nice large basket-chair, Nursey's chair, you know, and I'm +going to change you into such a dear old woman. You can't have a nursery, +you know, without a nurse, and you're going to be our nurse. Mind him, +Turly, until I get a few things. Here is Nurse Nancy's gown, not her best +stuff, nor her clean cotton, but the cotton she had on yesterday morning. +And here's her cap, the one she has put away for the wash, and yet it's +nice enough. Now sit up, Vulcan, and let me dress you!"</p> + +<p>"You are taking away two of his legs again, and he won't like it," said +Turly.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[Pg 29]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Oh! he won't care now, because he is sitting. He doesn't want four legs to +sit with. Dancing was different. Now, Vulcan, hold yourself straight, old +fellow! There, doesn't the dress fit him nicely, at least when I turn up +the sleeves over his paws and tie an apron round his body to make him a +waist? Dear old Nursey hasn't got much of a waist neither; now, has she, +Turly? Vulcan, Vulcan, let me tie your cap-strings!"</p> + +<p>Vulcan, who was more disturbed by his head-dress than by any other part of +his costume, made a great effort to be patient while his shaggy ears were +covered up in a forest of muslin frills. At last he was completely dressed, +and licked the end of Terry's little nose as she bent over him to put the +finishing touches to her work.</p> + +<p>"Now, it's all right except the spectacles. Turly, Turly, look about for +Nurse's spectacles. Oh, there they are on the chimney-piece! Take them out +of the case quick, and give them to me."</p> + +<p>The next minute Vulcan's patience met with its severest trial, when Terry +insisted on adjusting the spectacles on his eyes and nose regardless of his +growls of remonstrance.</p> + +<p>"Now, Vulcan, darling, you know you couldn't be a proper nurse without your +glasses. How<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[Pg 30]</a></span> could you read the newspaper or your prayer-book, or sew on +the buttons? It is a pity your nose is so wide at the top, and your eyes go +so far round the corners, but it can't be helped. I'm afraid I shall have +to tie them on—"</p> + +<p>At this moment the door opened and Nurse Nancy appeared.</p> + +<p>"Oh, Nursey, isn't he lovely? Look at him!" cried Terry, running to her.</p> + +<p>But Vulcan seemed to know he was now to be put in the wrong. He jumped up, +floundering about in Nurse Nancy's cotton gown, which had got caught from +the front so as to enable him to run.</p> + +<p>Once out of the room, he vaulted over the little gate, and tumbled down the +first flight of stairs, the children hurrying after him in spite of Nurse +Nancy's imploring appeals.</p> + +<p>Nurse herself was obliged to follow, and, descending, saw him rolling +along, tearing her gown into holes in his efforts to get on, the children +pursuing him with peals of delighted laughter.</p> + +<p>Finally, the excited dog escaped through the open back-door into the yard, +where he flopped across, the paving-stones flowing with rain, dragging +Nurse's skirts behind him and buffeting her cap with his paws till he got +rid of it by rending it into a hundred fragments.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[Pg 31]</a></span></p> + +<p>At last Vulcan settled himself back in his kennel with the drenched and +ragged remains of Nurse's gown and apron rolled around him, and with an air +of thankfulness for his escape from persecution.</p> + +<p>The children had followed him to the kennel, and stood dancing round him in +the pouring rain. Nurse Nancy stood at the door exhorting them to come back +to her.</p> + +<p>"You bad childher, you dreadful childher! Miss Terry, I command you to come +in out o' the pours of rain."</p> + +<p>"It doesn't hurt, Nursey dear; indeed it doesn't," said Terry, as soon as +her excitement allowed her to hear the voice; and she came running +obediently across the yard.</p> + +<p>"Hurt!" cried Nurse angrily, and seized a hand of each of the dripping +children, marching them up the stairs in silence and into the nursery, +where she deposited them on two chairs and stood looking at them in +speechless indignation.</p> + +<p>Turly looked defiant; Terry gazed at Nurse with dismay and bewilderment.</p> + +<p>"You wicked little girl! I know it was you that did it. Turly would never +have dared to."</p> + +<p>"Yes, I would!" said Turly.</p> + +<p>"No, indeed, he wouldn't, Nurse. It was all me. But you don't mean that +I've been really wicked. Nurse, do you?"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[Pg 32]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Don't I indeed? And my good gown in rags, and my cap in smithereens!"</p> + +<p>"I'm very sorry about that, Nursey dear, indeed I am. I couldn't have +believed Vulcan could be so stupid as to end it all that way. He just got +in a fright when he saw you coming in. And I thought you would have been so +delighted with the fun. And Gran'ma will get you a new gown and a new cap +when I tell her all about it."</p> + +<p>Nurse took no notice of her protests.</p> + +<p>"Both of you drenched to the skin! Let me feel your things! Every stitch on +you sopping with wet! I'll have to get a warm bath ready for you, and put +you in bed. And it's well if I can let you up to see your gran'mama at +tea-time."</p> + +<p>"Oh, Nurse, and I did so want to show her the things I worked for her! She +wouldn't be angry; not if I told her myself. I know it would make her +laugh—"</p> + +<p>"'Deed, and you sha'n't tell her a word of it, Miss Terry. If she was +asleep and didn't hear the scrimmage, we'll just leave her in peace about +it."</p> + +<p>"Oh, is it as bad as that?" said Terry. "So bad that I am not to tell +Gran'ma?"</p> + +<p>"It is as bad as bad—as that it couldn't be badder!" cried Nurse Nancy. +"My gown and cap ruinated, my nursery spattered with mud,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[Pg 33]</a></span> the back stairs +like a street with clay an' rain, yourselves drenched an' drownded, an' +your clothes spoiled. And into the bargain," added Nancy, with a quaver in +her voice, "my spectacles broken into smash, an' I without e'er another +pair to see my way about the house with!"</p> + +<p>"Your spectacles!" cried Terry, now at last<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[Pg 34]</a></span> stricken with remorse. "Oh, +Nursey, do you really mean that your spectacles are broken?"</p> + +<p>Nurse Nancy answered by holding up an empty rim from which all trace of +glasses had departed.</p> + +<p>Then Terry said no more, but crept meekly into her little bed, burrowed +into the pillows, and wept.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 483px;"> +<img src="images/pic04.png" width="483" height="600" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_IV" id="CHAPTER_IV"></a>CHAPTER IV</h2> + +<h3>DREADFULLY GOOD</h3> + +<p>The destruction of Nurse Nancy's spectacles was a real tragedy. Between the +hills and the sea spectacles are not found growing like limpets on the +rocks, or shaking on the wind like the bog-flowers. The rule in Trimleston +House with regard to these necessary articles was that Granny's cast-off +spectacles fell to Nancy, who was younger than her mistress, and who was +nicely suited by glasses that had ceased to be powerful enough for Madam.</p> + +<p>"Has Granny none to give you, Nursey?" asked Terry, with repentant eyes +fixed on Nancy's small brown orbs so deeply set in wrinkles.</p> + +<p>"No, child, no. She got her new ones from Dublin only a week ago. And +myself got the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[Pg 35]</a></span> ould ones. Suited me nicely, they did. And now I may sit +down and wait till Madam's eyes require another new pair."</p> + +<p>"But can't we write for some for you, Nursey, as Granny did?"</p> + +<p>"Well, now! Just as if they had my name and my number in Dublin, same as +your gran'mama's, an' her a great lady! Sure, poor people do have to walk +into a shop, and just try and try till they get a pair to fit them."</p> + +<p>Terry sat on the old woman's knee, and threw her arms round her neck.</p> + +<p>"I'll darn the stockings, and sew on the strings and buttons, and read your +prayer-book to you, and read the newspaper to you after Grandma has done +with it. Is there anything else I can do for you, Nursey darling?"</p> + +<p>"Nothing in the world, except try to be good an' keep out of mischief, Miss +Terry."</p> + +<p>"But I do so want to be good always, Nancy. And I never would be in +mischief if I knew it was mischief. It looks so right while I'm doing it, +and I don't know how it can be that all of a sudden it goes wrong—"</p> + +<p>"Not all of a suddent, Miss Terry. It's always wrong from the beginning +with you. If you would only stop and ask your elders at first 'Is this +wrong?' before you go at it—"</p> + +<p>"But I couldn't do that, unless I had an idea<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[Pg 36]</a></span> that it was going to be +wrong, even perhaps. It always seems to me the rightest, sweetest, +loveliest thing in the world—"</p> + +<p>"Now, Terry, how can you look me in the face and say you thought it was +right to take a big, wet, lumbering watch-dog out of his kennel on a wet +day and bring him upstairs to your nursery, dripping his wet over +everything, and then dress him up—"</p> + +<p>"Oh, Nancy!" cried Terry, splitting into laughter and putting her hands +before her face. "Oh, now, wasn't it simply deliciously funny? If you had +only been there before he jumped! His eyes were so sweet under your frills, +and his paws were so enchanting coming out of your sleeves. And if it +hadn't been for your spectacles—Now, tell me a story, Nancy, till it is +time to go to Gran'ma."</p> + +<p>Terry was so true to her word, did so much reading and stitching and +searching about for little things that were lost, that Granny and Nancy +agreed to think her real conversion had begun through the breaking of the +spectacles. For Nancy had allowed Terry to confess to having broken the +glasses, though she would not have dear old Madam disturbed by a +description of the pranks with the dog. So long as Nursey had to go groping +about as if in the dark, putting her nose to the carpet in search of the +dressing<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[Pg 37]</a></span>-comb she had dropped out of her hand, feeling all over the +pin-cushion for a pin, and shaking out the newspaper with an expression on +her face which told that it was a perfectly blank sheet to her: while this +state of things went on, Terry had no time to think of fresh adventures, so +eager was she to come to Nursey's relief with her sharp young eyes and her +quick little fingers.</p> + +<p>However, a more thorough relief was at hand, and it happened in this way.</p> + +<p>Walsh, the old steward at Trimleston, was the same age as Nancy, and the +same kind of spectacles suited him. He sometimes went a journey to a town +about thirty miles away to pay bills for Madam, and to order things that +were wanted about the place. Granny suddenly discovered that he might as +well take the journey now as wait for the spring. She gave him a long list +of matters to be attended to for her, and then she said:</p> + +<p>"And you had better go to the optician's, Walsh, and choose a pair of +spectacles to suit yourself, and bring them to me for Nurse Nancy."</p> + +<p>As soon as Terry saw Nursey's keen brown eyes looking at her through the +familiar little glass windows once more, she felt her remorse slip away +from her, and her liberty return.</p> + +<p>"Nursey is able to take care of herself now," she thought, "and I have +nothing to do. I wish<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[Pg 38]</a></span> I cared about reading, but I don't. I like people to +tell me stories, but nobody has more than a few, and you get to know them +all off by heart. The books always say such a lot between the happening +parts, and if you skip too much you lose part of the story. The story +people all sit down and fold their hands, and wait till the close thick +pages of prosy prosy are over, and when they get up again and go on they +have forgotten their parts. Pappy says I shall like reading when I'm older; +but I'm not older, and I don't like it. I just like to be doing something, +and oh, dear, there is nothing to do!"</p> + +<p>Terry was sitting at the nursery fire waiting to be summoned to Granny's +sitting-room. She had on her pretty white frock, her gold curls were all +brushed up into a thousand shining rings, and her blue silk work-bag was +hanging by its ribbons from her arms. She had been extremely good and quiet +all day, and she was intending to behave nicely to Gran'ma during the +evening. She knew exactly all that would happen. There would be a good tea; +oh, yes, Granny did give such good teas, dear old Gran'ma! And then Terry +would sit on a stool beside her, and embroider a letter on one of Granny's +new cambric pocket-handkerchiefs. After that Terry would read aloud, poetry +such as Gran'ma liked, and Terry did not much object to that, for<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[Pg 39]</a></span> she +loved musical rhythm, only Granny always chose and marked the pieces, and +Terry would rather have tossed over the leaves till she found a poem that +she could make a favourite of for herself. She hoped it would be Longfellow +to-night. She liked that one:</p> + +<div class='center'> +<table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" summary=""> +<tr><td align='left'>"A little face at the window<br /> +Peers out into the night".</td></tr> +</table></div> + +<p>Oh, yes; she would be as good as good! And Terry heaved a long-drawn sigh.</p> + +<p>"Turly," she said suddenly, "do you never get tired lying flat on the +floor, playing with soldiers and bricks, and things?"</p> + +<p>"No," said Turly, "I've done such a day's work. I've built a whole city of +streets out of this one brick-box."</p> + +<p>"You ridiculous boy! The box only holds enough bricks to build one house +with."</p> + +<p>"I know that," said Turly placidly. "I build one house at a time, and I +count the houses I've built till I know there is a street."</p> + +<p>"Oh, you silly! You are building the same house every time, and taking it +down again. How can you be so baby as to call that building a street."</p> + +<p>"No matter," said Turly, "I have the street in my head. I see all the +houses I built, though they had to come down. It's a grand city."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[Pg 40]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Whereabouts is it in the world!" asked Terry, a little interested in spite +of herself.</p> + +<p>"Oh, it's a city I read about in the <i>Arabian Nights</i>! I think they call it +Ispahan. I intend to go there some day. There are magicians living in it."</p> + +<p>"Oh, that's better!" cried Terry. "You must take me with you, Turly."</p> + +<p>"Girls don't ever grow up into famous travellers," said Turly, as he packed +his bricks solidly back into their box.</p> + +<p>"Oh, you stupid! don't they? As if I couldn't run about as well as a person +who lies on the floor all day and calls it travelling."</p> + +<p>"I didn't," said Turly, "I said I intended to go and see that city some +day, and find out all about everything that is in it. I am afraid the +magicians are dead."</p> + +<p>But here Granny's tea-bell rang, and the children hastened away to their +honey and tea-cakes. And there they had a delightful surprise, for two +little new kittens, a white Persian and a black velvet creature with yellow +eyes, were curled up on the hearth at Gran'ma's feet.</p> + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> + +<div> +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[Pg 41]</a></span> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_V" id="CHAPTER_V"></a>CHAPTER V</h2> +<h3>"BAD AGAIN!"</h3> +</div> + +<p>When tea, and reading, and sewing were all over, the children were allowed +to play with the new kittens, and Granny presented a kitten to each child, +Turly choosing the black and Terry the white one. They were each of a very +aristocratic cat race, and had been sent a great many miles as a present to +Madam. Terry named her kitten Snow, and Turly gave his the name of Jet. +Nurse Nancy had provided a ribbon and a little tinkling bell for each. Jet +had a scarlet ribbon and a gold bell, and Snow a blue ribbon and a silver +bell. Nancy also produced two balls of knitting worsted, and it was very +funny to see the kitties frisking about the floor after the dangling balls. +This gave a pleasantly exciting finish to the evening, and the play went on +until Gran'ma began to look tired.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 486px;"> +<img src="images/pic05.png" width="486" height="600" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + +<p>As Nancy was tying the blue ribbon round Snow's white, furry neck, Terry +holding her up by her fore-paws while a pretty knot was being made between +her ears, Terry heard Nancy say to Granny:</p> + +<p>"I think you are very tired, madam. I believe<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[Pg 42]</a></span> you miss your new-laid egg +in the mornings; sure I know you do, madam."</p> + +<p>"Why don't you have your new-laid egg in the mornings, Granny?" asked +Terry, putting Snow down on the floor, and nestling up to her grandmother.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[Pg 43]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Because, darling, the hens don't choose to lay, this cold weather."</p> + +<p>"Do they never lay in cold weather? Are there no hens who will lay eggs for +Gran'ma, Nursey dear?" urged Terry.</p> + +<p>"I believe there's a few down at Connolly's farm," said Nancy; "at least +I've heard so. I've a mind to send down and enquire."</p> + +<p>Then Granny went off with Nancy to her bedroom, and the children were left +in the sitting-room playing with the kittens.</p> + +<p>"Turly," said Terry, "I want to speak to you. Put the kittens in their +basket and come here."</p> + +<p>Turly came directly and they sat on two little stools and looked into the +fire.</p> + +<p>"What is it about, Terry?" asked Turly. He was always ready for any +startling plot or plan that Terry might propose to him.</p> + +<p>"Did you hear Nancy saying Granny was getting weak for want of her new-laid +eggs, and that the hens wouldn't lay them for her?"</p> + +<p>"No," said Turly.</p> + +<p>"Well, she did."</p> + +<p>"We can't help it," said Turly.</p> + +<p>"You can't, dear; but I can. I'm older than you."</p> + +<p>"The hens won't do it for you, no matter how old you are," said Turly.</p> + +<p>"Oh!" said Terry impatiently, "that is not<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[Pg 44]</a></span> what I mean! There's a few hens +down at Connolly's farm, and Nancy thinks they lay."</p> + +<p>"Where is Connolly's farm?"</p> + +<p>"I'm sure I don't know, but there are hens there, real industrious hens, +and I want to get their eggs for Gran'ma."</p> + +<p>"You can't," said Turly.</p> + +<p>"Wait till you see," said Terry.</p> + +<p>Turly looked at his sister admiringly, but went on piling up the +difficulties she was going to surmount.</p> + +<p>"You don't know where Connolly's farm is. And when you do, the hens are not +yours. Connolly wants to eat his own eggs. Perhaps he's got a gran'ma."</p> + +<p>"No, he hasn't. And he would rather have money than eggs. At least poor +people generally do."</p> + +<p>"How do you know he is poor?"</p> + +<p>"Oh, Turly, how you do keep contradicting! Now I'll tell you what I am +going to do. I'll just get out the pony quite early in the morning and ride +to Connolly's farm, and be back with the eggs for Gran'ma's breakfast."</p> + +<p>Turly opened his eyes wide with admiration, but he was not convinced.</p> + +<p>"Somebody will be sure to be angry," he said, "and there will be a row."</p> + +<p>"But you know it couldn't be wrong, Turly,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[Pg 45]</a></span> because it is for Gran'ma. And +I'm not going to bring the pony up the stairs, and it won't be wet, because +it's just nice frosty weather—"</p> + +<p>"Connolly's farm is awfully far away. I'm sure it is," said Turly. "You'll +never get back here for breakfast."</p> + +<p>"But I shall start quite, quite early."</p> + +<p>"It will be dark."</p> + +<p>"There's ever so much moonlight at six," said Terry. "I was awake this +morning, and I saw it. I was just longing to get up and go off for a ride, +and now there will be a real reason for doing it."</p> + +<p>"I will go with you," said Turly, suddenly changing his front.</p> + +<p>"Oh, no, you couldn't, Turly! There is only one pony. You must stay behind, +and if there's any fuss because I'm a little late or something, you can +tell them I've gone for the eggs and will be back directly."</p> + +<p>Nurse came in and took them off to bed, but Terry kept thinking of her +morning adventure. She did not think of it as an adventure, but as a +delightful surprise for Gran'ma.</p> + +<p>"She does so much for us," thought Terry, "and we can do so little for her! +And she will find it so nice to have a good fresh egg for breakfast!"</p> + +<p>Still Terry felt it would never do to tell<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[Pg 46]</a></span> Nursey of her intentions. She +would be sure to think that everything would go wrong. Rain would come on, +or Connolly's really wouldn't have any eggs, or the pony would go lame. But +won't she smile up all over when she sees Gran'ma eating her fresh egg at +breakfast-time!</p> + +<p>The greatest dread Terry felt was of oversleeping herself. She fell asleep +as soon as her head was on the pillow, but wakened with a start as the +clock was striking three. She could hear Nurse snoring through the wall, +and Nurse Nancy had a most peculiar snore, first a long-drawn note, as of a +horn, and then a little whistle.</p> + +<p>"I wonder how she does it," said Terry to herself, and tried to imitate the +sounds. "I couldn't. It's awfully clever of her. And when you see her going +about in the daytime you would never think she could do it."</p> + +<p>Terry thought it would be quite easy to lie awake, waiting, for three +hours. However, after listening for about five minutes to Nursey's snoring, +and blowing through her own little nose to try to do the same, she was fast +asleep again.</p> + +<p>She wakened again exactly at a quarter to six. The moonlight was now +pouring into the room, and she could see everything as well as if by day. +She got up and went out to the landing to look at the clock, and stood +there in her white<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[Pg 47]</a></span> night-dress, with her little bare toes on the carpet, +gazing at the solemn white face of the tall brown clock which Granny said +had stood there just as she was for quite two hundred years. It was +impossible not to think of this clock as a personage, and she was +accustomed to change her character very much as Terry changed her moods. +Sometimes she was a cheery old creature, hurrying on the time with her +pleasant chimes, coaxing round the sunshine out of the dark, and bringing +back the cosy bed-time when children were tired. At other times she had the +air of a stern prophetess, with a threat in every "tick, tick", and a hint +of doom in the striking of every hour. As she stood now in her brown cloak +darkened by the moonlight, and her round meaningless face whitened by it, +she recalled to Terry a remark once made by Granny, "Many a life she has +ticked away out of this house, and out of this world, has that old +great-grandfather's clock, my children!"</p> + +<p>"She sha'n't tick my life away," thought Terry. "I hope she won't tick away +Gran'ma's and Nursey's! But that is nonsense, of course. Granny couldn't +have meant that she had anything to do with it, for that is only God's +business!"</p> + +<p>These ideas just flashed through Terry's little head as she stared at the +clock and heard her<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[Pg 48]</a></span> give that curious snarl with which she always warned +one that there were but three minutes left of the passing hour. And the +hour hand was at six.</p> + +<p>It was just the time for Terry. She dressed quickly, putting on the little +riding-skirt that she had brought from Africa. It was some inches shorter +than it had been then; but never mind, it was all right.</p> + +<p>"I don't believe anybody gets up till seven these winter mornings," she +reflected, and certainly the house was quite still as she slipped out, and, +knowing where to find the stable-keys, she was soon in the stable. She put +her own little saddle on the pony and led him from the yard, leaving the +keys in the doors, because it was morning, and there was no more use in +locking up the places.</p> + +<p>Away went Terry trotting down the avenue, full of the enthusiasm of her +good intentions. She was soon out on the high-road. There was a crisp, +white frost on the grass, but the middle of the road was not at all slippy. +The pony went at a good pace, and soon carried her a couple of miles away +from home. All this time Terry thought of nothing but the enjoyment of her +ride, and of that basket of eggs she was going to carry home to Gran'ma.</p> + +<p>Presently the moon set, and there was scarcely<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[Pg 49]</a></span> a glimmer of daylight, but +a great deal of frosty fog. Up to this Terry had been allowing the highway +to carry her anywhere it pleased, but now at last she came to four +cross-roads, all seeming to lead into fogland, and she stopped short.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 472px;"> +<img src="images/pic06.png" width="472" height="600" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[Pg 50]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Now I wonder where is Connolly's farm!" she said; but the pony only tossed +his head and shook his ears, and was not able to help her.</p> + +<p>"I was quite sure it was just about here, because Nursey said 'down at +Connolly's farm', and her head shook in this direction. I thought I saw it +quite plainly when she was speaking. It ought to be here, and yet I can't +see it. This is down, for it has been a little bit downhilly all the way. +I'm sure I could see it if the fog would only get away. There! it is +getting a little more daylight, and I'll just take this road because it +still seems to be going down."</p> + +<p>She started off again; but as she went the fog grew thicker and thicker, +and Terry soon became aware that it was freezing hard. The pony began to +stumble, and several times he nearly fell, for Terry found it hard to hold +him up with her little frost-bitten fingers. She worked bravely, but felt +that the road was indeed downhill, and all the more difficult in its +present state of slipperiness. Still there was no house in sight, and so +thick was the fog that unless the door of the farmhouse had been just at +hand, it would not have been visible to her.</p> + +<p>The road grew worse and worse to the pony's feet, and at last he made a +great stumble and went crash down on his knees on some sharp stones. Terry +went over his head, but for<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[Pg 51]</a></span>tunately alighted sitting on the frozen grass +by the roadside.</p> + +<p>She was soon on her feet, and so was the pony, but the poor little animal +was bleeding at the knees, and Terry knew that she must not mount him +again. She broke the ice on a pool and bathed his wounds with her +handkerchief. She was crying as she wiped away the blood.</p> + +<p>"Oh, Jocko, Jocko, I'm so sorry I hurt you! I never thought of such a thing +as the frost or the fog! Oh dear, what shall I do to make you well, and how +shall I get you home? And oh, Jocko, we haven't got any eggs!"</p> + +<p>Kisses and pats on his nose may have been comforting to Jocko, but he could +not give his little mistress any assurance on the subject.</p> + +<p>"If I could even see the way to get home!" said Terry; "but it seems as if +the whole world were full of nothing but wool and feathers! And I can't +guess which was the side I came by."</p> + +<p>She tore her handkerchief in two and made a wet bandage for each of Jocko's +knees, and then she could do no more, and sat down by him on the roadside +to wait till the fog should clear up a little. Her teeth began to chatter +with cold, and she felt altogether miserable.</p> + +<p>"And I meant to be so good, and I thought it would go so well—and oh, +those eggs! How can one ever know what things are going to turn into?"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[Pg 52]</a></span></p> + +<p>Suddenly she heard a rumbling sound which she knew must be a cart coming +along the road, though she could not see it. She moved the pony and herself +carefully in against the bank on the roadside, so that they might not be +run over, and then waited anxiously to see what would come out of the fog.</p> + +<p>Very soon a horse's head appeared, then his body, and afterwards the cart +he was drawing, and the frosty-red face of the driver who was sitting on a +load of turf on the cart.</p> + +<p>"Hullo!" shouted the man. "What on airth are you doin' there in the dyke, +little missy?"</p> + +<p>"Oh," cried Terry, "I've broken my pony's knees, and I can't ride him, and +I couldn't see the way to Connolly's farm, and even if I did now I don't +know how to get there with Jocko!"</p> + +<p>"Connolly's farm! Would it be Mike Connolly Mac you would be lookin' for?"</p> + +<p>"Oh, I suppose it is!" said Terry. "I only just heard it called Connolly's +farm. And Nurse said it was down somewhere, and I came out to look for +fresh eggs to give Gran'ma a surprise for breakfast."</p> + +<p>"And now what would be your name, little lady, an' who would be your +gran'ma?"</p> + +<p>"My name is Terencia Mary, and my grandmama is Madam Trimleston," said +Terry.</p> + +<p>The man gave a whistle of surprise.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[Pg 53]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Faith and Missus Nancy might look afther ye betther," he said. "I know +her, and I'll give her a piece of my mind. To send a child like you out for +eggs, ridin' on glassy roads, and in such a fog as this!"</p> + +<p>"Oh, she didn't send me! I came myself, and she didn't know anything about +it. I took the pony myself, to give them a surprise."</p> + +<p>"Then I think you behaved very bad, miss, an' you deserved to be knocked +about. But the pony did no wrong, and you've hurted him!"</p> + +<p>"Bad again!" groaned Terry; "and I felt so good. You are not a kind man," +she added, looking at him with big tears in her blue eyes. "I'm not going +to ask you to do anything for me. Only, if you would just tell me where +Connolly's farm is perhaps I can get there if the fog would only go. I can +walk Jocko there, and Connolly will take care of him."</p> + +<p>"I declare, but you have the pluck for a brigade of soldiers," said the +carter. "But come now, missy, I'm not goin' to lave you in the lurch +thataway. And first an' foremost Connolly's farm is away over yonder, two +miles from Trimleston House in the opposite direction; you took the wrong +road from the first."</p> + +<p>"Oh!" groaned Terry; "and must I go home straight with Jocko's knees +broken, and without the eggs?"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[Pg 54]</a></span></p> + +<p>"An' thankful you ought to be to get there," said the carter, "you an' the +pony, without any bones broken. But how do you think you're goin' to get +home itself, now, missy?"</p> + +<p>"You're the unkindest person I ever knew," said Terry. "I didn't think +there was so unkind a man in the world. Everyone was always kind to me +before."</p> + +<p>"It's my notion that they've been too kind to you, little missy. However, +not to be the unkindest in the world, I'll make a try to bring you home +myself. I'll just tie the pony to the back of the cart an' he'll follow, +and you get up here beside myself, and we'll face back to Trimleston."</p> + +<p>"But you were going the other way. You'll be late for your own business," +cried Terry.</p> + +<p>"Never mind, missy; business'll have to wait. We can't lave a young lady +and a pony with cut knees foundherin' on the roadside," said the carter. +And so the pony was tied to the cart, and Terry was hoisted to a seat on +the turf beside the carter.</p> + +<p>At any other time she would have asked to be allowed to take the reins and +drive the cart, but just now she felt too cold and miserable and crushed, +too unhappy about Jocko, and too utterly defeated in the matter of the +eggs, to do anything but huddle up in her nook among the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[Pg 55]</a></span> turf sods and +struggle against a threatened burst of weeping.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 481px;"> +<img src="images/pic07.png" width="481" height="600" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + +<p>The carter drove on slowly, in silence, looking back now and again to see +that the pony was all right, but taking no further notice of Terry. The fog +was beginning to lift a little, so that one could see here and there a bit +of the roof of a<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[Pg 56]</a></span> little house, or a thorn bush. At last the carter said:</p> + +<p>"Well, missy, what about thim eggs? Were they raly for Gran'ma's +breakfast?"</p> + +<p>"Oh, don't talk about them!" cried Terry. "It's the worst of the whole +thing. I thought it wasn't wrong because she misses her eggs so much, and +our hens won't lay, and Nurse said they had some at Connolly's farm—and oh +dear!"</p> + +<p>Terry here gave way to her despair, and burst into sobbing and weeping.</p> + +<p>"Well now, little missy, cheer up! I wouldn't say but what we might find a +couple of eggs here in one of the houses as we go along."</p> + +<p>"Oh, could we? I've got money to pay for them. And it wouldn't be half so +bad if I could only be in time with the eggs for Gran'ma's breakfast."</p> + +<p>"Aisy now, aisy!" said the carter as he drew up opposite to a little gray +stone house where some hens were picking about the doorway. "I would bet a +sack of potatoes to a bag of meal that one o' thim very hins is afther +layin' an egg, by the cluck of her!"</p> + +<p>He shouted and whistled, and a woman came to the door.</p> + +<p>"Do you happen to have any new-laid eggs about the place, ma'am?" asked the +carter.</p> + +<p>"Why then, I have three," said the woman,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[Pg 57]</a></span> "nice an' warm from the nest. +Would ye be wantin' thim?"</p> + +<p>"Oh yes, please!" cried Terry, and pulled out her little purse. "Do pay for +them, thank you," she said to the carter, "and please give her plenty of +money, for I am so glad to get them!"</p> + +<p>"Well now, missy, why would ye be trustin' me with this?" said the man, +taking the purse. "Sure maybe I'd be robbin' you."</p> + +<p>"Oh no, you wouldn't!" said Terry; "you're a great deal kinder than I +thought you were at first."</p> + +<p>The purchase was made. There was no basket, and Terry was glad that she had +three nice, soft pockets in her coat, into each of which she put an egg. +After that the cart jogged on more quickly than before, as the fog had +lifted so far as that Terry could see all around her.</p> + +<p>"I see someone awfully like Turly; just there in the distance," said Terry. +"Do you see, Mr.—"</p> + +<p>"My name's Reilly," said the carter.</p> + +<p>"Thank you, Mr. Reilly. I'm dreadfully afraid it's Turly!"</p> + +<p>"Who is Turly, and why are you afraid it's him?"</p> + +<p>"Turly is my brother, Turlough Trimleston. I'm afraid because he oughtn't +to be out riding on a donkey this foggy morning."</p> + +<p>"No more nor his sister riding on a pony. I<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[Pg 58]</a></span> hope he hasn't broken the +donkey's knees," said Reilly.</p> + +<p>"I hope not. I don't think so, or he wouldn't be riding it. It really is +Turly, and he won't be at home to tell Nurse what has become of me.—Oh, +Turly, Turly, why did you come after me when I told you not to?"</p> + +<p>"I said I would come," said Turly.</p> + +<p>Reilly had pulled up while Turly was being interviewed. The little boy sat +on a bare-backed donkey, himself looking rather at loose ends, with +evidences of having dressed himself hastily without any finishing-up from +Nurse Nancy.</p> + +<p>"How did you ever do it, Turly?"</p> + +<p>"How did you do it?" said Turly. "Of course I just walked into the stable +and looked about for a horse. I tried to sit on them all, but I couldn't, +for they were too wide. Then I spied the donkey. There was no saddle for +him, so I took him as he was. And how did you like Connolly's farm, Terry? +And is this Connolly?"</p> + +<p>"Oh dear no, Turly! This is Mr. Reilly. Jocko and I were lost in the fog, +and we didn't get at all near Connolly's. And Mr. Reilly found us and got +me some eggs. But oh, Turly, poor Jocko's knees are cut, for he slipped in +the frost and I let him down."</p> + +<p>"Never mind! They'll come all right again," said Turly. "Lally will look +after him."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[Pg 59]</a></span></p> + +<p>"We may as well hurry up then," said Reilly, "if I'm ever to get on the +road again with my load of turf."</p> + +<p>Then they began to move on again, the cart with Terry and Reilly, and Turly +riding the bare-backed donkey behind, side by side with Jocko, who seemed +very glad of their company.</p> + +<p>As they turned off the high-road they saw Nurse Nancy standing at the foot +of the avenue, evidently looking out for them in great anxiety. The cart +stopped before her.</p> + +<p>"Oh, you terrible childher! You dreadful little girl! I wonder I am alive +since six o'clock this morning!"</p> + +<p>"You were sound asleep then, Nursey. I heard you snoring. And you won't +call it dreadful when you see the eggs. The only terrible thing is Jocko's +knees. I'm awfully sorry about that, indeed I am. I'd rather it had been my +own knees!" cried Terry, running to the back of the cart to examine poor +Jocko's injuries.</p> + +<p>"The pony's knees!" shrieked Nurse, throwing up her hands and her eyes in +despair.</p> + +<p>"I tell you Lally will make him all right!" said Turly. "Ponies and men +don't make a row over a scratch as women do!"</p> + +<p>"If Lally cures him I'll give him all my pocket-money for a year," said +Terry, wiping<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[Pg 60]</a></span> her own eyes and patting Jocko's nose. "Oh, here is Mr. +Lally! Do you think you can cure poor Jocko's knees, Mr. Lally?"</p> + +<p>"So you're at your thricks again, Miss Terry! Sorra ever such a young lady +was born in this mortial world before!" said Lally. "Now what will your +gran'ma be sayin' to you this time, Miss Terry?"</p> + +<p>"Oh, Gran'ma! I hope she hasn't had her breakfast yet, Nursey. Just look at +the lovely fresh eggs Mr. Reilly got me!"</p> + +<p>"An' I scourin' the counthry all round about Connolly's farm lookin' for +ye!" said Michael Lally indignantly, as he examined Jocko's knees.</p> + +<p>"And have they really got plenty of eggs at Connolly's?" cried Terry. "For +only three will not last very long, you know."</p> + +<p>"Here, Missus Nancy, for all the sakes will you take your childher out o' +my road?" cried Lally. "A nice scoldin' I'll be gettin' over again from +Madam when she hears of it."</p> + +<p>"Oh no, she won't! Not when she get's her egg, and I tell her about it," +said Terry.</p> + +<p>And then Reilly gathered up his reins, laughing, and went rattling his cart +of turf down the road. Lally led away the pony, and Nancy and the children +returned to the house.</p> + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> + +<div> +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[Pg 61]</a></span> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VI" id="CHAPTER_VI"></a>CHAPTER VI</h2> +<h3>A BRASS HELMET</h3> +</div> + +<p>Madam's breakfast was ready, and there was just time to cook the new-laid +egg and put it on the tray.</p> + +<p>Terry got behind the open door, and great was her delight when she heard +Granny say:</p> + +<p>"Why, Nancy, you don't mean to tell me that this is a new-laid egg! Where +can you have got it?"</p> + +<p>"A nice little hen laid it for you, madam," said Nancy, "and may be there's +more where it come from."</p> + +<p>"That is very good," said Granny. "What are the children doing at present, +Nancy?"</p> + +<p>"They're just about goin' to get their breakfast, madam."</p> + +<p>"Isn't it rather late for their breakfast?" said Granny.</p> + +<p>"Both of them's been out, madam, and have got appetites like young +troopers," said Nancy evasively.</p> + +<p>Terry listened with the keenest disappointment. Was Nancy not going to tell +Granny that it was she, Terry, who had got her that egg for her breakfast? +When the nursery<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[Pg 62]</a></span> meal appeared, Terry rushed forth her grievance.</p> + +<p>"Oh, Nursey, you never told Granny who got her that egg! And after all the +trouble I took!"</p> + +<p>"The trouble you took was all boldness and disobedience," said Nancy, "and +it's just the way you're to be punished by not letting her know. It isn't +to screen you that I'm not tellin' her the whole of your conduct, but only +just that I won't have her sick about it. It wasn't you at all that got the +eggs, but Misther Reilly; for there you were stuck in the dyke, with the +pony hurted, an you as far off as to-morrow from Connolly's farm."</p> + +<p>"It's a worse punishment than if you beat me," said Terry. "And you said I +had an appetite like a trooper, and I haven't, for I can't eat a bit."</p> + +<p>"You're a jolly goose, then!" said Turly. "Breakfast's awfully good, I can +tell you."</p> + +<p>"If you don't eat, it doesn't matter," said Nurse. "It'll maybe make you +think again before you set off to run into such dangers. If your head had +come against a stone when the pony went down—"</p> + +<p>"But it didn't," said Terry. "It wasn't the least bit like that. I just +came sitting on the grass quite comfortably. And I tried to get to +Connolly's, and I didn't want Jocko to be hurt."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[Pg 63]</a></span></p> + +<p>"It isn't the least use talking to you," said Nancy; "but I've another +punishment for you. I've been talking to Madam about your practising, and +you've got to begin to it. I told her you'd be forgettin' all your music, +and she said you'd betther go to it afther breakfast this very mornin'."</p> + +<p>Now if there was one thing in the world that Terry hated it was her +"practising". To sit hammering out five-finger exercises on a piano in a +lonely room, making a dreary, monotonous noise, trying to turn in her +fingers and thumbs at the right places, and doing the same thing over and +over again, while the hands of the clock crept slowly round; all this meant +a penance which was torture to the active little creature.</p> + +<p>However, Terry accepted her sentence in silence. She never thought of +disobeying a direct command like this; for it was true, as she had often +said, that she never did a thing which she believed at the time to be +wrong. It would be clearly wrong to refuse to do her practising when Nurse +and Gran'ma had decreed that it was to be done, and so she recognized that +the hated ordeal must be faced.</p> + +<p>She got out her "music", sheets covered with wicked-looking black notes, +having figures and crosses marked above them in pencil to show<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[Pg 64]</a></span> her where +to put her little fingers, which were always sure to get themselves in the +wrong places. Before descending to the large lonely drawing-room where the +practising had to be done, Terry made one last appeal to fate by opening +the door of Granny's bedroom ever so little and speaking in. Granny might, +after all, not be so severe in this matter as Nurse Nancy.</p> + +<p>"Gran'ma, dear," said a little plaintive voice, "do you think I need go to +my practising quite so soon in the holidays?"</p> + +<p>"Yes, my darling," answered Madam from among the curtains of her bed. "You +know your mother will expect you to play something pretty for her as soon +as she comes home."</p> + +<p>Then Terry strove no more against her doom, but went down to the +drawing-room.</p> + +<p>The drawing-room was a handsome old-fashioned apartment, but with that +depressing atmosphere which gathers into rooms, especially large ones, +which have ceased to be much lived in. The curtains drooped sorrowfully, +the carpet had a lonely, untrodden look; the chairs had an air of not +expecting to be sat upon, some Elizabethan portraits on the walls showed +stiff wooden personages, who seemed to have driven all the living persons +out of the room. When the piano was opened, the black and white keys +appeared cold and uninviting to the touch.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[Pg 65]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Oh dear! oh dear!" said Terry. "An hour's practising! It is just twelve by +the clock now, and I shall have to strum till one!"</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 483px;"> +<img src="images/pic08.png" width="483" height="600" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + +<p>She spent all the time she could in screwing the music-stool to the right +height for her little figure. It was no sooner up high enough than she +found she wanted it to go down, and then<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[Pg 66]</a></span> it would go down too low. At last +it was just as right as it could be, and there was nothing more to be done +with it.</p> + +<p>Then the first two notes were struck by Terry's two little thumbs. How +strange and audacious they sounded in the silence of the lonely room! Terry +glanced over her shoulder at the pictures, and saw a long-faced man in a +pointed collar looking at her severely.</p> + +<p>"Oh, how can I?" she exclaimed, dropping her hands into her lap. "How can I +if he goes on like that?"</p> + +<p>She tried again, however, and this time succeeded in running a five-finger +exercise once up and once down.</p> + +<p>"I forget how to do it, my fingers are all on the wrong notes. Miss +Goodchild says I have a taste for music. How can I have when I hate a +piano? I love beautiful sounds when I hear them, but these are not +beautiful sounds. I can't make anything but a dismal noise. Even the +long-ago people on the walls object to it. But I must do it again or it +won't be practising;" and this time Terry ran the five-finger exercise up +and down two or three times without stopping before she let her hands drop +again from the keys.</p> + +<p>Suddenly a bright idea struck her.</p> + +<p>"I wonder what o'clock it is!" she said to her<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[Pg 67]</a></span>self. "I must have been at +least half an hour in this room."</p> + +<p>She got down from the high stool and walked slowly across the long room, +feeling that she was getting rid of a little time by restraining her usual +rapid movements. Arriving at the door she stood with her back to it for a +few moments, gazing all around.</p> + +<p>"Could it ever have been a real everyday place to live in, like Granny's +sitting-room upstairs, or the day nursery? Granny says it was a lovely, +comfortable room when she was going about, and everybody was in it every +day. And certainly there are a lot of nice things in it, if they were only +shaken about. But there's nobody to shake them, and it's awfully ghosty, +and I do so feel afraid the ghosts will hear my bad playing and come to me. +Now, I'm sure it must be half an hour, and I may go and look at the clock!"</p> + +<p>She slipped out of the door and closed it behind her quickly, as if she +feared invisible hands might catch her unawares to keep her within. Up two +flights of stairs she went, and looked at the clock on the landing.</p> + +<p>"Only ten minutes past twelve!" she exclaimed in dismay. "Oh, that dreadful +old clock must have stopped herself on purpose! Now, I will just watch to +see. I don't believe she's moving<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[Pg 68]</a></span> at all." And Terry put her back against +the wall and fixed her eyes on her enemy.</p> + +<p>"No; she's going," said Terry, as the minute-hand made a slight onward +jerk, "but she has gone slow just the very morning I have got to practise."</p> + +<p>She went down to the hall, slowly, counting the steps, and stood in the +hall looking at everything as if she had never been there before.</p> + +<p>"I wonder if I might curl in behind that door with a story-book," she +thought, "or even with nothing at all; where I could hear the sounds of the +other parts of the house! But no, I couldn't. I know it would be wrong, +because I've got to be a whole hour at my practising. And I don't want to +have two wrongnesses in one day, bad as I am."</p> + +<p>She returned at once to the drawing-room, and, seating herself again at the +piano, went steadily up and down a whole scale, trying seriously to turn in +her thumbs at the right places and to put her fingers where they ought to +be when she wanted them. She really worked hard for five minutes, and then +stopped and congratulated herself that the hour must be nearly over.</p> + +<p>"But I must play over Gran'ma's little tune," she said to herself. +"Gran'ma's so fond of it, and it is pretty, only I don't like his being +killed.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[Pg 69]</a></span> Malbrook was killed, I know he was. Gran'ma told me so."</p> + +<p>She got out an old music-book of Madam's young days, and turned to a page +on which were a number of small tunes of a few bars each, and each marked +with a name.</p> + +<p>She began to play the old air of Malbrook, very sweetly and plaintively, so +as quite to justify Miss Goodchild's opinion that she had a taste for +music. But at the last bar Terry's little hands fell limp, and she burst +out crying.</p> + +<p>"I know he was killed!" she said; "and what with Jocko's knees and +everything I can't bear it. I wonder if Turly would come down and sit with +me; that is if my hour isn't up."</p> + +<p>Alas! the pitiless old clock informed her that she had still at least half +an hour of penance to undergo. Perceiving this she stole up softly to the +nursery.</p> + +<p>"Turly, dear! Are you there, Turly?"</p> + +<p>"Oh yes, I'm here!" said Turly. "Have you done your practising?"</p> + +<p>"No, I haven't. I wish I had. And will you come down and sit with me, +Turly? The drawing-room is so lonely, and the time gets on so slow."</p> + +<p>"It's silly to be lonely," said Turly. "I'm not a bit lonely here with my +bricks. But of course I'll come with you."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[Pg 70]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Oh, thank you, Turly! Is Nursey with Gran'ma?"</p> + +<p>"Yes."</p> + +<p>"What does she look like, Turly?"</p> + +<p>"Like always," said Turly.</p> + +<p>"Is her nose long, Turly?"</p> + +<p>"Isn't it always the same, Terry?"</p> + +<p>"No, it isn't. When Nurse is angry her nose gets long and her mouth goes +down at the corners. And when she's pleased they both shorten up again."</p> + +<p>"I didn't look at her as much as that," said Turly.</p> + +<p>So Turly came and played in the drawing-room while Terry went on with her +practising. He made a play for himself which was not particularly good for +the furniture. A long train of wagons was constructed of chairs put on +their sides and one or two small old spider tables with their spindle legs +in the air. Turly dressed himself in a few of Granny's best oriental +embroideries, and armed himself with the brass fire-irons.</p> + +<p>"It's war, you know!" he explained to Terry. "Play Malbrook again. But I'm +not going to be killed, I can tell you. I'd just like to see anybody trying +to do it."</p> + +<p>"Oh, Turly, you must be killed, because you have no helmet! Oh, I know +where I can get you one!"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[Pg 71]</a></span></p> + +<p>Terry sprang up and flew to where a small palm was standing, its garden-pot +enclosed in one made of Benares brass. She quickly lifted the palm out of +the brass pot, carried the pot across the floor, and turned it downwards, +like an extinguisher, on Turly's head. It just took his head in, coming +down a little over his eyes.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 546px;"> +<img src="images/pic09.png" width="546" height="600" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + +<p>"Now you are perfect!" cried Terry, clapping her hands.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[Pg 72]</a></span></p> + +<p>"It isn't exactly all right," said Turly. "I should want to see a little +better. Push it a little farther back on me, Terry."</p> + +<p>Terry tried to do so, but the pot would not move.</p> + +<p>"My head is stuck into it," said Turly. "I'm afraid it will never come +off."</p> + +<p>"Oh, Turly!"</p> + +<p>"Never mind. I'll go on with the fighting, and perhaps some fellow will +shoot it off. My wagons are running away, and I must run after them."</p> + +<p>In this manner the practising got finished, and the children hastened to +restore the furniture to its usual state in the room before the appearance +of Nurse Nancy, who might now be expected to look in at any moment. Two or +three times Turly had tried to remove his helmet, but had failed, and so it +was left on his head till all was in order. At last, however, the children +were confronted with a difficulty. The helmet had to come off Turly's head, +and it wouldn't.</p> + +<p>"Oh, Turly, it must come off!" said Terry.</p> + +<p>"Says it won't," said Turly. "Got wedged. Wish it was a little bit more up, +that a fellow could see better. Don't bother, Terry, perhaps it'll change +its mind. Won't it be a joke to see Nurse's face?"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[Pg 73]</a></span></p> + +<p>The door opened on the moment, and the expected face was seen. Nurse Nancy +stood amazed.</p> + +<p>"Turly, what do you mean by using your Gran'ma's nice things in such a +manner? That's one of the beautiful ornaments your uncle sent her from +India. Take it off directly, and put the palm back into it."</p> + +<p>"It doesn't like the palm, Nurse. It would rather have me!" cried Turly, +dancing about impishly at the same time, trying to shake the pot off his +head by the movement.</p> + +<p>"Do you mean to be disobedient, Turlough?"</p> + +<p>"The pot is awfully disobedient," said Turly. "I tell you it won't come +off."</p> + +<p>"We'll see about that," said Nurse Nancy, putting her hands to the pot. But +to her consternation it refused to move.</p> + +<p>"Shake your head out of it, Turly!"</p> + +<p>"I shook and shook, and it only gets tighter on. If I shake any more it +will come down about my neck, and my eyes will be gone up into it, and my +mouth and my nose!"</p> + +<p>Here was a state of things. Nurse looked ready to faint, as she thought of +her boy being smothered before her eyes in a Benares pot.</p> + +<p>"Oh, Turlough! why did you do anything so wild as putting your head into +that pot?"</p> + +<p>"He didn't, Nursey," said Terry, trembling and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[Pg 74]</a></span> pale. "It was I who put it +on his head for a helmet."</p> + +<p>"I can believe it, Terencia Mary," said Nurse. "You are always the +ringleader. And why did they call you Mary, like your gentle mother and +grandmother? There's no Mary-ness in you, you shocking girl, that couldn't +do your little bit of practising without running after helmets."</p> + +<p>Here another attempt was made to dislodge Turly's head, while Terry stood +wringing her hands.</p> + +<p>"I say, Nurse," said Turly, "don't you go abusing Terry for nothing. I +dressed myself up as a soldier, and I was taking my wagons to the wars, and +I had everything right but a helmet, and Terry was afraid I might be shot, +so there! she isn't to be blamed for it."</p> + +<p>"And your dinner ready, and you not able to take it," said Nurse.</p> + +<p>"Oh, am I not? Just you see if I don't make use of my mouth as long as I've +got it."</p> + +<p>"Come then," said Nurse; "and I must see about sending to Dublin for a +surgeon, though how I'm to manage all without your Gran'ma knowing, I'm +sure I'm at my wits' ends to guess."</p> + +<p>Turly ate his dinner with great vigour, but Terry sat miserable and without +appetite.</p> + +<p>"I put the pot on his head," she thought, "and it will require a surgeon +from Dublin to get it<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[Pg 75]</a></span> off. Will the surgeon have to cut part of his head +away? That is what surgeons do; they cut."</p> + +<p>Just as her thoughts had arrived at this excruciating point, the pot +suddenly made a jerk and fell completely over Turly's face, covering his +chin.</p> + +<p>Nurse and Terry shrieked, and Turly uttered some unintelligible sounds from +within the pot.</p> + +<p>"He'll be smothered!" cried Nurse Nancy.</p> + +<p>"What would the surgeon do if he were here?" asked Terry, with tears +streaming, then darted from the room saying: "I'll bring up Michael Lally +and Mr. Walsh!"</p> + +<p>These two worthy men were on the scene in a few minutes, and Lally +instantly thought of a plan.</p> + +<p>"We'll hang him up by the heels," he said.</p> + +<p>So the two men took Turly in their arms and "up-ended" him; the consequence +being that the pot, being now in a straight position on the head, fell off. +Whereupon Turly was re-placed on his feet on the floor.</p> + +<p>Then Nurse Nancy sat down and rocked herself and wept.</p> + +<p>"I thought it would ha' been either a death or an operation!" she sobbed. +"Will I ever get over it?"</p> + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> + +<div> +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[Pg 76]</a></span> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VII" id="CHAPTER_VII"></a>CHAPTER VII</h2> +<h3>UP THE CHIMNEY</h3> +</div> + +<p>Granny had little idea of what an eventful morning it had been when the +children came to her in the afternoon, looking so nice and well-behaved, as +if they had done nothing but bite their little thumbs in the nursery from +the moment of their getting up till tea-time. Nurse Nancy had persisted in +carrying out her determination to leave her dear mistress in peaceful +ignorance of whatever terrifying episodes might develop during the sojourn +of the children in the house. She had suffered enough from their pranks in +the summer, and she must now be allowed to believe that they were grown as +serious and as quietly-behaved as any old people.</p> + +<p>Fortunately the house was big and the walls were thick, and sounds must +needs be very loud indeed to penetrate to Madam's sanctuary, if care were +taken to keep them from reaching her ears.</p> + +<p>When Terry appeared as usual in her white frock, with her little blue silk +work-bag, and with what Nurse Nancy called her "Mary" face, Granny said to +herself that the child was a sweet little lady; but remarked that Terry<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[Pg 77]</a></span> +looked pale. Was her clothing warm enough? Had she eaten a good dinner? No, +said Nancy, she hadn't eaten a good dinner, not to-day; but it was only +once, and for a wonder.</p> + +<p>"Wait till you see what a tea she'll make, madam. Myself thinks children +sometimes hides their appetites in their pockets and brings them out again +when they get something they like."</p> + +<p>In this way good old Nancy told the truth and didn't tell the truth, all to +save pain to Madam. But Terry hung her head. She was, as usual, longing to +confess everything that had happened, but kept silence through obedience to +Nurse Nancy. However, when she was invited to partake of the good things of +the tea-table, she did not fail to verify Nurse Nancy's prediction as to +the return of her appetite.</p> + +<p>Indeed, all the troubles of the morning had been by this time removed so +far away that it seemed as if they must have happened a year ago. Lally had +sent her word that Jocko's knees were nearly all right, and that he +suffered no pain from them. Turly's head was in its usual place, and the +pot, being brass, was not even broken. Her practising had been done, and +Granny would have another fresh egg to-morrow morning for breakfast. So +there was no reason in the world why Terry should not make a good tea, now +was there?<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[Pg 78]</a></span></p> + +<p>After tea came a rush of joy which quite swept away the recollection of +everything uncomfortable, for Granny informed the children that she had had +a letter from Africa saying that it was probable their father and mother +might come home within a very short time. Dear old Granny had tears in her +eyes while telling this news; and she said that she was rejoiced to think +of what very good children she should be able to present to their parents +when they did arrive at home.</p> + +<p>The evening was passed delightfully, trotting about the floor with the +kittens, reciting poetry, reading aloud, and embroidering. Granny told some +pretty stories of when she was a little girl, stories to which the children +always listened with real delight, because Gran'ma evidently had been a +little girl, from the sort of things she told, and the way she told them, +not like some grown-up people who would make their youngers believe that +they never cared for anything but lesson-books and goody-goodiness from the +moment they were christened. Granny even sang them one or two little songs +which she used to sing when she was ever so small, and Terry thought she +never heard anything so sweet as Granny's soft singing, although it did +only whisper sometimes, and now and then her voice would crack off on the +high notes. There was one little ditty<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[Pg 79]</a></span> which the children liked greatly, +and which Granny said used to be sung to her by her nurse to put her to +sleep. The song began:</p> + +<div class='center'> +<table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" summary=""> +<tr><td align='left'>"It's pretty to live in Ballinderry,<br /> + Far prettier to live in Magherlin;<br /> +Far prettier to live in Ram's Island<br /> +And see the little boats sailing in!"</td></tr> +</table></div> + +<p>It was altogether an evening which made the children feel completely +absolved for any blunders they had committed, and they got up the next +morning particularly good, not afraid of anything, and quite ready for a +new adventure. There was a snow world outside the windows, and this in +itself was an excitement.</p> + +<p>Blackbirds, thrushes, finches, tomtits, came round the doors and windows +begging alms, not to mention crows and magpies, who fought with the little +birds for the crumbs provided for all, and proved themselves intolerable +bullies, much to Terry's disgust.</p> + +<p>"The best plan will be," said Turly, "to throw big pieces, and then these +monsters will fly away with them, and leave the little fellows to eat in +peace."</p> + +<p>This was done, and the rooks in their sombre cloaks and hoods, and the +magpies in their courtly black satin and white velvet, pounced on the +morsels, and retired with them to the branches of the nearest trees.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[Pg 80]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Oh, now," said Terry, "we can give the dear little song-birds their +breakfast! Just see how they are running like little chickens to be fed!"</p> + +<p>However, only now was the fighting to begin. The thrushes pecked the +blackbirds, and the blackbirds flew at the thrushes, and both beat back the +little redbreasts and tomtits.</p> + +<p>"Rascals!" said Turly; "they are every bit as bad as the crows!"</p> + +<p>"Oh!" cried Terry, "to think they can sing so sweetly and behave so +cruelly!"</p> + +<p>"I suppose it's only their way," said Turly. "I think birds have to be +cruel, or they couldn't live. See them picking up the worms, and smashing +the snail-shells against the stones!"</p> + +<p>"And men are cruel too," said Terry. "They kill the lambs—"</p> + +<p>Here their talk was interrupted by an unusual and startling sight. The air +became suddenly darkened by a moving cloud of winging sea-gulls high +overhead, circling above the tops of the trees, ever increasing in number +till their wide wings seemed to be almost laced together.</p> + +<p>Each time the great circle they had marked for themselves was travelled +they descended a little lower towards the earth.</p> + +<p>"How lovely!" cried Terry. "They are really coming down to us!"</p> + +<p>"They are wanting their dinner," said Walsh,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[Pg 81]</a></span> the steward, coming to where +the children were standing with their faces turned up to the skies.</p> + +<p>"Oh, do you think so?" cried Terry. "And where can we get crumbs enough for +such a number?"</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 495px;"> +<img src="images/pic10.png" width="495" height="600" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + +<p>"But sea-gulls live on fish," said Turly, "and the sea is never frozen. Why +should the frost make the sea-gulls hungry?"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[Pg 82]</a></span></p> + +<p>"I think they're river-gulls," said Walsh; "but anyhow it's looking for +something to eat they are, or they'd never be here. I think there's a lot +of damaged grain up somewhere in the lofts, and we'll boil up a pot of it +for them, not to disappoint the creatures!"</p> + +<p>"That will be very good," said Terry, "if damaged grain will agree with +them, Mr. Walsh. But do you think they will like to have it damaged?"</p> + +<p>Walsh turned away laughing. "Wait till you see them eating it, Miss Terry," +he called over his shoulder. "Maybe it's green peas and jam tarts you'd +like to be settin' down to them!"</p> + +<p>"I don't think they would like jam tarts," said Terry, "but we might give +them some meat;" and away she flew, followed by Turly, to interview the +cook on the subject of a feast for the gulls.</p> + +<p>"Oh, yes, Miss Terry, I'll find plenty for them! There's leavings enough. +It's only taking a little from the pigs, fat things that do be always +eating a lot too much!"</p> + +<p>The end of it was that a splendid mess was made for the gulls, and spread +in little heaps under the trees, and all about the lawn, and even under the +windows, for Terry and Turly wanted to be able to watch them at their +dinner, and they could not stay out of doors, as gulls are so easily +frightened.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[Pg 83]</a></span></p> + +<p>From behind the curtain the children watched them circling, circling +downward. Even when they smelt the hot food, the gulls did not alter their +rhythmical pace and movement, but performed their journey in regular order, +descending with each circle nearer and yet a little nearer to the ground. +At last the first gull ventured a foot upon the territory of man, and +immediately they all dropped on one another, wings falling on wings, and +cries filling the air as the beautiful hungry creatures forgot all their +poetry in their ravening and scrambling for the food.</p> + +<p>That was a good evening also, for by the time the gulls had eaten up all +the dinner and flown away it was nearly the hour for going to Gran'ma, and +she had to be informed of the delightful experience of the morning with the +birds. And Granny told them how, when she used to be going about among the +trees and in the garden, the birds would eat out of her hand, and the +little squirrels, who always came to look after the walnuts, were never in +the least bit afraid of her. After all this the children went to bed +feeling even more gentle and harmless than the night before. And when they +awoke next morning, expecting another day of charity to the birds, they +were quite like little ministering angels, and tricks and adventures were +far from them.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[Pg 84]</a></span></p> + +<p>But, alas! the snow was gone, the birds were regaling themselves on a +breakfast of worms, and the rain was pouring thickly and quietly, with an +easy intention of going on for ever, as only Irish rain can pour.</p> + +<p>Now what was to be done? No good works were possible. Nurse Nancy could +think of nothing more diverting than story-books, and so Terry and Turly +sat each on a stool beside the fire with a book, while Nancy went as usual +to attend to her mistress.</p> + +<p>Nurse had said nothing about practising, and, good as she wanted to be, +Terry had not courage to return of her own accord to the melancholy piano +in the deserted drawing-room. If Turly were to come there with her again he +would either go to war, or hunt wild beasts, or do some other disturbing +thing to disagree with the order of the furniture, and she herself, Terry, +would be sure to be in the middle of the worst of it. So she resolutely +held to her book, that Nancy might not be so likely to remember the +practising.</p> + +<p>When the children were left alone, however, they soon began to talk.</p> + +<p>"I say, Terry," said Turly, "isn't the house awfully quiet? You wouldn't +think there was any kitchen or places downstairs, because they make no +noise. At school you are always hearing things, doors banging and voices +speaking,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[Pg 85]</a></span> and you can smell the dinner. It's a very quiet place, Gran'ma's +is. There's no smell, and there's no sound."</p> + +<p>"It's very far downstairs here, you know," said Terry sagaciously. "It's a +big house. And we do smell our own dinner when it comes up. Now, don't we, +Turly?"</p> + +<p>"Oh, yes!" said Turly, yawning; "but I like to know all that is happening +to everybody. I say, Terry, do you know there's another story of house +above the part we're living in?"</p> + +<p>"Two stories," said Terry.</p> + +<p>"Have you never been up in them?" said Turly.</p> + +<p>"No," said Terry. "I peeped up the stairs once or twice, but it looked +rather lonely, so I didn't care to."</p> + +<p>"I think it would be great fun to go up and see what they're like," said +Turly.</p> + +<p>"Some of them are servants' bedrooms," said Terry. "But there are other +parts besides, I know."</p> + +<p>"Do come up and see, Terry."</p> + +<p>"There might be a ghost."</p> + +<p>"If there is, I'll soon knock him on the head," said Turly. "I'll take the +poker with me."</p> + +<p>"Oh, you silly! The poker would pass through him. They have no bodies."</p> + +<p>"Then they couldn't hurt us," said Turly, "so<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[Pg 86]</a></span> who cares? But there might +be rats, so I'll just take the poker with me."</p> + +<p>"I don't like rats," said Terry; "and mind, Turly, it's you this time, if +anything goes wrong."</p> + +<p>"Now, I hope you're not going to turn into a common girl, Terry," said +Turly. "You used to be such a brick."</p> + +<p>All this made Terry feel that she couldn't possibly be going wrong to-day. +Turly was always said to be good, and he was reproaching her with too much +goodness. They might just go up the stair and take a look around. There +couldn't be any harm in it.</p> + +<p>Still, they went very softly for fear of being overheard. It would be so +disappointing if Nursey were just to come out of Gran'ma's room and say +"Come back, children!"</p> + +<p>Up the stair they went. On the first floor they came to were bedrooms, +chiefly rooms where servants slept, and one or two lumber rooms with +nothing very interesting about them. So the children decided to go up +higher still. A winding stair led to the topmost story of the big house, +which consisted of a range of attics.</p> + +<p>They looked into all, but none of them was attractive. The expedition was +threatening to prove a failure when they arrived at the last door and +pushed it open.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">[Pg 87]</a></span></p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 484px;"> +<img src="images/pic11.png" width="484" height="600" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + +<p>This place certainly seemed more promising. Large black presses were +standing against the wall, looking as if they were full of everything. It +wasn't exactly a lumber room, but a kind of place where very particular old +things had been put away. A rocking-cradle in a corner caught their eyes.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">[Pg 88]</a></span></p> + +<p>"I wonder if Granny was rocked in it!" said Terry.</p> + +<p>"She would have to be very little," said Turly dubiously.</p> + +<p>"Of course she was little. I can quite fancy Gran'ma little. Some people +must have been born grown-up. Miss Goodchild was born grown-up, I know. Of +course she's nice, but she couldn't ever have been little, Turly."</p> + +<p>"Nobody could be born grown-up," said Turly. "They've all got to begin +babies. Nursey told me so."</p> + +<p>"Now, Turly! As if God couldn't make us big at once if He liked. And He +did. There's Adam. Do you mean to say he wasn't made grown up? And so was +Eve."</p> + +<p>But Turly had got away from the cradle and had opened one of the presses.</p> + +<p>"Strange-looking things in here," he said. "Hanging up, like people."</p> + +<p>"Oh, they're old dresses of course," said Terry. "Very old dresses I'm sure +they must be. Oh, Turly!"</p> + +<p>Turly had climbed up and unhooked some things which had caught his fancy. +He carried them to the light and examined them.</p> + +<p>"It's a soldier's uniform," he said, "and it must be very old. It's all +stuffy and moth-eaten, and the gold is nearly black. There are green<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[Pg 89]</a></span> +things on it. I know what it is, Terry. It belonged to Gran'ma's uncle in +the Irish Brigades. He was killed at Fontenoy. They sent home his things. +Nursey told me all about it."</p> + +<p>"Oh, do put it away, Turly! Don't try to get into it. You're too small, and +beside he was killed."</p> + +<p>"It's too big for me," said Turly. "I wonder if he had it on when he was +killed!"</p> + +<p>"Of course he had. Oh, Turly, do hang it up again!"</p> + +<p>"I thought it looked like a kill when I saw it hanging there," said Turly. +And he hung it up again and closed the door of that press.</p> + +<p>"Now I'm sure this is Gran'ma's wedding-dress," said Terry. "It's white, +you know, though it looks gray, because it's so long ago!"</p> + +<p>Many other curious discoveries were made, and at last Turly declared he was +so hungry that he was sure it must be dinner-time.</p> + +<p>All the things they had handled were put back in their places, and they ran +to the door. Terry turned the handle and shook it, but it would not open.</p> + +<p>"I locked it when we came in," said Turly. "I was trying the lock."</p> + +<p>"I can't unlock it," said Terry.</p> + +<p>Turly tried, and Terry tried again, but the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">[Pg 90]</a></span> key was fixed in the lock and +would not move. Turly got tired struggling with it, and began to kick the +door and to call. They listened, and could not hear anybody coming. +Everything was exactly as before.</p> + +<p>"It's very high up," said Tarry, "and the door is so thick."</p> + +<p>"Perhaps we could get out of the window," said Turly. But the window was +perched up on the roof, and there was no balcony. It was so high that they +could just see the tops of the trees in the distance.</p> + +<p>"I shouldn't mind if I weren't so hungry," said Turly. "I suppose they will +find us some time or other."</p> + +<p>"They'll never think of looking for us here, I'm afraid," said Terry.</p> + +<p>Turly ran over to the grate. "I say," he cried, "this is an awfully short +chimney, and ever so wide. I'm going to get to the top of it and wave a +flag."</p> + +<p>"Do you think you could, Turly? Are you sure you would not hurt yourself?"</p> + +<p>"Oh, bother hurt!" said Turly. "We want our dinner."</p> + +<p>They looked about for something to make a flag of. At last Terry took off +her white petticoat and tore it up to make a long streamer. It was mounted +on a walking-stick which was<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[Pg 91]</a></span> found in a corner, and then Turly began to +climb the chimney.</p> + +<p>Notches in the stone enabled him to plant his feet, and after he had +squeezed himself up some way, he thrust the stick with its white streamer +through the opening above him.</p> + +<p>"It's all right!" he shouted down. "It's flying!"</p> + +<p>Fortunately there were no chimney-pots on that particular chimney It had a +wide opening, and Turly got his head out at the top.</p> + +<p>"Oh!" said Terry, with her head in the grate, "I hope it won't get all wet, +and flop!"</p> + +<p>"Rain's over!" shouted Turly. "I've got such a splendid view! Walsh and +Lally and a whole pack of them are running down the avenue; going to look +for us, I suppose. Hullo! If they would only look up! What duffers they +are, with their eyes on the ground! I say, Lally! Hi—h—!"</p> + +<p>Terry only heard a word or two of all this, and the people down below none +at all. It was only by accident that Lally turned round and took a look +back at the house.</p> + +<p>"Powers above us!" he shouted, "what's up there on the chimbley?"</p> + +<p>"Chimbley's on fire!" somebody else shouted, having just caught the word +chimney, and everybody began to run back to the house.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[Pg 92]</a></span></p> + +<p>"No, you idiots!" roared Lally; "but, by my sowl, if it isn't Turly's head +that's perked up on the chimbley as if it was Cromwell's head on Newgate!"</p> + +<p>Screams followed. Nurse Nancy, who was of the party, dropped on the road, +and Walsh had to stop and hold her.</p> + +<p>"Up the chimney!" she groaned. "Heavens! how are we to get him down? There +isn't a ladder long enough!"</p> + +<p>"Aisy, ould woman!" said Lally. "We'll get him down the way he got up. It's +an inside job."</p> + +<p>And away he trudged to the house with a goodly following, including Nancy +herself, who soon found her feet when she heard that there was a cure for +the catastrophe.</p> + +<p>How the rescuing party blundered about the upper story, and at last found +the right room, need not be related.</p> + +<p>The door was shaken, battered, assaulted in every possible manner, but the +rusty key had got stuck half-way across the lock and would not stir. In the +end the door had to be taken off the hinges, and when it was removed the +children made a very sooty appearance as the result of their struggle for +liberty.</p> + +<p>Turly was like a real sweep from squeezing himself up and down the chimney, +and Terry<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[Pg 93]</a></span> had got her gold curls sprinkled with soot, the result of +putting them into the grate when she looked up the chimney after Turly.</p> + +<p>The men laughed heartily when they heard the children's story of their +adventure, and Nurse, as usual, groaned and scolded at first, but +afterwards relented and gave them a good dinner, having prepared them for +it by a bath and clean clothing.</p> + +<p>In spite of Nancy's good intentions, Granny heard the noise and asked what +it meant.</p> + +<p>"Oh!" said Nurse, "it was only the children that shut themselves up in the +attic and couldn't get out again, so that Lally had to open the door for +them."</p> + +<p>"Poor darlings!" said Granny; "a wet day is very trying for them. And they +have been so wonderfully well-behaved; now haven't they, Nancy?"</p> + +<p>"Pretty well, madam, considering," said Nancy.</p> + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VIII" id="CHAPTER_VIII"></a>CHAPTER VIII</h2> + +<h3>THE RUNAWAY BOAT</h3> + +<p>A week went past, during which there were no particular adventures. The +weather was fine, crisp with light frost, and sunny in the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">[Pg 94]</a></span> mornings, so +that the children had long rambles out-of-doors in the care of a young +housemaid, who allowed them a good deal of liberty. In this way they worked +off a great deal of energy, and did not get into any serious scrapes. +Bridget told them fairy tales as they trotted along, one on each side of +her, but that was only when they were tired of running and exploring +everything.</p> + +<p>Sometimes they went down to the sea-shore and built castles of stones, and +picked up shells washed in by the waves. A few little houses stood just +above the shore, and Bridget had friends in these houses, and while the +children were playing she would often leave them on the beach and go to pay +visits to her friends.</p> + +<p>One day when the children had been left alone in this manner they wandered +out of sight of the houses, getting across some rocks and into a little +creek which was quite new to them. They saw some more fishermen's cottages +at a distance, and one or two boats were lying on the shingle. One boat was +rocking on the tide, and Turly immediately went rushing towards it. It was +tied by a rope to a ring fastened in a rock close by.</p> + +<p>Turly stood looking at it, and Terry was soon beside him.</p> + +<p>"It doesn't look a very busy boat," said Turly. "It has neither sails nor +oars; it looks quite out of practice."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">[Pg 95]</a></span></p> + +<p>"I suppose it is getting a rest," said Terry.</p> + +<p>"Boats don't get tired. I think there must be something the matter with it. +I'll just get in and see what is wrong."</p> + +<p>The next moment he was in the boat.</p> + +<p>"I don't see anything wrong," said Turly. "It's a very nice boat. Jump in, +Terry! It's awfully good fun to be in a boat."</p> + +<p>"It waggles," said Terry, "and if I fall in there will be a fuss. I think +Nurse is tired of changing our clothes. But there, I'll pull it up close by +the rope. All right!" and Terry was also in the boat.</p> + +<p>"We can pretend we are on a voyage," said Turly. "What country would you +like to discover? America, or Robinson Crusoe's Island?"</p> + +<p>"Oh, those were discovered long ago!" said Terry. "I would rather have +quite a new island. If it wasn't it wouldn't be discovering, you know."</p> + +<p>"I want a new continent," said Turly. "If I discover anything it must be a +continent; islands are not up to much."</p> + +<p>"But there are no more continents to discover, Turly."</p> + +<p>"So they said before America," said Turly.</p> + +<p>"But nothing more is on the map; Miss Goodchild says so."</p> + +<p>"She'll have to make new maps, then," said<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">[Pg 96]</a></span> Turly, "after we have come back +from our voyages."</p> + +<p>They pottered about in the boat for a while, talking make-believe +out-on-the-ocean talk, hauling sails and working the helm. Turly was +captain, and Terry had to be the entire crew. At last Turly said:</p> + +<p>"We don't sail a bit; we only joggle. Do you think I might untie the rope?"</p> + +<p>"No, no!" cried Terry; "we're only pretending. You know we have neither +oars nor sails."</p> + +<p>"I suppose it is better not," said Turly, as a healthy sensation of hunger +reminded him that he could hardly return from discovering a new continent +before dinner.</p> + +<p>However, the rope, as if it resented having been interfered with in doing +its duty, now played them an unkind trick. It loosened from the ring of its +own accord, and the boat, with the children in it, drifted away from the +rocks.</p> + +<p>The tide was going out, and the even waves carried the little bark far from +land in the course of a very few minutes.</p> + +<p>Turly burst out laughing, but Terry turned very white as she realized what +had happened.</p> + +<p>"Turly, Turly, don't dance about like that, or you will upset the boat! +We're going out to sea, and we can't get back again!"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[Pg 97]</a></span> Turly looked around +and saw that she was right, but did not like to confess so much.</p> + +<p>"Of course we're going out to sea," he said, "but why shouldn't we come +back again?"</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> +<img src="images/pic12.png" width="600" height="581" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + +<p>"What's to bring us back?" said Terry. "We've no oars or sails, and if we +had we're not big enough to use them."</p> + +<p>"The tide is going out," said Turly, "and it's taking us. When it begins to +come in it will bring us back."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">[Pg 98]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Oh, it won't come back for hours and hours! And how can we tell where we +are going?"</p> + +<p>Turly was quiet now, and came to sit with Terry in the bottom of the boat.</p> + +<p>"It's the only way to keep it steady," said Terry. "Let us ask God to take +care of us!"</p> + +<p>"Of course He will; He walked on the sea. Aren't we silly not to have +thought of that before?"</p> + +<p>They both slipped on their knees and cried out loudly:</p> + +<p>"God! God! Come to us and bring us back to shore!"</p> + +<p>Still the boat kept drifting away outward, while the shore they had left +got farther and farther into the distance.</p> + +<p>They were very cold by this time, but fortunately the day remained calm and +clear, and there were still some hours to come of winter daylight.</p> + +<p>At last, after a period that seemed to them a whole day long, Turly turned +his head and gave a wild shout of triumph.</p> + +<p>"Hurrah!" he cried; "here's my continent."</p> + +<p>Terry looked round, and there, truly, was land on the other side of them to +which their backs had been turned while they were straining their eyes +towards home.</p> + +<p>"It's an island," said Terry. "Nurse often<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">[Pg 99]</a></span> said there were islands out +here. How are we going to catch on to it?"</p> + +<p>"The tide is taking us slap up against it," said Turly. A few minutes later +they went bang into a rock; the boat made a somersault, flung the children +high and dry, and "ran off with itself, laughing", as Turly said +afterwards.</p> + +<p>When they were able to pick themselves up, and to look around, they +perceived that the rock on which they were perched was right in the little +harbour of an island. There was still daylight enough to see the houses on +the island and the people walking about the beach. No one noticed them for +some time, and at last they took off their hats and waved them, and +shouted.</p> + +<p>Then they saw a man in the dress of a fisherman look up and stand staring +at them as if he did not believe they were human children.</p> + +<p>"I suppose he thinks we're mermaids," said Terry. "I hope he won't, because +then he might leave us here all night."</p> + +<p>"We haven't got fishes' tails," said Turly; "anyone could see that. I don't +believe he's such a stupid. See, he's pointing us out to another man! Oh, +they'll come for us in a boat! And then it will be fun to have discovered +an island."</p> + +<p>"I think it's quite an old island," said Terry. "We haven't discovered +it."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[Pg 100]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Now don't you go and spoil things," said Turly. "I mean to discover it."</p> + +<p>They soon saw that the fishermen were really coming for them, and not a bit +too soon, for the tide was rising round their rock, and, besides, they were +so cold and hungry that their courage was nearly exhausted.</p> + +<p>"Now, will ye tell me where did the pair of ye come from?" said one of the +men. "Is it down out of heaven ye are, or up out of the sea? By my word I'm +not sure at all about takin' the like o' ye into my boat."</p> + +<p>"Hold your tongue, man," said the other. "Don't you see the childher's +teeth are chatterin' out of their heads with the cold. Come in here, little +lady and gentleman, and then ye can tell us what bad ship threw you out of +it to where ye are."</p> + +<p>"It wasn't a ship; it was a boat," said Turly. "And it was a queer boat. +First it ran away with us, and then it threw us out and made off with +itself."</p> + +<p>"We got in to look at it only," said Terry. "It was tied to a rock, and the +rope got loose and the tide carried us away."</p> + +<p>"Well then, but some poor body's blessin' was over ye, or ye weren't here," +said the first man. "It's three miles from main shore, and there's a storm +comin' on."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">[Pg 101]</a></span></p> + +<p>"We called God," said Terry.</p> + +<p>"It's good for ye that ye did," said the man. "Thank Him now that ye've got +your feet on dry land again."</p> + +<p>They had scarcely touched the shore when the storm began to whistle, and +soon to roar, and big waves hurled themselves on the island. It was quite +certain they could not return to Trimleston that night. One of the +fishermen took them home to his own cabin, where there was a good fire of +turf, and a kind woman and some little children. They got a good supper of +potatoes and herrings, which, after their long fast, was found to be most +delicious.</p> + +<p>The little fisher-children came round them, smiling at them, examining them +all over, touching their clothes. They had never seen anything so nice as +this little lady and gentleman. There were six little fishermen and +fisherwomen, all in red flannel frocks and bare feet. Nonie, the eldest, +who was eight years old, could not cease admiring the strangers.</p> + +<p>"Where were ye?" she asked suddenly, after a long, worshipful silence, with +her eyes fixed now on Terry and now on Turly.</p> + +<p>"Oh! isn't she sweet?" cried Terry. "What do you mean, Nonie?"</p> + +<p>"Where were ye before?" stammered Nonie.</p> + +<p>"Oh, miss," said the mother, laughing, "she<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">[Pg 102]</a></span> wants to know where ye live, +for she never seen the like o' ye before!"</p> + +<p>"We live over on the other shore, in a big house, Nonie; and I hope you +will come to see us there. I'm sure Gran'ma will want you to come."</p> + +<p>And then, when she thought of what Gran'ma at that moment was doing, Terry +broke down and began to cry bitterly.</p> + +<p>"Oh, Mrs. O'Neill, you don't know how dreadful it will be when we haven't +come home, and nobody knows what has become of us!"</p> + +<p>"Well, dearie, as soon as ever the storm goes down a bit, it's Peter +O'Neill that'll be takin' you home to her."</p> + +<p>"It's worse for me, you know, Mrs. O'Neill, because Turly is a boy; and, +besides, I am older. I am always getting into scrapes though I don't mean +it, and I suppose I must have gone wrong this time too."</p> + +<p>"No, you didn't," said Turly; "I got into the boat and I made you come to +me."</p> + +<p>"I oughtn't to have got in," said Terry, "I ought to have pulled you out."</p> + +<p>"Then we should both have been drowned," said Turly, "for I should have +pulled and kicked, I know I should, and the boat would have gone over on +top of us."</p> + +<p>"Oh, poor Gran'ma!" cried Terry.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">[Pg 103]</a></span></p> + +<p>"I tell you Nursey will pretend we're in bed," said Turly; and Terry +grasped at this idea and took a little comfort from it, remembering Nancy's +many successful little plots for screening the children and saving her dear +lady from anxiety and disturbance.</p> + +<p>The beds in the fisherman's house were only of straw done up in bags, and +the bed-clothes were very light, but the children slept soundly and found +everything as comfortable as possible. Terry was wakened by a little kid +licking her face, and started up in great astonishment and delight. It was +a pet kid, and had rushed into the house as soon as the door was opened.</p> + +<p>The breakfast was potatoes and goat's milk. The little fisher-children ate +with them, and were very merry as they peeled their potatoes and sipped the +milk from their tin mugs. But Terry and Turly could scarcely understand +what they said, even when they spoke English.</p> + +<p>"What are they saying, Mrs. O'Neill?" asked Terry, completely puzzled, +while Nonie and her little brothers and sisters chattered to one another.</p> + +<p>"Sure it's Irish they're talkin'," said their mother. "It's what we always +talk together, and anything else comes strange to them."</p> + +<p>"Irish? But we are Irish too. Why don't we talk Irish?" cried Terry.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">[Pg 104]</a></span></p> + +<p>Here Peter O'Neill came and said that the weather was looking better, and +the boat was ready, and if the little lady and gentleman would come, he +would take them across that bit of sea home to their Granny.</p> + +<p>The children felt it hard to leave the island and their new friends without +having seen more of them, but the thought of Gran'ma's pain of mind and +Nurse Nancy's misery hurried them off, and they were soon in the boat. This +was a very different crossing from the last, seeing that they were cared +for by two stout fishermen, and pulled along by four strong oars.</p> + +<p>"But, after all, God did very well for us, now didn't He, Mr. O'Neill?" +said Terry.</p> + +<p>"He did the next thing to a miracle," said O'Neill; "but you'd better not +be doin' any more thricks behind your Gran'ma's back, or maybe God would +turn round and punish ye."</p> + +<p>"I won't; indeed, indeed, I never will," said Terry.</p> + +<p>Meanwhile poor Nurse Nancy had spent a dreadful day and night since Bridget +had rushed home to her with the news that the children had disappeared and +were not to be found. All the evening and through the night men were out +searching for them in every direction. No one noticed the disappearance of +the boat till next morning, and it was feared that the children had<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">[Pg 105]</a></span> fallen +down some steep rocks, and had either been killed by the fall or drowned. +Bridget was nearly out of her senses, knowing that she had neglected the +children; and poor old Nancy was so ill from the shock and fear that she +would perhaps have died, only that she had Madam to think of.</p> + +<p>When Granny's tea-time came and the children did not appear, Madam +naturally asked what was delaying them.</p> + +<p>"Oh, then, indeed, madam, you mustn't expect to see them to-night! They've +been gettin' into mischief, and I can't bring them here to you."</p> + +<p>Gran'ma was shocked.</p> + +<p>"Now, Nancy," she said, "are you not too severe upon them, and for the +first fault? They have been doing so beautifully."</p> + +<p>"Well, madam, I beg you'll leave them to me," said Nancy, making a great +struggle to speak as if nothing had happened worse than seemed from her +words. "I hope it will be all right with them to-morrow, and then they can +come in and ask your pardon."</p> + +<p>"What did they do, Nancy?" asked Madam.</p> + +<p>"Oh, they'll tell you themselves, I hope," said poor Nancy, striving to +satisfy her mistress without telling a positive untruth.</p> + +<p>So the dear old lady went to sleep that night without having suffered +anything worse on the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">[Pg 106]</a></span> children's account than a little regret that they +had been punished by having their tea in the nursery, and being sent to bed +early.</p> + +<p>Nancy could not rest, but spent the night wandering up and down the avenue +and on the road, watching for the return of messengers, who were continuing +the search about the rocks and all over the country, with the help of +lanterns. But day broke without bringing any sign of the children.</p> + +<p>At last, in the dawn, the owner of the runaway boat came down to the beach +and missed his property. In an instant the truth flashed on him. The +children and the boat must have gone away together.</p> + +<p>He sent for Walsh and Lally, who had just returned from different quarters, +hoping to hear when they arrived at the house that the children had already +got home.</p> + +<p>"They're drowned," said the man. "My boat's gone with them, and where would +it be but to the bottom of the sea in that storm?"</p> + +<p>"Then you may go up to the house yourself with that news," said Walsh; "for +it's not me that's goin' to carry it."</p> + +<p>"Nor me," said Lally.</p> + +<p>The three men stood gazing out to sea with tears in their eyes. Bridget, +looking as white as a ghost, appeared and joined them.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">[Pg 107]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Nancy has to stay with Madam," she said. "She's at her wits' end to know +what to tell her next. For heaven's sake, is there no news at all from +anywhere?"</p> + +<p>The men looked at her. They did not like to say, "It's your fault", so they +only shook their heads.</p> + +<p>Presently Walsh said:</p> + +<p>"There's a boat missin'."</p> + +<p>Bridget screamed, and began to beat her breast and clap her hands.</p> + +<p>"Whisht! will you," said the boatman. "We're bad enough without that. Give +us peace to think a bit. If they were drowned they would ha' been washed in +by this. The early tide would ha' brought them, for the boat couldn't carry +them far without upsettin'."</p> + +<p>"I'll run away! I'll run away!" shouted Bridget.</p> + +<p>"Run then," said Lally. "It isn't you we're thinkin' of, but the poor ould +lady, and the father and mother that's out in Africa."</p> + +<p>At this moment a white speck appeared on the sea. A ray of sunlight had +struck across the twilight and made it visible; then something larger and +darker was seen behind it moving with it.</p> + +<p>"Would it be a boat?" said Lally, as all eyes were strained watching this +appearances.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">[Pg 108]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Then you may well ask, for a boat it is!" said the boatman. "If it isn't +the angels that's bringin' them childher home, by my word, I don't know +what it is!"</p> + +<p>A few more minutes of eager watching assured them that Terry and Turly were +returning, if not visibly in the custody of angels, at least in the care of +two sturdy oarsmen, who were pulling towards the shore.</p> + +<p>As they came near enough to be well seen and heard the children stood up in +the boat and cheered and waved their handkerchiefs to their friends. +Bridget waited for no more, but ran with the good news to the House.</p> + +<p>Poor old Nancy had made an excuse to get away from Madam for a few minutes +and was leaning against the door-post, scarcely able to stand, and with a +face of the most intense misery. When she saw Bridget running towards her, +waving her apron, she knew the news must be good.</p> + +<p>"They're all right!" screamed Bridget, ever so far away. "They're comin'! +They're comin'!"</p> + +<p>Hearing this, Nurse Nancy first of all knelt down in the hall and thanked +God. Next she went back to Madam and told her that she thought the children +had been punished enough, and should be allowed to come to her as usual at +tea-time. She was not a minute too soon with<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">[Pg 109]</a></span> the news, for Granny had +already begun to get a little suspicious and uneasy.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 521px;"> +<img src="images/pic13.png" width="521" height="600" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + +<p>In a very short time afterwards Terry and Turly came racing up the avenue +and into the house and up the stairs in search of Nurse Nancy, who brought +them into the nursery and cried over them, and was far too happy at seeing +them again to think of scolding them.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">[Pg 110]</a></span></p> + +<p>The children cried too, and told her their adventures.</p> + +<p>"Oh, Nursey, dear," said Terry, "this is really the last time we'll ever do +anything wild! We should have been drowned, only God took care of us. We +will never do wild things again, I assure you."</p> + +<p>"Not till the next time," said Nurse Nancy grimly; but this was the nearest +approach she made to scolding.</p> + +<p>In the midst of this little scene Granny's bell rang violently, and Nurse +Nancy hastened away to see what was the cause of the unusual sound.</p> + +<p>"Nancy!" cried Madam, "let me see the children immediately. I have +wonderful news for them. Their father and mother will be here with us +to-night!"</p> + +<p>Very soon Terry and Turly were dancing round Granny in delight, all trouble +forgotten, and nothing thought of but the joy that was in store for them. +All the house was in a bustle of preparation. Fires were lighted in rooms +that had been deserted, and the maids went about making everything look +cheery and pretty. Cook came up to Granny's room to take orders for the +evening dinner, and Terry and Turly were to be permitted to dine with the +grown people.</p> + +<p>In due time the father and mother arrived,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">[Pg 111]</a></span> both quite young people, and +looking more like the grown-up brother and sister of Terry and Turly than +their parents. That was a delightful evening when all were gathered round +the fire in Granny's room, and the children, one on Father's knee and the +other in Mother's arms, listened to stories of many a "happening thing", in +which they seemed to share without getting into disgrace.</p> + +<p>It was some time before Mother learned all the curious adventures of her +girl and boy at Trimleston House, only a few of which have been taken note +of and preserved for this book. Terry told her all.</p> + +<p>"Well," she said, "I am now going to stay at home and take care of my +children. They shall ride with me, walk with me, play with me, and I will +teach them their lessons myself. I think they are too full of wild life and +spirits to be manageable by either schoolmistress or governess. Give me two +years, Granny, and see what I shall make of them."</p> + +<p>"Don't make them too well-behaved, my dear," said good old Madam, looking +wistfully at the little group of happy faces. "I have found them charming +in these holidays. If there was any trouble, Nancy did not tell me."</p> + +<p>"Nursey had an awful time with us!" said Terry, shaking her head.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_112" id="Page_112">[Pg 112]</a></span></p> + +<p>"And oh, Mother," cried Turly, "if we are going to have lessons, will you +have Nonie over from the island to teach us Irish?"</p> + +<p>"What island?" asked Granny. "And who is Nonie?"</p> + +<p>Then the story of the runaway boat had to be told for the first time to +Granny, who cried a little, but said she would not fret about it now, as +Father and Mother were happily come home.</p> + +<p class="center">THE END</p> + + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Terry, by Rosa Mulholland + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TERRY *** + +***** This file should be named 20492-h.htm or 20492-h.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/2/0/4/9/20492/ + +Produced by David Edwards, Paul Stephen, Nikolay Fishburne +and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at +https://www.pgdp.net + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Terry + Or, She ought to have been a Boy + +Author: Rosa Mulholland + +Illustrator: E. A. Cubitt + +Release Date: January 30, 2007 [EBook #20492] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TERRY *** + + + + +Produced by David Edwards, Paul Stephen, Nikolay Fishburne +and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at +https://www.pgdp.net + + + + + +[Illustration: "Vulcan, Vulcan, let me tie your cap-strings."] + + + + +TERRY + +or, She ought to have been a Boy + +BY + +ROSA MULHOLLAND + +(LADY GILBERT) + +Author of "Girls of Banshee Castle" "Four Little Mischiefs" "Giannetta" +"Cynthia's Bonnet-shop" &c. + +_ILLUSTRATED BY E. A. CUBITT_ + +BLACKIE AND SON LIMITED + +LONDON GLASGOW AND DUBLIN + + + + +CONTENTS + + CHAP. Page + + I. "I HOPE SHE WILL BE CHANGED!" 5 + + II. "ONLY MISS TERRY COME BACK TO US!" 11 + + III. A WET DAY 20 + + IV. DREADFULLY GOOD 34 + + V. "BAD AGAIN!" 41 + + VI. A BRASS HELMET 61 + + VII. UP THE CHIMNEY 76 + + VIII. THE RUNAWAY BOAT 93 + + + + +TERRY + + + + +CHAPTER I + +"I HOPE SHE WILL BE CHANGED!" + + +"Think of what it was to manage her in the summer months!" said dear old +Madam Trimleston, looking wistfully at Nurse Nancy. "What could we do with +her this winter weather? I do hope she will be changed. Don't you think it +likely that school will have done something for her?" + +"Of course I do, madam. What else did we break our hearts sendin' her there +for? And little Turly, that would ha' been content to stay here peaceable +if she would ha' let him alone! Sure it's often I say to myself that it's +Terry ought to have been the boy." + +"The same idea has occurred to me, Nancy. Not that we ought to criticise +the arrangements of Providence." + +"Well, madam," said Nurse Nancy, "I don't agree that Providence has +anything to do with it. Providence doesn't make many mistakes, I'm +thinkin'? It's ourselves mostly that steps behind His work an' puts things +asthray on Him." + +"You are right, and yet I do not perceive in what way we made mischief in +the matter of poor Terry. Her mother and father and myself have always done +our best for her." + +"Except when you gave her an unnatural name, if I may make bold to say it +to you, madam. She was born all right, God bless her; but when you put a +man's name on her, somethin' got into her, poor lamb, somethin' that'll +take a good while to work out of her." + +"That's a very queer idea, Nancy. You know well that she was named after a +brave ancestor. It was hoped she would have been a boy, and her father gave +her the name he had intended for a boy; only we softened it, Nancy, +softened and changed Terence into Terencia." + +A smile lighted up Nurse Nancy's wrinkled face. + +"Well now, madam, as if anybody couldn't see through that little thrick! To +call her for a fightin' ould warrior that bet Cromwell an' held his own in +spite of him! An' her havin' to grow up a young lady with nothin' but +niceness in her! Ah, then now, madam, why didn't ye call her Mary, the same +as her grandmother before her?" + +"We did, Nancy; you forget that we did," urged Madam mildly. "We named her +Terencia Mary." + +"Then ye put the cart before the horse, madam," said Nancy, shaking her +head grimly, "an' the ould warrior has got the foreway in her over the holy +lady that has the best right in her, in regard of her sex. But don't fret +now, madam, for it's my belief that the Mary is in her still, an' she'll be +the gentlest yet that iver walked of the name. Only it's us that'll have a +han'ful of her until the ould warrior has done with her." + +Madam smiled indulgently. Nurse Nancy would occasionally put forth a +fantastic notion like this, but in the main she was a patient, prudent, +wise creature who had well earned her honours in the family by long and +faithful friendship as well as service. During her latter lonely years old +Madam had drawn Nurse Nancy very close to her. While she smiled now she +said: + +"We must remember that until a year ago Terry was brought up in Africa, was +accustomed to perfect freedom, to long rides with her father, and all kinds +of adventures." + +"And so was little Turly, madam. Not that he isn't as brave as anything, +little darlin'; he'd follow Terry through thick an' thin, if it was +through the fire. But still an' all it never does be him that sets the +mischief goin'." + +"But Turlough is only eight years old. Terry is ten, and two years of a +bush life at that age make a great deal more difference than the count of +the days," said Madam musingly. + +Madam Trimleston was a pretty old lady who had soft white hair and sweet +blue eyes, and wore handsome lace caps with peachy ribbons in them; and she +usually sat in a high-backed arm-chair either at the fire or the window in +her own room with Nurse Nancy attending on her. For Madam was very +delicate, and since she had been left alone in old Trimleston House she +rarely went down into the great rooms below. + +"It would make you cry," Nancy would say, "to see her sittin' there all by +herself, afther the family she rared, an' them all scatthered about over +the four corners of the earth; an' the rest o' them in heaven!" + +It is true that Madam had sons holding posts in different lands, but her +daughters had "all died on her", as Nancy lamented. However, though old +Trimleston House stood in a lonely part of Ireland, between the hills and +the sea, yet Madam was not so desolate as might have been supposed, for she +was beloved by all the "neighbours" for twenty miles around, and poor and +rich made their sympathy felt by her. And everyone was glad when her +favourite son in Africa sent home his two children to her care; no one so +glad as the dear old granny herself, unless it might be Nurse Nancy. + +To tell how the grandmother and nurse, whose hands had once been so full +and were now so long empty, went into the deserted nurseries and furbished +them up till everything looked as good as new would require a chapter to +itself. A handy man was sent for to come two miles and paint up the old +rocking-horse which had been standing for years with its nose in a corner +of a closet and its sides all blistered with damp; and nine-pins, tops, and +marbles were hunted out of drawers and cupboards. + +"Mercy me! Look here, madam! If this isn't the dog that Misther Jack broke +the ear off knockin' its head against the wall one day and him in a +passion!" said Nurse Nancy. + +She was afraid to bring forth the dolls, with their associations, but the +mother herself went to look for them. + +"We are getting a little girl, Nancy," she said, "and we can't have nothing +but boys' toys for her to play with." + +Nancy nodded her head, but Madam went boldly to the drawer, looked at the +dolls with their faded cheeks and glassy eyes, shook out their gay frocks, +and laid them back in their place. Nancy said nothing, but when Madam +remarked that evening: + +"I am writing for one or two new ones. They will be fresher. And you might +lock up the old ones and leave them where they are," Nancy knew exactly +what her mistress was thinking of. + +But that was more than a year ago. The story of how the girl and boy came, +and how the two old women, who had many years ago been so clever in the +management of children, failed utterly with the "young African savages", as +a lady neighbour twenty miles distant described Terry and Turly, need not +be told. There had been utter dismay in Trimleston House: and after much +struggling with difficulties, Madam had been obliged to yield to the +decision of their father and to send them to school. + +There had been a summer vacation, the recollection of which made Madam and +Nurse Nancy tremble; hence the serious expectation with which they are +awaiting at the present moment the arrival of the children for the +Christmas holidays. + + + + +CHAPTER II + +"ONLY MISS TERRY COME BACK TO US!" + + +"Yes," continued Madam; "from what the good schoolmistress has written to +me, and from the child's own letters, I am hoping to find my granddaughter +grown into quite a gentle little lady." + +A shout from somewhere below the windows interrupted her, a shout so +unusual and peculiar that Madam and Nurse Nancy were silenced, and sat +listening and looking at one another. More cries followed, astonished, +admiring, and then a sound from a little distance of wild, shrill cheering +began to come nearer. + +Madam and Nurse Nancy stood up and hurried to a window overlooking the +drive in front of the house, and then to another through which they could +see the avenue approaching it. + +There was a hint of dusk in the air, yet enough light to show a strange +sight, a horse and car flying along between the trees towards the house, +and followed by a little rabble of boys and girls, all clapping their hands +and cheering in the wildest delight. The cause of their excitement was +easily seen. In the driver's seat sat a small figure with a yellow curly +head, her hat blown off and hanging on her shoulders by the strings round +her neck, her hands grasping the reins, and her feet planted determinedly +against the dash-board. + +"Heavens!" cried Madam. "What is the meaning of this?" + +"Don't be puttin' yourself out, madam," said Nancy. "It's only Miss Terry +come back to us! Sure the ould warrior hasn't done with her yet awhile. +Good saints! to see the grip that the little bits of hands of her has on +the reins!" + +"It will kill me, Nancy, it will kill me. Can you see if there is anyone on +the car besides herself? What has become of Lally?" + +"Oh, goodness knows!" said Nancy. "He's not to be seen; but Turly's with +her safe enough, houldin' on for his bare life, one clutch on the rail of +the seat, and the other on the well o' the car. Goodness knows how much +longer he could stick to it. But she's bringin' all up to the hall-door +splendid, an' I declare you would think the ould horse was laughin' at the +joke!" + +"I hope she hasn't killed Lally and lost the luggage about the roads," +groaned Madam. "And where has she picked up all that crowd of wild +creatures that are screaming round the car?" + +"Sure, out of ivery place as they came along," said Nancy. "Now, I'll just +go down, madam, and bring the childher up to you, an' you're to sit there +and not to stir, for you're shakin' all over like the ould weather-cock on +a day whin the wind does be blowin' from ivery side." + +[Illustration] + +Meanwhile Terry had brought the car in triumph to the door and jumped down +from her perch, her yellow curls on end in the wind, her hat flapping on +her back, and the fur capes of her little coat standing up straight round +her ears. She threw away the reins and ran to the horse's head, putting her +cheek against his nose, petting him with her hands, and pouring out +flatteries enough to turn any animal's brain. + +"You darling, you angel, how lovely you did run for me! Has anybody got a +lump of sugar? No, well it is a shame. But I'll come to you to-morrow with +lots of it." + +"Miss Terry! Miss Terry! Welcome home, Miss Terry!" shrieked a chorus of +shrill young voices. "Sure we run a lot of the ways with ye, Miss Terry, +darlin'!" + +"So you did!" cried Terry. "Wasn't it splendid?" Her little purse was in +her hand in a moment. "Here is all I've got!" and she flung its contents of +shillings, sixpences, and coppers among the dancing youngsters, who +scrambled and wrangled for them, and finally disappeared in a headlong +scamper down the avenue. + +By this time Turly had got down from the car, disdaining the assistance of +the women who came to moan over him. + +"It's well you didn't kill your brother, Miss Terry," said Nurse Nancy +severely, "and your gran'ma is anxious to know whereabouts on the road you +murdhered Misther Lally." + +Terry stared at her with her big blue eyes, and then burst out laughing. + +"Oh, you dear, funny old Nurse!" she said; "I'm sure Granny never thought +of such a thing. Why, here is Lally, dear old slowcoach! Got off to pick me +some moss, and got left behind. And to think that Turly didn't know how to +hold on to a car! But please take me to Gran'ma, Nursey dear, I do so want +to see her!" + +Granny was sitting very erect in her chair, with a face that was intended +to be severe, but was only sad and frightened. The door opened and Nurse +Nancy appeared with the children. Terry flew forward, but Granny waved her +off, and began to address her seriously. + +"Terencia Mary" (Granny's voice quavered), "what is the meaning of your +behaving in this extraordinary manner?" + +"Oh, Granny dear, I didn't behave, I assure you I didn't. We had such a +glorious drive home, and I am so glad to see you. But oh, Granny dear, I'm +afraid you are sick; you look so pale." + +"No wonder if I am sick and pale at your conduct. Do they allow you to sit +in the driver's seat and drive the cars at Miss Goodchild's?" + +"They couldn't, Granny dear," said Terry, shaking back her bright curls, +and fixing her clear eyes on the old lady's face. "They have no cars, only +an omnibus to take us to the station. And I couldn't drive an omnibus, now +could I, Granny?" + +"And do you think----" but Terry's arms were round her Granny's neck, and +the kisses of her fresh young lips were sweet on the wrinkled cheeks. + +"There, there, Terry, my darling, we must talk about it another time. You +won't do it again, will you, Terry?" + +"I won't indeed, Granny, not if you don't like it. But do give me a huge, +gigantic hug, Granny darling! And only look at Turly. Hasn't he grown fat +and big! Come close up, Turly dear; Granny wants to hug you." + +The hugs were given in plentiful measure and then Turly, who had been +standing aside, looking rather abashed, plucked up courage and remained by +Gran'ma's knee. He was a sturdily-built little fellow, with large, dark +eyes and a square forehead, ordinarily rather silent and slow in his +movements. The contrast between him and the light-limbed, quick-speaking +Terry was remarkable, and to no one more obvious than to Turly himself, who +had the most adoring admiration of his lively sister. + +"Are they to have their tea in the nursery, madam?" asked Nurse Nancy, who +had been standing by, a witness of Granny's attempt and failure to scold. + +"No, Nancy; no! Terencia is going to be good. They must have tea with me +here. Just put them into their evening clothes and bring them back to me." + +After half an hour's manipulation from Nurse Nancy the children returned to +Granny, who in the meanwhile had dozed in her chair, quite worn out with +the fatigues of expectation, and the necessity for being angry. Nothing +remained of the afternoon's excitement to Madam but the touch of fresh +young lips on her cheeks, and of warm, young arms clasping her round the +neck. When she opened her eyes they rested on a meek-looking little +gentlewoman in a white frock, with a blue silk work-bag hanging by long +blue ribbons from her arm. + +"Miss Goodchild taught me to make it, Granny, and she said you would like +me to have it; and I have worked you such a pretty linen cover for your +prayer-book; Nancy is going to unpack it after tea. And doesn't Turly look +sweet in his velvet knickers? The pockets of his other things are all gone +in holes with marbles. And oh, Turly, only see what a lovely tea Granny is +going to give us! Honey, jam, brown bread, hot tea-cakes! Turly is so fond +of sweeties, you know, Gran'ma." + +"Rather," said Turly, which was the first word he had uttered since he +escaped with his life from the car. + +The candles and lamps were now lighted in Granny's handsome sitting-room, +and a huge turf fire burned on the hearth, for it was a wintry evening. The +tea-table had been placed to one side, near Granny's chair, and as Madam +laughed heartily at Terencia's prattle no one could have suggested that the +coming of this bright little creature had been as a nightmare to the old +lady for many weeks past. + +But after the children were gone to bed Madam Trimleston said to Nancy: + +"I must say a few words to Lally. Ask him to come up here and speak to me." + +Very soon heavy footsteps were heard ascending the stair, and Michael +Lally, the coachman, was seen standing in the doorway. + +"God bless ye and good evenin' to ye, madam! It's glad I am to see you +lookin' so well, madam." + +"Thank you, Lally!" It was hard to begin to find fault after so genial a +greeting. "But I want to ask you a question, Lally. How am I to entrust my +children to your care after what happened this afternoon?" + +Lally passed his big hand over the back of his head and looked puzzled, +while a little smile lurked in the corners of his mouth. + +"Is it in the regard of Miss Terry dhrivin' home with herself in the car, +madam?" he said. "Sure I declare to your honour, madam, that I won't be +the better of it for this month to come." + +"The idea of your letting that child seize the reins--" + +"Well now, madam, she didn't. Says she in her coaxin' way: 'Lally,' says +she, 'just let me sit on your seat and hold the reins, and you can be +watchin' me,' says she. 'Sure,' says she, 'many's the time I drove my +pappy,' says she, 'when I was over there in Africa,' says she, 'and he did +used to be delighted with me, seein' me at it,' says she. An' I couldn't +stand her coaxin', and I just pleased her, till all of a suddent she took a +fancy to some moss that was growin' in the dyke. And nothin' would do her +but I was to get down and gather it for her, and the next thing was she had +jaunted off with herself and was lookin' back laughin' at me." + +"I know; I know her way," said Madam. "Lally, I intended to give you such a +scolding as you could never forget, but I see it's no use. I can only +implore of you not to give in to Miss Terry's coaxing again, no matter what +the consequences." And then Granny paused, remembering those kisses on her +cheek and those arms round her neck. + +"We must try to control her," she said, "or her wild daring will cost us +her life." + +"God forbid, madam!" said Lally. + +"You have had a long, cold journey to-day. Have you had a good supper, +Lally?" + +"Sorra bit could I ate, madam, till I had a word with yourself. But anyhow +I'll go and ate it now." + + + + +CHAPTER III + +A WET DAY + + +Terry and Turly were snugly lodged on the same flat with Granny's bedroom +and sitting-room. Nurse Nancy's room stood between the two pretty little +chambers given to the children, and the big day nursery was close by. +Everything was very nicely arranged for the comfort of the little visitors +and for the maintaining of a proper control over them by Madam and Nurse +Nancy; Here they were to be safe night and day under the eyes of their +elders, except when allowed to go out with proper escort. The gate at the +back stairs, which gave on the landing and had been placed there years ago +for the protection of little children long since able to take care of +themselves, was as strong as ever and shut with as clever a snap, so that +there was no danger by that way. There were also guards on all the fires, +and an ornamental bar across each window to prevent little rash creatures +from throwing themselves out. + +"What mischief can she do?" Granny had asked Nancy after surveying all +these safeguards before the coming of the children; and Nancy's hearty +answer, "'t will puzzle her, madam," had been soothing to the anxious old +mother. + +When Terry wakened on the morning after her arrival she got up and put her +face to the window-pane. + +"Wet!" she said. "Mountains all wrapped up in white sheets with just their +heads out. Rain pouring. And I did so want to be out everywhere till +bed-time again!" + +She had taken her bath and dressed before Nancy had done with Turly and +came to look for her. + +"Now, Miss Terry, it's too much in your own hands you are entirely, Miss," +said Nancy. "You had a right to stay quiet till I came to give you leave to +get up." + +"But, Nancy dear, what would be the use in my lying there to be a trouble +to you when I have got a pair of hands of my own? But oh, Nursey, will you +put in a few buttons up my back for me? Now didn't I save up something to +be a bother to you?" + +"If that's all the bother you give me it won't be heavy on me," said Nancy, +giving her a few finishing touches before she brought her into tho nursery +to breakfast. + +After breakfast the children were told that Granny was not very well, a +result of the excitement of yesterday and the wet weather which affected +her. She could not have Terry and Turly with her until afternoon tea time, +except just for a minute to bid her good-morning. + +Terry was greatly distressed at this news until she had seen Granny +looking, to her eyes, just the same as ever, after which she was quite +contented. Only, how was the day to be spent? + +There was a little excitement about the unpacking of her things and setting +out the little presents she had got for Granny. Nurse Nancy too had to be +surprised and delighted at the gift of a nice, large, white lawn kerchief, +hemmed by Terencia, such as Nancy was accustomed to wear folded round her +neck and across her breast, and which was so becoming to her dear old black +eyes and brown face. And after that gratifying presentation how could Nurse +Nancy be exceedingly strict and distrustful on that particularly wet and +dark December morning? On the contrary, she was in her most amiable and +indulgent humour. + +"I've got such a fine lot of toys for good children," she said, and began +opening the cupboards and drawers. "Here's dolls and soldiers, and bricks +and all sorts of what-not. And you'll amuse yourselves with them like good +childher, for I'm goin' to be an hour or so in there, attendin' on your +gran'ma. Or will I send up Bridget to be lookin' afther ye?" + +"Oh no, please!" said Terry, "we can look after ourselves till you come +back. Now, can't we, Turly?" + +Turly, who was riding from Kimberley to Pretoria on the newly-painted +rocking-horse, waved an assent, and Nurse Nancy left the nursery without +misgiving. + +She was not long gone before Terry began to get impatient with the new +dolls. She had inspected them inside and outside, found what they were made +of, satisfied herself as to whether or not their clothes came off and on, +tossed up their curls and smoothed them down again, shaken them up and told +them to stand up straight, which they promptly refused to do. At last it +seemed that there was nothing more to be done with them. + +"Oh, you _are_ stupid!" she exclaimed; "staring with your glassy eyes, +always your same pink cheeks, and never saying a word." + +"Dolls don't talk," said Turly, who was now solemnly engaged in making a +play on the floor with a box of soldiers. + +"Of course they don't," said Terry. "That's just what it is. I hate playing +with things that have got no life in them!" + +"Soldiers aren't alive," said Turly, as one tumbled over and he set it up +again, "but I'm having a splendid battle." + +"Oh, Turly, how can you? Oh, I do so want things to be alive! Now, do just +come over to the window and look down into the yard at Vulcan sitting in +his kennel, poor dear, when he is longing to be running all over the world! +Oh, I declare, he sees us, and is wagging his tail! Just look at his big +eyes and his nose pointed up at us. Now, that is the kind of creature I +want to play with. But there he is shut up in his cage, and we--" + +"Can't we go down to him?" said Turly. + +"It's too wet. Nurse would be in such a fuss if we played in the yard. But +I don't see why we mightn't bring him up. He's the watch-dog, and +watch-dogs are only wanted there at night. It couldn't be any harm to have +him up here only for half an hour or so. I'll wipe his paws on the mat so +that he sha'n't make any mess. And he doesn't bark much unless he hears a +noise at night, so I am sure he wouldn't disturb Grandma." + +Turly had swept away his soldiers, and stood up ready for the adventure. + +"I won that battle," he said; "so now, come on!" + +"Take my hand, Turly. They sha'n't say I led you into mischief this time," +said Terry. "I'll take care you don't fall down the back stairs." + +[Illustration] + +"I can take care of that myself," said Turly. + +"No, you can't. You are not as old as I am, so hold on to me well in case +the stairs are slippy." + +They went out on the landing very quietly, "not to make any fuss", as Terry +said, and made for the gate at the top of the stairs. Terry knew the trick +of the hasp and it was quickly opened, and away they went, down flight +after flight, into the yard. + +"Oh, I say, it _is_ wet!" said Turly, as they paddled across the yard with +the rain pouring on them. + +"Hush!" said Terry, "or someone will hear you and come running to prevent +us. And it can't be any harm. It will be such a delightful treat for poor +old Vulcan!" + +Turly said no more, and the two children stood with the rain drenching +their hair and clothes, and almost blinding them, as in silence they +unfastened the chain that held Vulcan to his kennel. The dog was scarcely +able to believe his senses when he felt the little soft hands pawing at his +neck, and as soon as he was free he jumped on them wildly, embracing them +with his hairy arms and covering them with mud. + +"Quiet, now, Vulcan!" said Terry softly. "You must be very good, or we +sha'n't be able to take you up to the nursery. Come along, old fellow, and +pick your steps over the sloppy places." + +They got safely across the yard, gained the door, and went up the stone +stair, leaving streams of muddy water on all the steps behind them. + +Arrived at the top, Terry looked round for a mat, but there was nothing +just at that spot except the carpet, so she took out her +pocket-handkerchief and wiped Vulcan's feet with it. + +"It makes no difference to his wetness," she said, "but that does not +matter. His feet will get dry by degrees." + +"We have made a mess on the stairs," said Turly, looking back. + +"Yes, I don't know how we ever got so wet," said Terry; "but stone stairs +dry up so quickly. Come along now, Vulcan, you are not to bark a word or +you may frighten your grandma!" + +Vulcan was quite in the spirit of the adventure, and trotted quietly along +with the children into the nursery. + +Then the door was shut and the merriment began. + +First of all the children took each one of his fore-paws and danced with +him many times round the room. Vulcan enjoyed the dance for a time, and +bore it patiently for another time, but at last he conveyed by a short +significant bark that he had had enough of it. + +"Is he getting cross?" said Turly. + +"No, but I'll tell you what it is," said Terry. "He gets tired sooner than +we do because we are accustomed to have only two legs to go with and he is +used to four. And we have taken away two of his legs. We have been making +arms of them." + +"Yes indeed," said Turly, dropping the dog's paw. + +"There now, Vulcan," said Terry, "you have got back all your legs, so don't +be grumbling. And don't let me hear you give that bark again or there will +be a fuss." + +"What are you going to do with him now?" said Turly. "If he can't dance +about or bark what's the good of him?" + +"I'll show you," said Terry. "Now, Vulcan, darling, you are going to sit +down in this nice large basket-chair, Nursey's chair, you know, and I'm +going to change you into such a dear old woman. You can't have a nursery, +you know, without a nurse, and you're going to be our nurse. Mind him, +Turly, until I get a few things. Here is Nurse Nancy's gown, not her best +stuff, nor her clean cotton, but the cotton she had on yesterday morning. +And here's her cap, the one she has put away for the wash, and yet it's +nice enough. Now sit up, Vulcan, and let me dress you!" + +"You are taking away two of his legs again, and he won't like it," said +Turly. + +"Oh! he won't care now, because he is sitting. He doesn't want four legs to +sit with. Dancing was different. Now, Vulcan, hold yourself straight, old +fellow! There, doesn't the dress fit him nicely, at least when I turn up +the sleeves over his paws and tie an apron round his body to make him a +waist? Dear old Nursey hasn't got much of a waist neither; now, has she, +Turly? Vulcan, Vulcan, let me tie your cap-strings!" + +Vulcan, who was more disturbed by his head-dress than by any other part of +his costume, made a great effort to be patient while his shaggy ears were +covered up in a forest of muslin frills. At last he was completely dressed, +and licked the end of Terry's little nose as she bent over him to put the +finishing touches to her work. + +"Now, it's all right except the spectacles. Turly, Turly, look about for +Nurse's spectacles. Oh, there they are on the chimney-piece! Take them out +of the case quick, and give them to me." + +The next minute Vulcan's patience met with its severest trial, when Terry +insisted on adjusting the spectacles on his eyes and nose regardless of his +growls of remonstrance. + +"Now, Vulcan, darling, you know you couldn't be a proper nurse without your +glasses. How could you read the newspaper or your prayer-book, or sew on +the buttons? It is a pity your nose is so wide at the top, and your eyes go +so far round the corners, but it can't be helped. I'm afraid I shall have +to tie them on--" + +At this moment the door opened and Nurse Nancy appeared. + +"Oh, Nursey, isn't he lovely? Look at him!" cried Terry, running to her. + +But Vulcan seemed to know he was now to be put in the wrong. He jumped up, +floundering about in Nurse Nancy's cotton gown, which had got caught from +the front so as to enable him to run. + +Once out of the room, he vaulted over the little gate, and tumbled down the +first flight of stairs, the children hurrying after him in spite of Nurse +Nancy's imploring appeals. + +Nurse herself was obliged to follow, and, descending, saw him rolling +along, tearing her gown into holes in his efforts to get on, the children +pursuing him with peals of delighted laughter. + +Finally, the excited dog escaped through the open back-door into the yard, +where he flopped across, the paving-stones flowing with rain, dragging +Nurse's skirts behind him and buffeting her cap with his paws till he got +rid of it by rending it into a hundred fragments. + +At last Vulcan settled himself back in his kennel with the drenched and +ragged remains of Nurse's gown and apron rolled around him, and with an air +of thankfulness for his escape from persecution. + +The children had followed him to the kennel, and stood dancing round him in +the pouring rain. Nurse Nancy stood at the door exhorting them to come back +to her. + +"You bad childher, you dreadful childher! Miss Terry, I command you to come +in out o' the pours of rain." + +"It doesn't hurt, Nursey dear; indeed it doesn't," said Terry, as soon as +her excitement allowed her to hear the voice; and she came running +obediently across the yard. + +"Hurt!" cried Nurse angrily, and seized a hand of each of the dripping +children, marching them up the stairs in silence and into the nursery, +where she deposited them on two chairs and stood looking at them in +speechless indignation. + +Turly looked defiant; Terry gazed at Nurse with dismay and bewilderment. + +"You wicked little girl! I know it was you that did it. Turly would never +have dared to." + +"Yes, I would!" said Turly. + +"No, indeed, he wouldn't, Nurse. It was all me. But you don't mean that +I've been really wicked. Nurse, do you?" + +"Don't I indeed? And my good gown in rags, and my cap in smithereens!" + +"I'm very sorry about that, Nursey dear, indeed I am. I couldn't have +believed Vulcan could be so stupid as to end it all that way. He just got +in a fright when he saw you coming in. And I thought you would have been so +delighted with the fun. And Gran'ma will get you a new gown and a new cap +when I tell her all about it." + +Nurse took no notice of her protests. + +"Both of you drenched to the skin! Let me feel your things! Every stitch on +you sopping with wet! I'll have to get a warm bath ready for you, and put +you in bed. And it's well if I can let you up to see your gran'mama at +tea-time." + +"Oh, Nurse, and I did so want to show her the things I worked for her! She +wouldn't be angry; not if I told her myself. I know it would make her +laugh--" + +"'Deed, and you sha'n't tell her a word of it, Miss Terry. If she was +asleep and didn't hear the scrimmage, we'll just leave her in peace about +it." + +"Oh, is it as bad as that?" said Terry. "So bad that I am not to tell +Gran'ma?" + +"It is as bad as bad--as that it couldn't be badder!" cried Nurse Nancy. +"My gown and cap ruinated, my nursery spattered with mud, the back stairs +like a street with clay an' rain, yourselves drenched an' drownded, an' +your clothes spoiled. And into the bargain," added Nancy, with a quaver in +her voice, "my spectacles broken into smash, an' I without e'er another +pair to see my way about the house with!" + +[Illustration] + +"Your spectacles!" cried Terry, now at last stricken with remorse. "Oh, +Nursey, do you really mean that your spectacles are broken?" + +Nurse Nancy answered by holding up an empty rim from which all trace of +glasses had departed. + +Then Terry said no more, but crept meekly into her little bed, burrowed +into the pillows, and wept. + + + + +CHAPTER IV + +DREADFULLY GOOD + + +The destruction of Nurse Nancy's spectacles was a real tragedy. Between the +hills and the sea spectacles are not found growing like limpets on the +rocks, or shaking on the wind like the bog-flowers. The rule in Trimleston +House with regard to these necessary articles was that Granny's cast-off +spectacles fell to Nancy, who was younger than her mistress, and who was +nicely suited by glasses that had ceased to be powerful enough for Madam. + +"Has Granny none to give you, Nursey?" asked Terry, with repentant eyes +fixed on Nancy's small brown orbs so deeply set in wrinkles. + +"No, child, no. She got her new ones from Dublin only a week ago. And +myself got the ould ones. Suited me nicely, they did. And now I may sit +down and wait till Madam's eyes require another new pair." + +"But can't we write for some for you, Nursey, as Granny did?" + +"Well, now! Just as if they had my name and my number in Dublin, same as +your gran'mama's, an' her a great lady! Sure, poor people do have to walk +into a shop, and just try and try till they get a pair to fit them." + +Terry sat on the old woman's knee, and threw her arms round her neck. + +"I'll darn the stockings, and sew on the strings and buttons, and read your +prayer-book to you, and read the newspaper to you after Grandma has done +with it. Is there anything else I can do for you, Nursey darling?" + +"Nothing in the world, except try to be good an' keep out of mischief, Miss +Terry." + +"But I do so want to be good always, Nancy. And I never would be in +mischief if I knew it was mischief. It looks so right while I'm doing it, +and I don't know how it can be that all of a sudden it goes wrong--" + +"Not all of a suddent, Miss Terry. It's always wrong from the beginning +with you. If you would only stop and ask your elders at first 'Is this +wrong?' before you go at it--" + +"But I couldn't do that, unless I had an idea that it was going to be +wrong, even perhaps. It always seems to me the rightest, sweetest, +loveliest thing in the world--" + +"Now, Terry, how can you look me in the face and say you thought it was +right to take a big, wet, lumbering watch-dog out of his kennel on a wet +day and bring him upstairs to your nursery, dripping his wet over +everything, and then dress him up--" + +"Oh, Nancy!" cried Terry, splitting into laughter and putting her hands +before her face. "Oh, now, wasn't it simply deliciously funny? If you had +only been there before he jumped! His eyes were so sweet under your frills, +and his paws were so enchanting coming out of your sleeves. And if it +hadn't been for your spectacles--Now, tell me a story, Nancy, till it is +time to go to Gran'ma." + +Terry was so true to her word, did so much reading and stitching and +searching about for little things that were lost, that Granny and Nancy +agreed to think her real conversion had begun through the breaking of the +spectacles. For Nancy had allowed Terry to confess to having broken the +glasses, though she would not have dear old Madam disturbed by a +description of the pranks with the dog. So long as Nursey had to go groping +about as if in the dark, putting her nose to the carpet in search of the +dressing-comb she had dropped out of her hand, feeling all over the +pin-cushion for a pin, and shaking out the newspaper with an expression on +her face which told that it was a perfectly blank sheet to her: while this +state of things went on, Terry had no time to think of fresh adventures, so +eager was she to come to Nursey's relief with her sharp young eyes and her +quick little fingers. + +However, a more thorough relief was at hand, and it happened in this way. + +Walsh, the old steward at Trimleston, was the same age as Nancy, and the +same kind of spectacles suited him. He sometimes went a journey to a town +about thirty miles away to pay bills for Madam, and to order things that +were wanted about the place. Granny suddenly discovered that he might as +well take the journey now as wait for the spring. She gave him a long list +of matters to be attended to for her, and then she said: + +"And you had better go to the optician's, Walsh, and choose a pair of +spectacles to suit yourself, and bring them to me for Nurse Nancy." + +As soon as Terry saw Nursey's keen brown eyes looking at her through the +familiar little glass windows once more, she felt her remorse slip away +from her, and her liberty return. + +"Nursey is able to take care of herself now," she thought, "and I have +nothing to do. I wish I cared about reading, but I don't. I like people to +tell me stories, but nobody has more than a few, and you get to know them +all off by heart. The books always say such a lot between the happening +parts, and if you skip too much you lose part of the story. The story +people all sit down and fold their hands, and wait till the close thick +pages of prosy prosy are over, and when they get up again and go on they +have forgotten their parts. Pappy says I shall like reading when I'm older; +but I'm not older, and I don't like it. I just like to be doing something, +and oh, dear, there is nothing to do!" + +Terry was sitting at the nursery fire waiting to be summoned to Granny's +sitting-room. She had on her pretty white frock, her gold curls were all +brushed up into a thousand shining rings, and her blue silk work-bag was +hanging by its ribbons from her arms. She had been extremely good and quiet +all day, and she was intending to behave nicely to Gran'ma during the +evening. She knew exactly all that would happen. There would be a good tea; +oh, yes, Granny did give such good teas, dear old Gran'ma! And then Terry +would sit on a stool beside her, and embroider a letter on one of Granny's +new cambric pocket-handkerchiefs. After that Terry would read aloud, poetry +such as Gran'ma liked, and Terry did not much object to that, for she +loved musical rhythm, only Granny always chose and marked the pieces, and +Terry would rather have tossed over the leaves till she found a poem that +she could make a favourite of for herself. She hoped it would be Longfellow +to-night. She liked that one: + + "A little face at the window + Peers out into the night". + +Oh, yes; she would be as good as good! And Terry heaved a long-drawn sigh. + +"Turly," she said suddenly, "do you never get tired lying flat on the +floor, playing with soldiers and bricks, and things?" + +"No," said Turly, "I've done such a day's work. I've built a whole city of +streets out of this one brick-box." + +"You ridiculous boy! The box only holds enough bricks to build one house +with." + +"I know that," said Turly placidly. "I build one house at a time, and I +count the houses I've built till I know there is a street." + +"Oh, you silly! You are building the same house every time, and taking it +down again. How can you be so baby as to call that building a street." + +"No matter," said Turly, "I have the street in my head. I see all the +houses I built, though they had to come down. It's a grand city." + +"Whereabouts is it in the world!" asked Terry, a little interested in spite +of herself. + +"Oh, it's a city I read about in the _Arabian Nights_! I think they call it +Ispahan. I intend to go there some day. There are magicians living in it." + +"Oh, that's better!" cried Terry. "You must take me with you, Turly." + +"Girls don't ever grow up into famous travellers," said Turly, as he packed +his bricks solidly back into their box. + +"Oh, you stupid! don't they? As if I couldn't run about as well as a person +who lies on the floor all day and calls it travelling." + +"I didn't," said Turly, "I said I intended to go and see that city some +day, and find out all about everything that is in it. I am afraid the +magicians are dead." + +But here Granny's tea-bell rang, and the children hastened away to their +honey and tea-cakes. And there they had a delightful surprise, for two +little new kittens, a white Persian and a black velvet creature with yellow +eyes, were curled up on the hearth at Gran'ma's feet. + + + + +CHAPTER V + +"BAD AGAIN!" + + +When tea, and reading, and sewing were all over, the children were allowed +to play with the new kittens, and Granny presented a kitten to each child, +Turly choosing the black and Terry the white one. They were each of a very +aristocratic cat race, and had been sent a great many miles as a present to +Madam. Terry named her kitten Snow, and Turly gave his the name of Jet. +Nurse Nancy had provided a ribbon and a little tinkling bell for each. Jet +had a scarlet ribbon and a gold bell, and Snow a blue ribbon and a silver +bell. Nancy also produced two balls of knitting worsted, and it was very +funny to see the kitties frisking about the floor after the dangling balls. +This gave a pleasantly exciting finish to the evening, and the play went on +until Gran'ma began to look tired. + +As Nancy was tying the blue ribbon round Snow's white, furry neck, Terry +holding her up by her fore-paws while a pretty knot was being made between +her ears, Terry heard Nancy say to Granny: + +"I think you are very tired, madam. I believe you miss your new-laid egg +in the mornings; sure I know you do, madam." + +[Illustration] + +"Why don't you have your new-laid egg in the mornings, Granny?" asked +Terry, putting Snow down on the floor, and nestling up to her grandmother. + +"Because, darling, the hens don't choose to lay, this cold weather." + +"Do they never lay in cold weather? Are there no hens who will lay eggs for +Gran'ma, Nursey dear?" urged Terry. + +"I believe there's a few down at Connolly's farm," said Nancy; "at least +I've heard so. I've a mind to send down and enquire." + +Then Granny went off with Nancy to her bedroom, and the children were left +in the sitting-room playing with the kittens. + +"Turly," said Terry, "I want to speak to you. Put the kittens in their +basket and come here." + +Turly came directly and they sat on two little stools and looked into the +fire. + +"What is it about, Terry?" asked Turly. He was always ready for any +startling plot or plan that Terry might propose to him. + +"Did you hear Nancy saying Granny was getting weak for want of her new-laid +eggs, and that the hens wouldn't lay them for her?" + +"No," said Turly. + +"Well, she did." + +"We can't help it," said Turly. + +"You can't, dear; but I can. I'm older than you." + +"The hens won't do it for you, no matter how old you are," said Turly. + +"Oh!" said Terry impatiently, "that is not what I mean! There's a few hens +down at Connolly's farm, and Nancy thinks they lay." + +"Where is Connolly's farm?" + +"I'm sure I don't know, but there are hens there, real industrious hens, +and I want to get their eggs for Gran'ma." + +"You can't," said Turly. + +"Wait till you see," said Terry. + +Turly looked at his sister admiringly, but went on piling up the +difficulties she was going to surmount. + +"You don't know where Connolly's farm is. And when you do, the hens are not +yours. Connolly wants to eat his own eggs. Perhaps he's got a gran'ma." + +"No, he hasn't. And he would rather have money than eggs. At least poor +people generally do." + +"How do you know he is poor?" + +"Oh, Turly, how you do keep contradicting! Now I'll tell you what I am +going to do. I'll just get out the pony quite early in the morning and ride +to Connolly's farm, and be back with the eggs for Gran'ma's breakfast." + +Turly opened his eyes wide with admiration, but he was not convinced. + +"Somebody will be sure to be angry," he said, "and there will be a row." + +"But you know it couldn't be wrong, Turly, because it is for Gran'ma. And +I'm not going to bring the pony up the stairs, and it won't be wet, because +it's just nice frosty weather--" + +"Connolly's farm is awfully far away. I'm sure it is," said Turly. "You'll +never get back here for breakfast." + +"But I shall start quite, quite early." + +"It will be dark." + +"There's ever so much moonlight at six," said Terry. "I was awake this +morning, and I saw it. I was just longing to get up and go off for a ride, +and now there will be a real reason for doing it." + +"I will go with you," said Turly, suddenly changing his front. + +"Oh, no, you couldn't, Turly! There is only one pony. You must stay behind, +and if there's any fuss because I'm a little late or something, you can +tell them I've gone for the eggs and will be back directly." + +Nurse came in and took them off to bed, but Terry kept thinking of her +morning adventure. She did not think of it as an adventure, but as a +delightful surprise for Gran'ma. + +"She does so much for us," thought Terry, "and we can do so little for her! +And she will find it so nice to have a good fresh egg for breakfast!" + +Still Terry felt it would never do to tell Nursey of her intentions. She +would be sure to think that everything would go wrong. Rain would come on, +or Connolly's really wouldn't have any eggs, or the pony would go lame. But +won't she smile up all over when she sees Gran'ma eating her fresh egg at +breakfast-time! + +The greatest dread Terry felt was of oversleeping herself. She fell asleep +as soon as her head was on the pillow, but wakened with a start as the +clock was striking three. She could hear Nurse snoring through the wall, +and Nurse Nancy had a most peculiar snore, first a long-drawn note, as of a +horn, and then a little whistle. + +"I wonder how she does it," said Terry to herself, and tried to imitate the +sounds. "I couldn't. It's awfully clever of her. And when you see her going +about in the daytime you would never think she could do it." + +Terry thought it would be quite easy to lie awake, waiting, for three +hours. However, after listening for about five minutes to Nursey's snoring, +and blowing through her own little nose to try to do the same, she was fast +asleep again. + +She wakened again exactly at a quarter to six. The moonlight was now +pouring into the room, and she could see everything as well as if by day. +She got up and went out to the landing to look at the clock, and stood +there in her white night-dress, with her little bare toes on the carpet, +gazing at the solemn white face of the tall brown clock which Granny said +had stood there just as she was for quite two hundred years. It was +impossible not to think of this clock as a personage, and she was +accustomed to change her character very much as Terry changed her moods. +Sometimes she was a cheery old creature, hurrying on the time with her +pleasant chimes, coaxing round the sunshine out of the dark, and bringing +back the cosy bed-time when children were tired. At other times she had the +air of a stern prophetess, with a threat in every "tick, tick", and a hint +of doom in the striking of every hour. As she stood now in her brown cloak +darkened by the moonlight, and her round meaningless face whitened by it, +she recalled to Terry a remark once made by Granny, "Many a life she has +ticked away out of this house, and out of this world, has that old +great-grandfather's clock, my children!" + +"She sha'n't tick my life away," thought Terry. "I hope she won't tick away +Gran'ma's and Nursey's! But that is nonsense, of course. Granny couldn't +have meant that she had anything to do with it, for that is only God's +business!" + +These ideas just flashed through Terry's little head as she stared at the +clock and heard her give that curious snarl with which she always warned +one that there were but three minutes left of the passing hour. And the +hour hand was at six. + +It was just the time for Terry. She dressed quickly, putting on the little +riding-skirt that she had brought from Africa. It was some inches shorter +than it had been then; but never mind, it was all right. + +"I don't believe anybody gets up till seven these winter mornings," she +reflected, and certainly the house was quite still as she slipped out, and, +knowing where to find the stable-keys, she was soon in the stable. She put +her own little saddle on the pony and led him from the yard, leaving the +keys in the doors, because it was morning, and there was no more use in +locking up the places. + +Away went Terry trotting down the avenue, full of the enthusiasm of her +good intentions. She was soon out on the high-road. There was a crisp, +white frost on the grass, but the middle of the road was not at all slippy. +The pony went at a good pace, and soon carried her a couple of miles away +from home. All this time Terry thought of nothing but the enjoyment of her +ride, and of that basket of eggs she was going to carry home to Gran'ma. + +Presently the moon set, and there was scarcely a glimmer of daylight, but +a great deal of frosty fog. Up to this Terry had been allowing the highway +to carry her anywhere it pleased, but now at last she came to four +cross-roads, all seeming to lead into fogland, and she stopped short. + +[Illustration] + +"Now I wonder where is Connolly's farm!" she said; but the pony only tossed +his head and shook his ears, and was not able to help her. + +"I was quite sure it was just about here, because Nursey said 'down at +Connolly's farm', and her head shook in this direction. I thought I saw it +quite plainly when she was speaking. It ought to be here, and yet I can't +see it. This is down, for it has been a little bit downhilly all the way. +I'm sure I could see it if the fog would only get away. There! it is +getting a little more daylight, and I'll just take this road because it +still seems to be going down." + +She started off again; but as she went the fog grew thicker and thicker, +and Terry soon became aware that it was freezing hard. The pony began to +stumble, and several times he nearly fell, for Terry found it hard to hold +him up with her little frost-bitten fingers. She worked bravely, but felt +that the road was indeed downhill, and all the more difficult in its +present state of slipperiness. Still there was no house in sight, and so +thick was the fog that unless the door of the farmhouse had been just at +hand, it would not have been visible to her. + +The road grew worse and worse to the pony's feet, and at last he made a +great stumble and went crash down on his knees on some sharp stones. Terry +went over his head, but fortunately alighted sitting on the frozen grass +by the roadside. + +She was soon on her feet, and so was the pony, but the poor little animal +was bleeding at the knees, and Terry knew that she must not mount him +again. She broke the ice on a pool and bathed his wounds with her +handkerchief. She was crying as she wiped away the blood. + +"Oh, Jocko, Jocko, I'm so sorry I hurt you! I never thought of such a thing +as the frost or the fog! Oh dear, what shall I do to make you well, and how +shall I get you home? And oh, Jocko, we haven't got any eggs!" + +Kisses and pats on his nose may have been comforting to Jocko, but he could +not give his little mistress any assurance on the subject. + +"If I could even see the way to get home!" said Terry; "but it seems as if +the whole world were full of nothing but wool and feathers! And I can't +guess which was the side I came by." + +She tore her handkerchief in two and made a wet bandage for each of Jocko's +knees, and then she could do no more, and sat down by him on the roadside +to wait till the fog should clear up a little. Her teeth began to chatter +with cold, and she felt altogether miserable. + +"And I meant to be so good, and I thought it would go so well--and oh, +those eggs! How can one ever know what things are going to turn into?" + +Suddenly she heard a rumbling sound which she knew must be a cart coming +along the road, though she could not see it. She moved the pony and herself +carefully in against the bank on the roadside, so that they might not be +run over, and then waited anxiously to see what would come out of the fog. + +Very soon a horse's head appeared, then his body, and afterwards the cart +he was drawing, and the frosty-red face of the driver who was sitting on a +load of turf on the cart. + +"Hullo!" shouted the man. "What on airth are you doin' there in the dyke, +little missy?" + +"Oh," cried Terry, "I've broken my pony's knees, and I can't ride him, and +I couldn't see the way to Connolly's farm, and even if I did now I don't +know how to get there with Jocko!" + +"Connolly's farm! Would it be Mike Connolly Mac you would be lookin' for?" + +"Oh, I suppose it is!" said Terry. "I only just heard it called Connolly's +farm. And Nurse said it was down somewhere, and I came out to look for +fresh eggs to give Gran'ma a surprise for breakfast." + +"And now what would be your name, little lady, an' who would be your +gran'ma?" + +"My name is Terencia Mary, and my grandmama is Madam Trimleston," said +Terry. + +The man gave a whistle of surprise. + +"Faith and Missus Nancy might look afther ye betther," he said. "I know +her, and I'll give her a piece of my mind. To send a child like you out for +eggs, ridin' on glassy roads, and in such a fog as this!" + +"Oh, she didn't send me! I came myself, and she didn't know anything about +it. I took the pony myself, to give them a surprise." + +"Then I think you behaved very bad, miss, an' you deserved to be knocked +about. But the pony did no wrong, and you've hurted him!" + +"Bad again!" groaned Terry; "and I felt so good. You are not a kind man," +she added, looking at him with big tears in her blue eyes. "I'm not going +to ask you to do anything for me. Only, if you would just tell me where +Connolly's farm is perhaps I can get there if the fog would only go. I can +walk Jocko there, and Connolly will take care of him." + +"I declare, but you have the pluck for a brigade of soldiers," said the +carter. "But come now, missy, I'm not goin' to lave you in the lurch +thataway. And first an' foremost Connolly's farm is away over yonder, two +miles from Trimleston House in the opposite direction; you took the wrong +road from the first." + +"Oh!" groaned Terry; "and must I go home straight with Jocko's knees +broken, and without the eggs?" + +"An' thankful you ought to be to get there," said the carter, "you an' the +pony, without any bones broken. But how do you think you're goin' to get +home itself, now, missy?" + +"You're the unkindest person I ever knew," said Terry. "I didn't think +there was so unkind a man in the world. Everyone was always kind to me +before." + +"It's my notion that they've been too kind to you, little missy. However, +not to be the unkindest in the world, I'll make a try to bring you home +myself. I'll just tie the pony to the back of the cart an' he'll follow, +and you get up here beside myself, and we'll face back to Trimleston." + +"But you were going the other way. You'll be late for your own business," +cried Terry. + +"Never mind, missy; business'll have to wait. We can't lave a young lady +and a pony with cut knees foundherin' on the roadside," said the carter. +And so the pony was tied to the cart, and Terry was hoisted to a seat on +the turf beside the carter. + +At any other time she would have asked to be allowed to take the reins and +drive the cart, but just now she felt too cold and miserable and crushed, +too unhappy about Jocko, and too utterly defeated in the matter of the +eggs, to do anything but huddle up in her nook among the turf sods and +struggle against a threatened burst of weeping. + +[Illustration] + +The carter drove on slowly, in silence, looking back now and again to see +that the pony was all right, but taking no further notice of Terry. The fog +was beginning to lift a little, so that one could see here and there a bit +of the roof of a little house, or a thorn bush. At last the carter said: + +"Well, missy, what about thim eggs? Were they raly for Gran'ma's +breakfast?" + +"Oh, don't talk about them!" cried Terry. "It's the worst of the whole +thing. I thought it wasn't wrong because she misses her eggs so much, and +our hens won't lay, and Nurse said they had some at Connolly's farm--and oh +dear!" + +Terry here gave way to her despair, and burst into sobbing and weeping. + +"Well now, little missy, cheer up! I wouldn't say but what we might find a +couple of eggs here in one of the houses as we go along." + +"Oh, could we? I've got money to pay for them. And it wouldn't be half so +bad if I could only be in time with the eggs for Gran'ma's breakfast." + +"Aisy now, aisy!" said the carter as he drew up opposite to a little gray +stone house where some hens were picking about the doorway. "I would bet a +sack of potatoes to a bag of meal that one o' thim very hins is afther +layin' an egg, by the cluck of her!" + +He shouted and whistled, and a woman came to the door. + +"Do you happen to have any new-laid eggs about the place, ma'am?" asked the +carter. + +"Why then, I have three," said the woman, "nice an' warm from the nest. +Would ye be wantin' thim?" + +"Oh yes, please!" cried Terry, and pulled out her little purse. "Do pay for +them, thank you," she said to the carter, "and please give her plenty of +money, for I am so glad to get them!" + +"Well now, missy, why would ye be trustin' me with this?" said the man, +taking the purse. "Sure maybe I'd be robbin' you." + +"Oh no, you wouldn't!" said Terry; "you're a great deal kinder than I +thought you were at first." + +The purchase was made. There was no basket, and Terry was glad that she had +three nice, soft pockets in her coat, into each of which she put an egg. +After that the cart jogged on more quickly than before, as the fog had +lifted so far as that Terry could see all around her. + +"I see someone awfully like Turly; just there in the distance," said Terry. +"Do you see, Mr.--" + +"My name's Reilly," said the carter. + +"Thank you, Mr. Reilly. I'm dreadfully afraid it's Turly!" + +"Who is Turly, and why are you afraid it's him?" + +"Turly is my brother, Turlough Trimleston. I'm afraid because he oughtn't +to be out riding on a donkey this foggy morning." + +"No more nor his sister riding on a pony. I hope he hasn't broken the +donkey's knees," said Reilly. + +"I hope not. I don't think so, or he wouldn't be riding it. It really is +Turly, and he won't be at home to tell Nurse what has become of me.--Oh, +Turly, Turly, why did you come after me when I told you not to?" + +"I said I would come," said Turly. + +Reilly had pulled up while Turly was being interviewed. The little boy sat +on a bare-backed donkey, himself looking rather at loose ends, with +evidences of having dressed himself hastily without any finishing-up from +Nurse Nancy. + +"How did you ever do it, Turly?" + +"How did you do it?" said Turly. "Of course I just walked into the stable +and looked about for a horse. I tried to sit on them all, but I couldn't, +for they were too wide. Then I spied the donkey. There was no saddle for +him, so I took him as he was. And how did you like Connolly's farm, Terry? +And is this Connolly?" + +"Oh dear no, Turly! This is Mr. Reilly. Jocko and I were lost in the fog, +and we didn't get at all near Connolly's. And Mr. Reilly found us and got +me some eggs. But oh, Turly, poor Jocko's knees are cut, for he slipped in +the frost and I let him down." + +"Never mind! They'll come all right again," said Turly. "Lally will look +after him." + +"We may as well hurry up then," said Reilly, "if I'm ever to get on the +road again with my load of turf." + +Then they began to move on again, the cart with Terry and Reilly, and Turly +riding the bare-backed donkey behind, side by side with Jocko, who seemed +very glad of their company. + +As they turned off the high-road they saw Nurse Nancy standing at the foot +of the avenue, evidently looking out for them in great anxiety. The cart +stopped before her. + +"Oh, you terrible childher! You dreadful little girl! I wonder I am alive +since six o'clock this morning!" + +"You were sound asleep then, Nursey. I heard you snoring. And you won't +call it dreadful when you see the eggs. The only terrible thing is Jocko's +knees. I'm awfully sorry about that, indeed I am. I'd rather it had been my +own knees!" cried Terry, running to the back of the cart to examine poor +Jocko's injuries. + +"The pony's knees!" shrieked Nurse, throwing up her hands and her eyes in +despair. + +"I tell you Lally will make him all right!" said Turly. "Ponies and men +don't make a row over a scratch as women do!" + +"If Lally cures him I'll give him all my pocket-money for a year," said +Terry, wiping her own eyes and patting Jocko's nose. "Oh, here is Mr. +Lally! Do you think you can cure poor Jocko's knees, Mr. Lally?" + +"So you're at your thricks again, Miss Terry! Sorra ever such a young lady +was born in this mortial world before!" said Lally. "Now what will your +gran'ma be sayin' to you this time, Miss Terry?" + +"Oh, Gran'ma! I hope she hasn't had her breakfast yet, Nursey. Just look at +the lovely fresh eggs Mr. Reilly got me!" + +"An' I scourin' the counthry all round about Connolly's farm lookin' for +ye!" said Michael Lally indignantly, as he examined Jocko's knees. + +"And have they really got plenty of eggs at Connolly's?" cried Terry. "For +only three will not last very long, you know." + +"Here, Missus Nancy, for all the sakes will you take your childher out o' +my road?" cried Lally. "A nice scoldin' I'll be gettin' over again from +Madam when she hears of it." + +"Oh no, she won't! Not when she get's her egg, and I tell her about it," +said Terry. + +And then Reilly gathered up his reins, laughing, and went rattling his cart +of turf down the road. Lally led away the pony, and Nancy and the children +returned to the house. + + + + +CHAPTER VI + +A BRASS HELMET + + +Madam's breakfast was ready, and there was just time to cook the new-laid +egg and put it on the tray. + +Terry got behind the open door, and great was her delight when she heard +Granny say: + +"Why, Nancy, you don't mean to tell me that this is a new-laid egg! Where +can you have got it?" + +"A nice little hen laid it for you, madam," said Nancy, "and may be there's +more where it come from." + +"That is very good," said Granny. "What are the children doing at present, +Nancy?" + +"They're just about goin' to get their breakfast, madam." + +"Isn't it rather late for their breakfast?" said Granny. + +"Both of them's been out, madam, and have got appetites like young +troopers," said Nancy evasively. + +Terry listened with the keenest disappointment. Was Nancy not going to tell +Granny that it was she, Terry, who had got her that egg for her breakfast? +When the nursery meal appeared, Terry rushed forth her grievance. + +"Oh, Nursey, you never told Granny who got her that egg! And after all the +trouble I took!" + +"The trouble you took was all boldness and disobedience," said Nancy, "and +it's just the way you're to be punished by not letting her know. It isn't +to screen you that I'm not tellin' her the whole of your conduct, but only +just that I won't have her sick about it. It wasn't you at all that got the +eggs, but Misther Reilly; for there you were stuck in the dyke, with the +pony hurted, an you as far off as to-morrow from Connolly's farm." + +"It's a worse punishment than if you beat me," said Terry. "And you said I +had an appetite like a trooper, and I haven't, for I can't eat a bit." + +"You're a jolly goose, then!" said Turly. "Breakfast's awfully good, I can +tell you." + +"If you don't eat, it doesn't matter," said Nurse. "It'll maybe make you +think again before you set off to run into such dangers. If your head had +come against a stone when the pony went down--" + +"But it didn't," said Terry. "It wasn't the least bit like that. I just +came sitting on the grass quite comfortably. And I tried to get to +Connolly's, and I didn't want Jocko to be hurt." + +"It isn't the least use talking to you," said Nancy; "but I've another +punishment for you. I've been talking to Madam about your practising, and +you've got to begin to it. I told her you'd be forgettin' all your music, +and she said you'd betther go to it afther breakfast this very mornin'." + +Now if there was one thing in the world that Terry hated it was her +"practising". To sit hammering out five-finger exercises on a piano in a +lonely room, making a dreary, monotonous noise, trying to turn in her +fingers and thumbs at the right places, and doing the same thing over and +over again, while the hands of the clock crept slowly round; all this meant +a penance which was torture to the active little creature. + +However, Terry accepted her sentence in silence. She never thought of +disobeying a direct command like this; for it was true, as she had often +said, that she never did a thing which she believed at the time to be +wrong. It would be clearly wrong to refuse to do her practising when Nurse +and Gran'ma had decreed that it was to be done, and so she recognized that +the hated ordeal must be faced. + +She got out her "music", sheets covered with wicked-looking black notes, +having figures and crosses marked above them in pencil to show her where +to put her little fingers, which were always sure to get themselves in the +wrong places. Before descending to the large lonely drawing-room where the +practising had to be done, Terry made one last appeal to fate by opening +the door of Granny's bedroom ever so little and speaking in. Granny might, +after all, not be so severe in this matter as Nurse Nancy. + +"Gran'ma, dear," said a little plaintive voice, "do you think I need go to +my practising quite so soon in the holidays?" + +"Yes, my darling," answered Madam from among the curtains of her bed. "You +know your mother will expect you to play something pretty for her as soon +as she comes home." + +Then Terry strove no more against her doom, but went down to the +drawing-room. + +The drawing-room was a handsome old-fashioned apartment, but with that +depressing atmosphere which gathers into rooms, especially large ones, +which have ceased to be much lived in. The curtains drooped sorrowfully, +the carpet had a lonely, untrodden look; the chairs had an air of not +expecting to be sat upon, some Elizabethan portraits on the walls showed +stiff wooden personages, who seemed to have driven all the living persons +out of the room. When the piano was opened, the black and white keys +appeared cold and uninviting to the touch. + +"Oh dear! oh dear!" said Terry. "An hour's practising! It is just twelve by +the clock now, and I shall have to strum till one!" + +[Illustration] + +She spent all the time she could in screwing the music-stool to the right +height for her little figure. It was no sooner up high enough than she +found she wanted it to go down, and then it would go down too low. At last +it was just as right as it could be, and there was nothing more to be done +with it. + +Then the first two notes were struck by Terry's two little thumbs. How +strange and audacious they sounded in the silence of the lonely room! Terry +glanced over her shoulder at the pictures, and saw a long-faced man in a +pointed collar looking at her severely. + +"Oh, how can I?" she exclaimed, dropping her hands into her lap. "How can I +if he goes on like that?" + +She tried again, however, and this time succeeded in running a five-finger +exercise once up and once down. + +"I forget how to do it, my fingers are all on the wrong notes. Miss +Goodchild says I have a taste for music. How can I have when I hate a +piano? I love beautiful sounds when I hear them, but these are not +beautiful sounds. I can't make anything but a dismal noise. Even the +long-ago people on the walls object to it. But I must do it again or it +won't be practising;" and this time Terry ran the five-finger exercise up +and down two or three times without stopping before she let her hands drop +again from the keys. + +Suddenly a bright idea struck her. + +"I wonder what o'clock it is!" she said to herself. "I must have been at +least half an hour in this room." + +She got down from the high stool and walked slowly across the long room, +feeling that she was getting rid of a little time by restraining her usual +rapid movements. Arriving at the door she stood with her back to it for a +few moments, gazing all around. + +"Could it ever have been a real everyday place to live in, like Granny's +sitting-room upstairs, or the day nursery? Granny says it was a lovely, +comfortable room when she was going about, and everybody was in it every +day. And certainly there are a lot of nice things in it, if they were only +shaken about. But there's nobody to shake them, and it's awfully ghosty, +and I do so feel afraid the ghosts will hear my bad playing and come to me. +Now, I'm sure it must be half an hour, and I may go and look at the clock!" + +She slipped out of the door and closed it behind her quickly, as if she +feared invisible hands might catch her unawares to keep her within. Up two +flights of stairs she went, and looked at the clock on the landing. + +"Only ten minutes past twelve!" she exclaimed in dismay. "Oh, that dreadful +old clock must have stopped herself on purpose! Now, I will just watch to +see. I don't believe she's moving at all." And Terry put her back against +the wall and fixed her eyes on her enemy. + +"No; she's going," said Terry, as the minute-hand made a slight onward +jerk, "but she has gone slow just the very morning I have got to practise." + +She went down to the hall, slowly, counting the steps, and stood in the +hall looking at everything as if she had never been there before. + +"I wonder if I might curl in behind that door with a story-book," she +thought, "or even with nothing at all; where I could hear the sounds of the +other parts of the house! But no, I couldn't. I know it would be wrong, +because I've got to be a whole hour at my practising. And I don't want to +have two wrongnesses in one day, bad as I am." + +She returned at once to the drawing-room, and, seating herself again at the +piano, went steadily up and down a whole scale, trying seriously to turn in +her thumbs at the right places and to put her fingers where they ought to +be when she wanted them. She really worked hard for five minutes, and then +stopped and congratulated herself that the hour must be nearly over. + +"But I must play over Gran'ma's little tune," she said to herself. +"Gran'ma's so fond of it, and it is pretty, only I don't like his being +killed. Malbrook was killed, I know he was. Gran'ma told me so." + +She got out an old music-book of Madam's young days, and turned to a page +on which were a number of small tunes of a few bars each, and each marked +with a name. + +She began to play the old air of Malbrook, very sweetly and plaintively, so +as quite to justify Miss Goodchild's opinion that she had a taste for +music. But at the last bar Terry's little hands fell limp, and she burst +out crying. + +"I know he was killed!" she said; "and what with Jocko's knees and +everything I can't bear it. I wonder if Turly would come down and sit with +me; that is if my hour isn't up." + +Alas! the pitiless old clock informed her that she had still at least half +an hour of penance to undergo. Perceiving this she stole up softly to the +nursery. + +"Turly, dear! Are you there, Turly?" + +"Oh yes, I'm here!" said Turly. "Have you done your practising?" + +"No, I haven't. I wish I had. And will you come down and sit with me, +Turly? The drawing-room is so lonely, and the time gets on so slow." + +"It's silly to be lonely," said Turly. "I'm not a bit lonely here with my +bricks. But of course I'll come with you." + +"Oh, thank you, Turly! Is Nursey with Gran'ma?" + +"Yes." + +"What does she look like, Turly?" + +"Like always," said Turly. + +"Is her nose long, Turly?" + +"Isn't it always the same, Terry?" + +"No, it isn't. When Nurse is angry her nose gets long and her mouth goes +down at the corners. And when she's pleased they both shorten up again." + +"I didn't look at her as much as that," said Turly. + +So Turly came and played in the drawing-room while Terry went on with her +practising. He made a play for himself which was not particularly good for +the furniture. A long train of wagons was constructed of chairs put on +their sides and one or two small old spider tables with their spindle legs +in the air. Turly dressed himself in a few of Granny's best oriental +embroideries, and armed himself with the brass fire-irons. + +"It's war, you know!" he explained to Terry. "Play Malbrook again. But I'm +not going to be killed, I can tell you. I'd just like to see anybody trying +to do it." + +"Oh, Turly, you must be killed, because you have no helmet! Oh, I know +where I can get you one!" + +Terry sprang up and flew to where a small palm was standing, its garden-pot +enclosed in one made of Benares brass. She quickly lifted the palm out of +the brass pot, carried the pot across the floor, and turned it downwards, +like an extinguisher, on Turly's head. It just took his head in, coming +down a little over his eyes. + +[Illustration] + +"Now you are perfect!" cried Terry, clapping her hands. + +"It isn't exactly all right," said Turly. "I should want to see a little +better. Push it a little farther back on me, Terry." + +Terry tried to do so, but the pot would not move. + +"My head is stuck into it," said Turly. "I'm afraid it will never come +off." + +"Oh, Turly!" + +"Never mind. I'll go on with the fighting, and perhaps some fellow will +shoot it off. My wagons are running away, and I must run after them." + +In this manner the practising got finished, and the children hastened to +restore the furniture to its usual state in the room before the appearance +of Nurse Nancy, who might now be expected to look in at any moment. Two or +three times Turly had tried to remove his helmet, but had failed, and so it +was left on his head till all was in order. At last, however, the children +were confronted with a difficulty. The helmet had to come off Turly's head, +and it wouldn't. + +"Oh, Turly, it must come off!" said Terry. + +"Says it won't," said Turly. "Got wedged. Wish it was a little bit more up, +that a fellow could see better. Don't bother, Terry, perhaps it'll change +its mind. Won't it be a joke to see Nurse's face?" + +The door opened on the moment, and the expected face was seen. Nurse Nancy +stood amazed. + +"Turly, what do you mean by using your Gran'ma's nice things in such a +manner? That's one of the beautiful ornaments your uncle sent her from +India. Take it off directly, and put the palm back into it." + +"It doesn't like the palm, Nurse. It would rather have me!" cried Turly, +dancing about impishly at the same time, trying to shake the pot off his +head by the movement. + +"Do you mean to be disobedient, Turlough?" + +"The pot is awfully disobedient," said Turly. "I tell you it won't come +off." + +"We'll see about that," said Nurse Nancy, putting her hands to the pot. But +to her consternation it refused to move. + +"Shake your head out of it, Turly!" + +"I shook and shook, and it only gets tighter on. If I shake any more it +will come down about my neck, and my eyes will be gone up into it, and my +mouth and my nose!" + +Here was a state of things. Nurse looked ready to faint, as she thought of +her boy being smothered before her eyes in a Benares pot. + +"Oh, Turlough! why did you do anything so wild as putting your head into +that pot?" + +"He didn't, Nursey," said Terry, trembling and pale. "It was I who put it +on his head for a helmet." + +"I can believe it, Terencia Mary," said Nurse. "You are always the +ringleader. And why did they call you Mary, like your gentle mother and +grandmother? There's no Mary-ness in you, you shocking girl, that couldn't +do your little bit of practising without running after helmets." + +Here another attempt was made to dislodge Turly's head, while Terry stood +wringing her hands. + +"I say, Nurse," said Turly, "don't you go abusing Terry for nothing. I +dressed myself up as a soldier, and I was taking my wagons to the wars, and +I had everything right but a helmet, and Terry was afraid I might be shot, +so there! she isn't to be blamed for it." + +"And your dinner ready, and you not able to take it," said Nurse. + +"Oh, am I not? Just you see if I don't make use of my mouth as long as I've +got it." + +"Come then," said Nurse; "and I must see about sending to Dublin for a +surgeon, though how I'm to manage all without your Gran'ma knowing, I'm +sure I'm at my wits' ends to guess." + +Turly ate his dinner with great vigour, but Terry sat miserable and without +appetite. + +"I put the pot on his head," she thought, "and it will require a surgeon +from Dublin to get it off. Will the surgeon have to cut part of his head +away? That is what surgeons do; they cut." + +Just as her thoughts had arrived at this excruciating point, the pot +suddenly made a jerk and fell completely over Turly's face, covering his +chin. + +Nurse and Terry shrieked, and Turly uttered some unintelligible sounds from +within the pot. + +"He'll be smothered!" cried Nurse Nancy. + +"What would the surgeon do if he were here?" asked Terry, with tears +streaming, then darted from the room saying: "I'll bring up Michael Lally +and Mr. Walsh!" + +These two worthy men were on the scene in a few minutes, and Lally +instantly thought of a plan. + +"We'll hang him up by the heels," he said. + +So the two men took Turly in their arms and "up-ended" him; the consequence +being that the pot, being now in a straight position on the head, fell off. +Whereupon Turly was re-placed on his feet on the floor. + +Then Nurse Nancy sat down and rocked herself and wept. + +"I thought it would ha' been either a death or an operation!" she sobbed. +"Will I ever get over it?" + + + + +CHAPTER VII + +UP THE CHIMNEY + + +Granny had little idea of what an eventful morning it had been when the +children came to her in the afternoon, looking so nice and well-behaved, as +if they had done nothing but bite their little thumbs in the nursery from +the moment of their getting up till tea-time. Nurse Nancy had persisted in +carrying out her determination to leave her dear mistress in peaceful +ignorance of whatever terrifying episodes might develop during the sojourn +of the children in the house. She had suffered enough from their pranks in +the summer, and she must now be allowed to believe that they were grown as +serious and as quietly-behaved as any old people. + +Fortunately the house was big and the walls were thick, and sounds must +needs be very loud indeed to penetrate to Madam's sanctuary, if care were +taken to keep them from reaching her ears. + +When Terry appeared as usual in her white frock, with her little blue silk +work-bag, and with what Nurse Nancy called her "Mary" face, Granny said to +herself that the child was a sweet little lady; but remarked that Terry +looked pale. Was her clothing warm enough? Had she eaten a good dinner? No, +said Nancy, she hadn't eaten a good dinner, not to-day; but it was only +once, and for a wonder. + +"Wait till you see what a tea she'll make, madam. Myself thinks children +sometimes hides their appetites in their pockets and brings them out again +when they get something they like." + +In this way good old Nancy told the truth and didn't tell the truth, all to +save pain to Madam. But Terry hung her head. She was, as usual, longing to +confess everything that had happened, but kept silence through obedience to +Nurse Nancy. However, when she was invited to partake of the good things of +the tea-table, she did not fail to verify Nurse Nancy's prediction as to +the return of her appetite. + +Indeed, all the troubles of the morning had been by this time removed so +far away that it seemed as if they must have happened a year ago. Lally had +sent her word that Jocko's knees were nearly all right, and that he +suffered no pain from them. Turly's head was in its usual place, and the +pot, being brass, was not even broken. Her practising had been done, and +Granny would have another fresh egg to-morrow morning for breakfast. So +there was no reason in the world why Terry should not make a good tea, now +was there? + +After tea came a rush of joy which quite swept away the recollection of +everything uncomfortable, for Granny informed the children that she had had +a letter from Africa saying that it was probable their father and mother +might come home within a very short time. Dear old Granny had tears in her +eyes while telling this news; and she said that she was rejoiced to think +of what very good children she should be able to present to their parents +when they did arrive at home. + +The evening was passed delightfully, trotting about the floor with the +kittens, reciting poetry, reading aloud, and embroidering. Granny told some +pretty stories of when she was a little girl, stories to which the children +always listened with real delight, because Gran'ma evidently had been a +little girl, from the sort of things she told, and the way she told them, +not like some grown-up people who would make their youngers believe that +they never cared for anything but lesson-books and goody-goodiness from the +moment they were christened. Granny even sang them one or two little songs +which she used to sing when she was ever so small, and Terry thought she +never heard anything so sweet as Granny's soft singing, although it did +only whisper sometimes, and now and then her voice would crack off on the +high notes. There was one little ditty which the children liked greatly, +and which Granny said used to be sung to her by her nurse to put her to +sleep. The song began: + + "It's pretty to live in Ballinderry, + Far prettier to live in Magherlin; + Far prettier to live in Ram's Island + And see the little boats sailing in!" + +It was altogether an evening which made the children feel completely +absolved for any blunders they had committed, and they got up the next +morning particularly good, not afraid of anything, and quite ready for a +new adventure. There was a snow world outside the windows, and this in +itself was an excitement. + +Blackbirds, thrushes, finches, tomtits, came round the doors and windows +begging alms, not to mention crows and magpies, who fought with the little +birds for the crumbs provided for all, and proved themselves intolerable +bullies, much to Terry's disgust. + +"The best plan will be," said Turly, "to throw big pieces, and then these +monsters will fly away with them, and leave the little fellows to eat in +peace." + +This was done, and the rooks in their sombre cloaks and hoods, and the +magpies in their courtly black satin and white velvet, pounced on the +morsels, and retired with them to the branches of the nearest trees. + +"Oh, now," said Terry, "we can give the dear little song-birds their +breakfast! Just see how they are running like little chickens to be fed!" + +However, only now was the fighting to begin. The thrushes pecked the +blackbirds, and the blackbirds flew at the thrushes, and both beat back the +little redbreasts and tomtits. + +"Rascals!" said Turly; "they are every bit as bad as the crows!" + +"Oh!" cried Terry, "to think they can sing so sweetly and behave so +cruelly!" + +"I suppose it's only their way," said Turly. "I think birds have to be +cruel, or they couldn't live. See them picking up the worms, and smashing +the snail-shells against the stones!" + +"And men are cruel too," said Terry. "They kill the lambs--" + +Here their talk was interrupted by an unusual and startling sight. The air +became suddenly darkened by a moving cloud of winging sea-gulls high +overhead, circling above the tops of the trees, ever increasing in number +till their wide wings seemed to be almost laced together. + +Each time the great circle they had marked for themselves was travelled +they descended a little lower towards the earth. + +"How lovely!" cried Terry. "They are really coming down to us!" + +"They are wanting their dinner," said Walsh, the steward, coming to where +the children were standing with their faces turned up to the skies. + +"Oh, do you think so?" cried Terry. "And where can we get crumbs enough for +such a number?" + +[Illustration] + +"But sea-gulls live on fish," said Turly, "and the sea is never frozen. Why +should the frost make the sea-gulls hungry?" + +"I think they're river-gulls," said Walsh; "but anyhow it's looking for +something to eat they are, or they'd never be here. I think there's a lot +of damaged grain up somewhere in the lofts, and we'll boil up a pot of it +for them, not to disappoint the creatures!" + +"That will be very good," said Terry, "if damaged grain will agree with +them, Mr. Walsh. But do you think they will like to have it damaged?" + +Walsh turned away laughing. "Wait till you see them eating it, Miss Terry," +he called over his shoulder. "Maybe it's green peas and jam tarts you'd +like to be settin' down to them!" + +"I don't think they would like jam tarts," said Terry, "but we might give +them some meat;" and away she flew, followed by Turly, to interview the +cook on the subject of a feast for the gulls. + +"Oh, yes, Miss Terry, I'll find plenty for them! There's leavings enough. +It's only taking a little from the pigs, fat things that do be always +eating a lot too much!" + +The end of it was that a splendid mess was made for the gulls, and spread +in little heaps under the trees, and all about the lawn, and even under the +windows, for Terry and Turly wanted to be able to watch them at their +dinner, and they could not stay out of doors, as gulls are so easily +frightened. + +From behind the curtain the children watched them circling, circling +downward. Even when they smelt the hot food, the gulls did not alter their +rhythmical pace and movement, but performed their journey in regular order, +descending with each circle nearer and yet a little nearer to the ground. +At last the first gull ventured a foot upon the territory of man, and +immediately they all dropped on one another, wings falling on wings, and +cries filling the air as the beautiful hungry creatures forgot all their +poetry in their ravening and scrambling for the food. + +That was a good evening also, for by the time the gulls had eaten up all +the dinner and flown away it was nearly the hour for going to Gran'ma, and +she had to be informed of the delightful experience of the morning with the +birds. And Granny told them how, when she used to be going about among the +trees and in the garden, the birds would eat out of her hand, and the +little squirrels, who always came to look after the walnuts, were never in +the least bit afraid of her. After all this the children went to bed +feeling even more gentle and harmless than the night before. And when they +awoke next morning, expecting another day of charity to the birds, they +were quite like little ministering angels, and tricks and adventures were +far from them. + +But, alas! the snow was gone, the birds were regaling themselves on a +breakfast of worms, and the rain was pouring thickly and quietly, with an +easy intention of going on for ever, as only Irish rain can pour. + +Now what was to be done? No good works were possible. Nurse Nancy could +think of nothing more diverting than story-books, and so Terry and Turly +sat each on a stool beside the fire with a book, while Nancy went as usual +to attend to her mistress. + +Nurse had said nothing about practising, and, good as she wanted to be, +Terry had not courage to return of her own accord to the melancholy piano +in the deserted drawing-room. If Turly were to come there with her again he +would either go to war, or hunt wild beasts, or do some other disturbing +thing to disagree with the order of the furniture, and she herself, Terry, +would be sure to be in the middle of the worst of it. So she resolutely +held to her book, that Nancy might not be so likely to remember the +practising. + +When the children were left alone, however, they soon began to talk. + +"I say, Terry," said Turly, "isn't the house awfully quiet? You wouldn't +think there was any kitchen or places downstairs, because they make no +noise. At school you are always hearing things, doors banging and voices +speaking, and you can smell the dinner. It's a very quiet place, Gran'ma's +is. There's no smell, and there's no sound." + +"It's very far downstairs here, you know," said Terry sagaciously. "It's a +big house. And we do smell our own dinner when it comes up. Now, don't we, +Turly?" + +"Oh, yes!" said Turly, yawning; "but I like to know all that is happening +to everybody. I say, Terry, do you know there's another story of house +above the part we're living in?" + +"Two stories," said Terry. + +"Have you never been up in them?" said Turly. + +"No," said Terry. "I peeped up the stairs once or twice, but it looked +rather lonely, so I didn't care to." + +"I think it would be great fun to go up and see what they're like," said +Turly. + +"Some of them are servants' bedrooms," said Terry. "But there are other +parts besides, I know." + +"Do come up and see, Terry." + +"There might be a ghost." + +"If there is, I'll soon knock him on the head," said Turly. "I'll take the +poker with me." + +"Oh, you silly! The poker would pass through him. They have no bodies." + +"Then they couldn't hurt us," said Turly, "so who cares? But there might +be rats, so I'll just take the poker with me." + +"I don't like rats," said Terry; "and mind, Turly, it's you this time, if +anything goes wrong." + +"Now, I hope you're not going to turn into a common girl, Terry," said +Turly. "You used to be such a brick." + +All this made Terry feel that she couldn't possibly be going wrong to-day. +Turly was always said to be good, and he was reproaching her with too much +goodness. They might just go up the stair and take a look around. There +couldn't be any harm in it. + +Still, they went very softly for fear of being overheard. It would be so +disappointing if Nursey were just to come out of Gran'ma's room and say +"Come back, children!" + +Up the stair they went. On the first floor they came to were bedrooms, +chiefly rooms where servants slept, and one or two lumber rooms with +nothing very interesting about them. So the children decided to go up +higher still. A winding stair led to the topmost story of the big house, +which consisted of a range of attics. + +They looked into all, but none of them was attractive. The expedition was +threatening to prove a failure when they arrived at the last door and +pushed it open. + +[Illustration] + +This place certainly seemed more promising. Large black presses were +standing against the wall, looking as if they were full of everything. It +wasn't exactly a lumber room, but a kind of place where very particular old +things had been put away. A rocking-cradle in a corner caught their eyes. + +"I wonder if Granny was rocked in it!" said Terry. + +"She would have to be very little," said Turly dubiously. + +"Of course she was little. I can quite fancy Gran'ma little. Some people +must have been born grown-up. Miss Goodchild was born grown-up, I know. Of +course she's nice, but she couldn't ever have been little, Turly." + +"Nobody could be born grown-up," said Turly. "They've all got to begin +babies. Nursey told me so." + +"Now, Turly! As if God couldn't make us big at once if He liked. And He +did. There's Adam. Do you mean to say he wasn't made grown up? And so was +Eve." + +But Turly had got away from the cradle and had opened one of the presses. + +"Strange-looking things in here," he said. "Hanging up, like people." + +"Oh, they're old dresses of course," said Terry. "Very old dresses I'm sure +they must be. Oh, Turly!" + +Turly had climbed up and unhooked some things which had caught his fancy. +He carried them to the light and examined them. + +"It's a soldier's uniform," he said, "and it must be very old. It's all +stuffy and moth-eaten, and the gold is nearly black. There are green +things on it. I know what it is, Terry. It belonged to Gran'ma's uncle in +the Irish Brigades. He was killed at Fontenoy. They sent home his things. +Nursey told me all about it." + +"Oh, do put it away, Turly! Don't try to get into it. You're too small, and +beside he was killed." + +"It's too big for me," said Turly. "I wonder if he had it on when he was +killed!" + +"Of course he had. Oh, Turly, do hang it up again!" + +"I thought it looked like a kill when I saw it hanging there," said Turly. +And he hung it up again and closed the door of that press. + +"Now I'm sure this is Gran'ma's wedding-dress," said Terry. "It's white, +you know, though it looks gray, because it's so long ago!" + +Many other curious discoveries were made, and at last Turly declared he was +so hungry that he was sure it must be dinner-time. + +All the things they had handled were put back in their places, and they ran +to the door. Terry turned the handle and shook it, but it would not open. + +"I locked it when we came in," said Turly. "I was trying the lock." + +"I can't unlock it," said Terry. + +Turly tried, and Terry tried again, but the key was fixed in the lock and +would not move. Turly got tired struggling with it, and began to kick the +door and to call. They listened, and could not hear anybody coming. +Everything was exactly as before. + +"It's very high up," said Tarry, "and the door is so thick." + +"Perhaps we could get out of the window," said Turly. But the window was +perched up on the roof, and there was no balcony. It was so high that they +could just see the tops of the trees in the distance. + +"I shouldn't mind if I weren't so hungry," said Turly. "I suppose they will +find us some time or other." + +"They'll never think of looking for us here, I'm afraid," said Terry. + +Turly ran over to the grate. "I say," he cried, "this is an awfully short +chimney, and ever so wide. I'm going to get to the top of it and wave a +flag." + +"Do you think you could, Turly? Are you sure you would not hurt yourself?" + +"Oh, bother hurt!" said Turly. "We want our dinner." + +They looked about for something to make a flag of. At last Terry took off +her white petticoat and tore it up to make a long streamer. It was mounted +on a walking-stick which was found in a corner, and then Turly began to +climb the chimney. + +Notches in the stone enabled him to plant his feet, and after he had +squeezed himself up some way, he thrust the stick with its white streamer +through the opening above him. + +"It's all right!" he shouted down. "It's flying!" + +Fortunately there were no chimney-pots on that particular chimney It had a +wide opening, and Turly got his head out at the top. + +"Oh!" said Terry, with her head in the grate, "I hope it won't get all wet, +and flop!" + +"Rain's over!" shouted Turly. "I've got such a splendid view! Walsh and +Lally and a whole pack of them are running down the avenue; going to look +for us, I suppose. Hullo! If they would only look up! What duffers they +are, with their eyes on the ground! I say, Lally! Hi--h--!" + +Terry only heard a word or two of all this, and the people down below none +at all. It was only by accident that Lally turned round and took a look +back at the house. + +"Powers above us!" he shouted, "what's up there on the chimbley?" + +"Chimbley's on fire!" somebody else shouted, having just caught the word +chimney, and everybody began to run back to the house. + +"No, you idiots!" roared Lally; "but, by my sowl, if it isn't Turly's head +that's perked up on the chimbley as if it was Cromwell's head on Newgate!" + +Screams followed. Nurse Nancy, who was of the party, dropped on the road, +and Walsh had to stop and hold her. + +"Up the chimney!" she groaned. "Heavens! how are we to get him down? There +isn't a ladder long enough!" + +"Aisy, ould woman!" said Lally. "We'll get him down the way he got up. It's +an inside job." + +And away he trudged to the house with a goodly following, including Nancy +herself, who soon found her feet when she heard that there was a cure for +the catastrophe. + +How the rescuing party blundered about the upper story, and at last found +the right room, need not be related. + +The door was shaken, battered, assaulted in every possible manner, but the +rusty key had got stuck half-way across the lock and would not stir. In the +end the door had to be taken off the hinges, and when it was removed the +children made a very sooty appearance as the result of their struggle for +liberty. + +Turly was like a real sweep from squeezing himself up and down the chimney, +and Terry had got her gold curls sprinkled with soot, the result of +putting them into the grate when she looked up the chimney after Turly. + +The men laughed heartily when they heard the children's story of their +adventure, and Nurse, as usual, groaned and scolded at first, but +afterwards relented and gave them a good dinner, having prepared them for +it by a bath and clean clothing. + +In spite of Nancy's good intentions, Granny heard the noise and asked what +it meant. + +"Oh!" said Nurse, "it was only the children that shut themselves up in the +attic and couldn't get out again, so that Lally had to open the door for +them." + +"Poor darlings!" said Granny; "a wet day is very trying for them. And they +have been so wonderfully well-behaved; now haven't they, Nancy?" + +"Pretty well, madam, considering," said Nancy. + + + + +CHAPTER VIII + +THE RUNAWAY BOAT + + +A week went past, during which there were no particular adventures. The +weather was fine, crisp with light frost, and sunny in the mornings, so +that the children had long rambles out-of-doors in the care of a young +housemaid, who allowed them a good deal of liberty. In this way they worked +off a great deal of energy, and did not get into any serious scrapes. +Bridget told them fairy tales as they trotted along, one on each side of +her, but that was only when they were tired of running and exploring +everything. + +Sometimes they went down to the sea-shore and built castles of stones, and +picked up shells washed in by the waves. A few little houses stood just +above the shore, and Bridget had friends in these houses, and while the +children were playing she would often leave them on the beach and go to pay +visits to her friends. + +One day when the children had been left alone in this manner they wandered +out of sight of the houses, getting across some rocks and into a little +creek which was quite new to them. They saw some more fishermen's cottages +at a distance, and one or two boats were lying on the shingle. One boat was +rocking on the tide, and Turly immediately went rushing towards it. It was +tied by a rope to a ring fastened in a rock close by. + +Turly stood looking at it, and Terry was soon beside him. + +"It doesn't look a very busy boat," said Turly. "It has neither sails nor +oars; it looks quite out of practice." + +"I suppose it is getting a rest," said Terry. + +"Boats don't get tired. I think there must be something the matter with it. +I'll just get in and see what is wrong." + +The next moment he was in the boat. + +"I don't see anything wrong," said Turly. "It's a very nice boat. Jump in, +Terry! It's awfully good fun to be in a boat." + +"It waggles," said Terry, "and if I fall in there will be a fuss. I think +Nurse is tired of changing our clothes. But there, I'll pull it up close by +the rope. All right!" and Terry was also in the boat. + +"We can pretend we are on a voyage," said Turly. "What country would you +like to discover? America, or Robinson Crusoe's Island?" + +"Oh, those were discovered long ago!" said Terry. "I would rather have +quite a new island. If it wasn't it wouldn't be discovering, you know." + +"I want a new continent," said Turly. "If I discover anything it must be a +continent; islands are not up to much." + +"But there are no more continents to discover, Turly." + +"So they said before America," said Turly. + +"But nothing more is on the map; Miss Goodchild says so." + +"She'll have to make new maps, then," said Turly, "after we have come back +from our voyages." + +They pottered about in the boat for a while, talking make-believe +out-on-the-ocean talk, hauling sails and working the helm. Turly was +captain, and Terry had to be the entire crew. At last Turly said: + +"We don't sail a bit; we only joggle. Do you think I might untie the rope?" + +"No, no!" cried Terry; "we're only pretending. You know we have neither +oars nor sails." + +"I suppose it is better not," said Turly, as a healthy sensation of hunger +reminded him that he could hardly return from discovering a new continent +before dinner. + +However, the rope, as if it resented having been interfered with in doing +its duty, now played them an unkind trick. It loosened from the ring of its +own accord, and the boat, with the children in it, drifted away from the +rocks. + +The tide was going out, and the even waves carried the little bark far from +land in the course of a very few minutes. + +Turly burst out laughing, but Terry turned very white as she realized what +had happened. + +"Turly, Turly, don't dance about like that, or you will upset the boat! +We're going out to sea, and we can't get back again!" Turly looked around +and saw that she was right, but did not like to confess so much. + +"Of course we're going out to sea," he said, "but why shouldn't we come +back again?" + +[Illustration] + +"What's to bring us back?" said Terry. "We've no oars or sails, and if we +had we're not big enough to use them." + +"The tide is going out," said Turly, "and it's taking us. When it begins to +come in it will bring us back." + +"Oh, it won't come back for hours and hours! And how can we tell where we +are going?" + +Turly was quiet now, and came to sit with Terry in the bottom of the boat. + +"It's the only way to keep it steady," said Terry. "Let us ask God to take +care of us!" + +"Of course He will; He walked on the sea. Aren't we silly not to have +thought of that before?" + +They both slipped on their knees and cried out loudly: + +"God! God! Come to us and bring us back to shore!" + +Still the boat kept drifting away outward, while the shore they had left +got farther and farther into the distance. + +They were very cold by this time, but fortunately the day remained calm and +clear, and there were still some hours to come of winter daylight. + +At last, after a period that seemed to them a whole day long, Turly turned +his head and gave a wild shout of triumph. + +"Hurrah!" he cried; "here's my continent." + +Terry looked round, and there, truly, was land on the other side of them to +which their backs had been turned while they were straining their eyes +towards home. + +"It's an island," said Terry. "Nurse often said there were islands out +here. How are we going to catch on to it?" + +"The tide is taking us slap up against it," said Turly. A few minutes later +they went bang into a rock; the boat made a somersault, flung the children +high and dry, and "ran off with itself, laughing", as Turly said +afterwards. + +When they were able to pick themselves up, and to look around, they +perceived that the rock on which they were perched was right in the little +harbour of an island. There was still daylight enough to see the houses on +the island and the people walking about the beach. No one noticed them for +some time, and at last they took off their hats and waved them, and +shouted. + +Then they saw a man in the dress of a fisherman look up and stand staring +at them as if he did not believe they were human children. + +"I suppose he thinks we're mermaids," said Terry. "I hope he won't, because +then he might leave us here all night." + +"We haven't got fishes' tails," said Turly; "anyone could see that. I don't +believe he's such a stupid. See, he's pointing us out to another man! Oh, +they'll come for us in a boat! And then it will be fun to have discovered +an island." + +"I think it's quite an old island," said Terry. "We haven't discovered +it." + +"Now don't you go and spoil things," said Turly. "I mean to discover it." + +They soon saw that the fishermen were really coming for them, and not a bit +too soon, for the tide was rising round their rock, and, besides, they were +so cold and hungry that their courage was nearly exhausted. + +"Now, will ye tell me where did the pair of ye come from?" said one of the +men. "Is it down out of heaven ye are, or up out of the sea? By my word I'm +not sure at all about takin' the like o' ye into my boat." + +"Hold your tongue, man," said the other. "Don't you see the childher's +teeth are chatterin' out of their heads with the cold. Come in here, little +lady and gentleman, and then ye can tell us what bad ship threw you out of +it to where ye are." + +"It wasn't a ship; it was a boat," said Turly. "And it was a queer boat. +First it ran away with us, and then it threw us out and made off with +itself." + +"We got in to look at it only," said Terry. "It was tied to a rock, and the +rope got loose and the tide carried us away." + +"Well then, but some poor body's blessin' was over ye, or ye weren't here," +said the first man. "It's three miles from main shore, and there's a storm +comin' on." + +"We called God," said Terry. + +"It's good for ye that ye did," said the man. "Thank Him now that ye've got +your feet on dry land again." + +They had scarcely touched the shore when the storm began to whistle, and +soon to roar, and big waves hurled themselves on the island. It was quite +certain they could not return to Trimleston that night. One of the +fishermen took them home to his own cabin, where there was a good fire of +turf, and a kind woman and some little children. They got a good supper of +potatoes and herrings, which, after their long fast, was found to be most +delicious. + +The little fisher-children came round them, smiling at them, examining them +all over, touching their clothes. They had never seen anything so nice as +this little lady and gentleman. There were six little fishermen and +fisherwomen, all in red flannel frocks and bare feet. Nonie, the eldest, +who was eight years old, could not cease admiring the strangers. + +"Where were ye?" she asked suddenly, after a long, worshipful silence, with +her eyes fixed now on Terry and now on Turly. + +"Oh! isn't she sweet?" cried Terry. "What do you mean, Nonie?" + +"Where were ye before?" stammered Nonie. + +"Oh, miss," said the mother, laughing, "she wants to know where ye live, +for she never seen the like o' ye before!" + +"We live over on the other shore, in a big house, Nonie; and I hope you +will come to see us there. I'm sure Gran'ma will want you to come." + +And then, when she thought of what Gran'ma at that moment was doing, Terry +broke down and began to cry bitterly. + +"Oh, Mrs. O'Neill, you don't know how dreadful it will be when we haven't +come home, and nobody knows what has become of us!" + +"Well, dearie, as soon as ever the storm goes down a bit, it's Peter +O'Neill that'll be takin' you home to her." + +"It's worse for me, you know, Mrs. O'Neill, because Turly is a boy; and, +besides, I am older. I am always getting into scrapes though I don't mean +it, and I suppose I must have gone wrong this time too." + +"No, you didn't," said Turly; "I got into the boat and I made you come to +me." + +"I oughtn't to have got in," said Terry, "I ought to have pulled you out." + +"Then we should both have been drowned," said Turly, "for I should have +pulled and kicked, I know I should, and the boat would have gone over on +top of us." + +"Oh, poor Gran'ma!" cried Terry. + +"I tell you Nursey will pretend we're in bed," said Turly; and Terry +grasped at this idea and took a little comfort from it, remembering Nancy's +many successful little plots for screening the children and saving her dear +lady from anxiety and disturbance. + +The beds in the fisherman's house were only of straw done up in bags, and +the bed-clothes were very light, but the children slept soundly and found +everything as comfortable as possible. Terry was wakened by a little kid +licking her face, and started up in great astonishment and delight. It was +a pet kid, and had rushed into the house as soon as the door was opened. + +The breakfast was potatoes and goat's milk. The little fisher-children ate +with them, and were very merry as they peeled their potatoes and sipped the +milk from their tin mugs. But Terry and Turly could scarcely understand +what they said, even when they spoke English. + +"What are they saying, Mrs. O'Neill?" asked Terry, completely puzzled, +while Nonie and her little brothers and sisters chattered to one another. + +"Sure it's Irish they're talkin'," said their mother. "It's what we always +talk together, and anything else comes strange to them." + +"Irish? But we are Irish too. Why don't we talk Irish?" cried Terry. + +Here Peter O'Neill came and said that the weather was looking better, and +the boat was ready, and if the little lady and gentleman would come, he +would take them across that bit of sea home to their Granny. + +The children felt it hard to leave the island and their new friends without +having seen more of them, but the thought of Gran'ma's pain of mind and +Nurse Nancy's misery hurried them off, and they were soon in the boat. This +was a very different crossing from the last, seeing that they were cared +for by two stout fishermen, and pulled along by four strong oars. + +"But, after all, God did very well for us, now didn't He, Mr. O'Neill?" +said Terry. + +"He did the next thing to a miracle," said O'Neill; "but you'd better not +be doin' any more thricks behind your Gran'ma's back, or maybe God would +turn round and punish ye." + +"I won't; indeed, indeed, I never will," said Terry. + +Meanwhile poor Nurse Nancy had spent a dreadful day and night since Bridget +had rushed home to her with the news that the children had disappeared and +were not to be found. All the evening and through the night men were out +searching for them in every direction. No one noticed the disappearance of +the boat till next morning, and it was feared that the children had fallen +down some steep rocks, and had either been killed by the fall or drowned. +Bridget was nearly out of her senses, knowing that she had neglected the +children; and poor old Nancy was so ill from the shock and fear that she +would perhaps have died, only that she had Madam to think of. + +When Granny's tea-time came and the children did not appear, Madam +naturally asked what was delaying them. + +"Oh, then, indeed, madam, you mustn't expect to see them to-night! They've +been gettin' into mischief, and I can't bring them here to you." + +Gran'ma was shocked. + +"Now, Nancy," she said, "are you not too severe upon them, and for the +first fault? They have been doing so beautifully." + +"Well, madam, I beg you'll leave them to me," said Nancy, making a great +struggle to speak as if nothing had happened worse than seemed from her +words. "I hope it will be all right with them to-morrow, and then they can +come in and ask your pardon." + +"What did they do, Nancy?" asked Madam. + +"Oh, they'll tell you themselves, I hope," said poor Nancy, striving to +satisfy her mistress without telling a positive untruth. + +So the dear old lady went to sleep that night without having suffered +anything worse on the children's account than a little regret that they +had been punished by having their tea in the nursery, and being sent to bed +early. + +Nancy could not rest, but spent the night wandering up and down the avenue +and on the road, watching for the return of messengers, who were continuing +the search about the rocks and all over the country, with the help of +lanterns. But day broke without bringing any sign of the children. + +At last, in the dawn, the owner of the runaway boat came down to the beach +and missed his property. In an instant the truth flashed on him. The +children and the boat must have gone away together. + +He sent for Walsh and Lally, who had just returned from different quarters, +hoping to hear when they arrived at the house that the children had already +got home. + +"They're drowned," said the man. "My boat's gone with them, and where would +it be but to the bottom of the sea in that storm?" + +"Then you may go up to the house yourself with that news," said Walsh; "for +it's not me that's goin' to carry it." + +"Nor me," said Lally. + +The three men stood gazing out to sea with tears in their eyes. Bridget, +looking as white as a ghost, appeared and joined them. + +"Nancy has to stay with Madam," she said. "She's at her wits' end to know +what to tell her next. For heaven's sake, is there no news at all from +anywhere?" + +The men looked at her. They did not like to say, "It's your fault", so they +only shook their heads. + +Presently Walsh said: + +"There's a boat missin'." + +Bridget screamed, and began to beat her breast and clap her hands. + +"Whisht! will you," said the boatman. "We're bad enough without that. Give +us peace to think a bit. If they were drowned they would ha' been washed in +by this. The early tide would ha' brought them, for the boat couldn't carry +them far without upsettin'." + +"I'll run away! I'll run away!" shouted Bridget. + +"Run then," said Lally. "It isn't you we're thinkin' of, but the poor ould +lady, and the father and mother that's out in Africa." + +At this moment a white speck appeared on the sea. A ray of sunlight had +struck across the twilight and made it visible; then something larger and +darker was seen behind it moving with it. + +"Would it be a boat?" said Lally, as all eyes were strained watching this +appearances. + +"Then you may well ask, for a boat it is!" said the boatman. "If it isn't +the angels that's bringin' them childher home, by my word, I don't know +what it is!" + +A few more minutes of eager watching assured them that Terry and Turly were +returning, if not visibly in the custody of angels, at least in the care of +two sturdy oarsmen, who were pulling towards the shore. + +As they came near enough to be well seen and heard the children stood up in +the boat and cheered and waved their handkerchiefs to their friends. +Bridget waited for no more, but ran with the good news to the House. + +Poor old Nancy had made an excuse to get away from Madam for a few minutes +and was leaning against the door-post, scarcely able to stand, and with a +face of the most intense misery. When she saw Bridget running towards her, +waving her apron, she knew the news must be good. + +"They're all right!" screamed Bridget, ever so far away. "They're comin'! +They're comin'!" + +Hearing this, Nurse Nancy first of all knelt down in the hall and thanked +God. Next she went back to Madam and told her that she thought the children +had been punished enough, and should be allowed to come to her as usual at +tea-time. She was not a minute too soon with the news, for Granny had +already begun to get a little suspicious and uneasy. + +[Illustration] + +In a very short time afterwards Terry and Turly came racing up the avenue +and into the house and up the stairs in search of Nurse Nancy, who brought +them into the nursery and cried over them, and was far too happy at seeing +them again to think of scolding them. + +The children cried too, and told her their adventures. + +"Oh, Nursey, dear," said Terry, "this is really the last time we'll ever do +anything wild! We should have been drowned, only God took care of us. We +will never do wild things again, I assure you." + +"Not till the next time," said Nurse Nancy grimly; but this was the nearest +approach she made to scolding. + +In the midst of this little scene Granny's bell rang violently, and Nurse +Nancy hastened away to see what was the cause of the unusual sound. + +"Nancy!" cried Madam, "let me see the children immediately. I have +wonderful news for them. Their father and mother will be here with us +to-night!" + +Very soon Terry and Turly were dancing round Granny in delight, all trouble +forgotten, and nothing thought of but the joy that was in store for them. +All the house was in a bustle of preparation. Fires were lighted in rooms +that had been deserted, and the maids went about making everything look +cheery and pretty. Cook came up to Granny's room to take orders for the +evening dinner, and Terry and Turly were to be permitted to dine with the +grown people. + +In due time the father and mother arrived, both quite young people, and +looking more like the grown-up brother and sister of Terry and Turly than +their parents. That was a delightful evening when all were gathered round +the fire in Granny's room, and the children, one on Father's knee and the +other in Mother's arms, listened to stories of many a "happening thing", in +which they seemed to share without getting into disgrace. + +It was some time before Mother learned all the curious adventures of her +girl and boy at Trimleston House, only a few of which have been taken note +of and preserved for this book. Terry told her all. + +"Well," she said, "I am now going to stay at home and take care of my +children. They shall ride with me, walk with me, play with me, and I will +teach them their lessons myself. I think they are too full of wild life and +spirits to be manageable by either schoolmistress or governess. Give me two +years, Granny, and see what I shall make of them." + +"Don't make them too well-behaved, my dear," said good old Madam, looking +wistfully at the little group of happy faces. "I have found them charming +in these holidays. If there was any trouble, Nancy did not tell me." + +"Nursey had an awful time with us!" said Terry, shaking her head. + +"And oh, Mother," cried Turly, "if we are going to have lessons, will you +have Nonie over from the island to teach us Irish?" + +"What island?" asked Granny. "And who is Nonie?" + +Then the story of the runaway boat had to be told for the first time to +Granny, who cried a little, but said she would not fret about it now, as +Father and Mother were happily come home. + + +THE END + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Terry, by Rosa Mulholland + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TERRY *** + +***** This file should be named 20492.txt or 20492.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/2/0/4/9/20492/ + +Produced by David Edwards, Paul Stephen, Nikolay Fishburne +and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at +https://www.pgdp.net + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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