CHAPTER XIV.
"OH, BE THOU WELCOME HERE."
When Mr. Neeven returned to his house the Laird of Boden was with him,and Tom was desired to hand over Dr. Holtum's letter, which he did withalacrity.
After perusing it carefully, Mr. Adiesen said, "And so you are theDoctor's son? You are not very like your father. He was a veryhandsome youth when he was your age."
Tom laughed, and there was that in his plain, honest face, whichpleased both the gentlemen perhaps more than fine features would havedone.
"I try to be like father in other ways," said he; "but my brother Sveinis as like him as can be. You would like Svein. He is very clever aswell as good-looking. People who can judge say so!"
That hearty brotherly speech added still more to the good impressionTom had made, and the two men studied him silently for a minute or two,"as they might some curious starfish," Tom remarked later, whenrecounting all that took place.
"You are to come with me now," said Mr. Adiesen at last. "I dare sayyou will be glad of some breakfast. Come along, and we will settlewhat is to be done about Yaspard afterwards."
They went off to Moolapund, leaving Mr. Neeven alone; and very muchalone he felt himself to be. It was strange, passing strange, thoughthe, that the "chatter" of a very ordinary boy should have caused such acurious revolution within him. What did it mean? Had he not lived hislife of action? had he not tasted the fruit of knowledge until it hadpalled on his appetite? Had he not his books for company--books, whichcould not irritate, and contradict, and bother, as human beings areprone to do?
"A boy is a happy creature!" Gaun Neeven said to himself with a sigh,as he picked up the book Tom had been reading; "a happy sort of animalon the whole. I could wish myself a boy once more!"
Meanwhile Tom Holtum was being introduced at Moolapund, where he wasvery soon at his ease, and chatting away with his wonted fearlesscandour, which Harry had been heard to call "impudence and vanityrolled up in whale's blubber."
His host was in wonderfully good humour, and contrived to get a gooddeal of information regarding life in Lunda out of Tom, withoutallowing it to appear that he was at all interested in the people ofthat isle.
"I suppose," he said by-and-by, "that I must find a way of sending youback; and there is that boy Winwick has to go also. But Yaspard'smisadventure must teach us a lesson. You will have to give me yourword that those who convey you to Lunda shall not be intercepted in theperformance of a neighbourly courtesy as he was."
"Oh, sir!" Tom cried hotly; "why, we never looked at it like _that_,nor did Yaspard. It was agreed that we should try and nab each otheranywhere and anyhow outside of our own voes. If you had asked FredGarson to safeguard the Viking, we would not have meddled with him."
"And poor brodhor," Signy exclaimed, "would not have been enjoyinghimself at Collaster!"
"I think," said Uncle Brues suddenly, "that Yaspard has met Vikings asmad as himself. Now, Master Tom, can you tell how he is going torecover his liberty and his boat 'captured on the high seas,' eh?"
"I thought I'd talk to his followers--as he calls those Harrisonboys--and they may help him. Of course they are the proper persons tonegotiate about his ransom," and Tom grinned.
Signy volunteered to go with him to Noostigard; so the ponies weresaddled, and off the couple set.
Such a claver as there was, to be sure, when Tom and the Harrisons met!The brothers were for seizing Tom in place of Yaspard; and nothing butSigny's vehement protestations that he was under a flag of truce, so tospeak, prevented their carrying out some desperate measure of the sort.They wouldn't see the difference between Yaspard caught at sea _after_discharging a hospitable duty, and Tom a messenger of peace.
"Weel," said Lowrie at last, "will ye tak' one o' us in his place,then?"
"No, we won't--not a dozen of you!" answered Tom.
"Oh, boys!" Signy exclaimed then, "Yaspard promised at the very firstthat I should have a share in his Viking-ploy. It would be just lovelyif you would take _me_ with you, to beg for his freedom. You knowthat's how the ladies used to do for their knights."
"When they happened to be their fathers or brothers," said Tom; "andthen the girls were married to the knights' enemies, and they all livedhappily ever after."
"I'm not going to marry you EVER, so that isn't to be the way thistime," retorted the little lady, with immense spirit.
"Very well," he answered calmly, "then it will be some other fellow.But upon my word I think it would be a very jolly plan to take you withus; only--will your uncle permit it?"
"I'll try and coax him. He is really dear and good, if you only wouldbelieve it; and I don't think that he is going to be so camsterie[1]about Lunda folk now that he has seen Mr. Garson. I just think Mr.Garson is splendid. He makes me think of Prince Charlie and Sir PhilipSidney. He looks so like a real hero, does he not?"
"Fred is to be the other fellow ten years hence," thought Tom, but hewisely held his tongue.
Uncle Brues was not so very difficult to persuade as Signy had imagined.Perhaps, if she had seen Dr. Holtum's letter, she would have found areason for his unexpected complacence; but Signy was too glad at thepermission given to waste thoughts on "reasons why." She would hardlywait to carry out Aunt Osla's request that her best frock must be wornon such an important occasion, and nothing short of Mam Kirsty's tearscould have reconciled her to wasting time in brushing out her abundanthair into a profusion of curls, and otherwise making herself "a credittae them 'at aws (owns) her."
But when she was released from those loving feminine hands and wentdown to the little quay with Uncle Brues to join the boys, Tom Holtumthought he had never seen a sweeter vision of a ladye faire than sheappeared in her cream-white frock and navy-blue cloak and hat, hershining hair hanging about the lovely little face, and her eyes shininglike stars on a frosty night.
"You'll never need to beg one word," he declared; "you will break theViking's chains with the glint of your eyes. He was considered _my_booty, and I am ready this moment to give him up to you without asingle condition. So there!"
"Thank you, but I don't want my knight for nothing," Signy replied,with a saucy toss of the head, as she stepped into the boat. Thenturning to her uncle, she said, "Good-bye, dear uncle; we--Yaspard andI--will be back soon."
"Not to-night, sir, if you please," Tom cried eagerly; "we shall wantto keep her a little while;" and the Laird answered, "It shall be asDr. Holtum may think best. Take care of her, boys."
As the boat rowed away he looked fondly after the child, and thoughtthat never did a fairer maid than his darling Signy go on a mission oflove.
As the Boden boat went sliding along the coast of Lunda, purposing tobring up at Collaster, Tom saw their young laird riding over the hill,and as the distance was not great, the lad stood up and waved andyelled to attract Fred's notice. He was successful, and the horsemancame rapidly to the beach, while the boat drew close in-shore.
A few words sufficed to explain matters, for Fred had seen Dr. Holtumthat morning, and knew of Tom's expedition.
"And you have been allowed to bring the little lady to Lunda?" Fredsaid. "I think you had better land her here, for there is a good dealof rough water round the Head of Collaster to-day, and she may get somespray. Will you let me carry you on Arab to the Doctor's house, Signy?"
"I think that would be nice," she answered; and Tom said, "You hadbetter go with Fred."
The boat was brought along some crags, and Tom, jumping out, liftedSigny on shore; then, resuming his place, shoved off again, saying ashe waved them good-bye, "You will be there before us, I suppose, but wewill not be long behind you; so look alive, if you don't want to bebeat."
Fred had dismounted, and he and Signy stood together watching the boatget on her course again.
Then Fred said, laughing, "I shall feel like some robber chief carryingoff a fair prize when I ride away with you! You will not be afraid totrust me and Arab, I hope?"
"No! of course I can trus
t you," was Signy's ready answer.
He sprang into his saddle, and then with the aid of his hand andstirrup Signy climbed lightly to the place before him, and settledherself there composedly.
"This is how I used to have delightful rides with Uncle Brues," shesaid; "but he could not hold me so firmly as you do, and once his ponystumbled and I had a fall, and he never would let me up beside himagain."
"When my sister was a little girl like you, she was never so happy aswhen our father took her up like this; and sometimes he would ridemiles and miles with her. Don't you like Arab's step? I always thinkthere never was a horse like him. He was a present to me on mybirthday--the last gift of my dear father."
"How you must love him! He goes as easy as a sail-boat on a smoothsea."
And then Arab was put at a gallop, to Signy's delight. She wasperfectly safe (and felt herself to be so) with that strong arm aroundher, and that firm hand holding the reins. She enjoyed that rideimmensely, and remembered the pleasure of it for a long time; but Fredremembered it all his life long, because from that moment he could datea new colour in his life, a kind of thought and feeling which werenovel in his experience.
[1] Headstrong and cross-grained.
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