miss,' said Polly, forgetting her owntroubles in turn. 'Is that the young gentleman who is living with Mrs.Berkley?'
"'Yes, Polly,' said Vea. 'Mrs. Berkley is my aunt.'
"'He's a very kind young gentleman, miss. Is there anything I could dofor him, miss? I should like to do something so much, for he helped memore than once.'
"Vea naturally looked a little surprised, for Patrick was so often introuble, that it was rather astonishing to hear any one praising him.
"'I don't think it could be my brother Patrick,' said Vea.
"'Oh yes, miss, that was his name,' said Polly. 'He told me his name wasPatrick.'
"'And what did Patrick do for you?' said Vea, looking much pleased.
THE ANCHOR.]
"'I was playing with Willie one day at the harbour, and young Dick wasshowing me a great anchor some of the men had left on shore for a newboat they were going to build, when my step-mother called from thecottage door, and bade me take the ropes and carry home the drift-woodshe had been gathering all the morning. Dick said as how he was sorry hecouldn't go to help me, as he had to go out in his grandfather's boatthat afternoon; and so, after leaving Willie beside old Dick, I took theropes and went down on the beach. My step-mother had called after me Iwas to drag them in three bundles, but they were so heavy that I had toseparate the first one into two; and for doing this she beat me. I wasgoing back to the next one, crying a good deal, for I was wishing Icould go to my own mother and to father, when a boy jumped up frombehind a stone, and asked me why I was crying; and so I told him. Andwhen he heard it, he called my step-mother some hard names; and thensays he, "Are you the little girl young Dick helps when he has any sparetime?" And when I answered "Yes," he says, "Well, then, give me theropes and I'll help you, for Dick is away to-day." I couldn't helpsaying that dragging drift-wood wasn't fit work for a gentleman; but hejust laughed, and said there were lots of people would be glad to knowPatrick Berkley was so usefully employed.'
"'And did he drag the wood for you?' said Vea, the tears standing in hereyes.
"'That he did, miss. And whenever he sees me carrying a heavy load alongthe beach, he just slips up to me, and, without saying a word, takes itout of my hand. And then if he sees any of the boys frightening me, hewon't let them. I was so sorry, miss, for the cut he got on his eye;that was from wild Joe throwing a stone at him when he was carrying mybasket for me round the Bluff Crag.'
"'You have no idea how happy you have made me, Polly,' said Vea. 'AuntMary always says there is a great deal of good in Patrick, only his loveof mischief sometimes chokes the good seed. It is very strange he neverlets us see him doing a kind or a generous action.'
BY THE BEACH.]
"At this moment Natilie opened the cottage door and called to her youngmistress to come up. I waited by the beach, and taking off my shoes andstockings, waded into the cool water. The girls were much amused at mydelight, and I may say terror also, as, looking down into the clear bluewater, I saw various small fishes darting in and out among the stones;and even Polly forgot her angry step-mother at home, and screamed withlaughter at my sudden fright when a small crab seized hold of my greattoe, and hung tenaciously to it, even when I was far up on the sandybeach.
"Then Natilie came and called to me to come up also; and there I foundPatrick lying very quiet and still on the bed, and Vea sitting by theside of it holding his hand. It was arranged that I should return to thehouse with Natilie and Alfred, while Vea remained with her brother tillNatilie returned; but just as we were setting out, my Uncle John camedown to see after the patient, and I was told I might amuse myself foran hour outside till the maid returned with the articles required by thedoctor. I would have liked to have stayed with Vea, but both the doctorand my uncle thought that as the cottage was so small, the fewer therewere in it the better for Patrick.
"'I would like to get home,' said poor Patrick in a faint voice.'Couldn't I be carried home, sir?' he pleaded, turning to the doctor.
DOWN AT THE COVE.]
"'Not for some days, my boy,' replied the doctor kindly. 'If you lievery still, and attend to orders, we shall see what can be done for youthen.'
"But when the doctor had gone, Vea came slipping out, and bidding mefollow her, went round to where some boats lay moored. A ladder wasplaced against the side of one of these, and up this Vea mounted beforeI knew what she was going to do. 'I feel sure,' she said, looking overthe side of the boat to me, as I stood on the beach below, 'if we couldonly get Patrick hoisted up here, we might get him taken home quitesafely.'
"'Ah, but I don't think the doctor will allow you to do that,' Ireplied; 'I fear he must remain here for some weeks.'
"'He seems very anxious to get home, poor boy. I cannot make it out,'said Vea. 'He says he will tell me the reason once he finds himself inhis own bed at Aunt Berkley's. I wonder who this boat belongs to.'
"'Polly said it belonged to Martha's father,' I replied; 'she told me sojust before they left me to go home.'
"'Polly, I hope, has quite made up her mind not to run away,' said Vea.
"'Oh yes, I think she has given up that idea; indeed, I heard her say toRachel she would try to bear it a little longer.'
"'There is Dick returned already,' said Vea; and she scrambled out ofthe boat, and ran down to the beach to meet Dick, who was coming fromthe doctor's house with a basket containing medicines for the sick boy.
DICK RETURNING WITH THE MEDICINE.]
"'Oh, you are a good boy, Dick,' said Vea. 'How fast you must havegone!'
"'Well, yes, miss, I did go fast,' said Dick, pleased with Vea's speechapparently. 'I went by the beach, the tide being out, and it is nigherthat way by a good mile. I would go faster than most folks for the youngmaster.'
"'Why, has Patrick been kind to you too, Dick!' said Vea, in muchsurprise.
"'That he has, miss,' said Dick gratefully. 'When I lost grandfather'sknife, didn't he buy me a new one with the new half-crown his aunt gavehim to spend at the fair! And didn't he let grandfather think he hadbroken the glass in the window, when all the time it was me, and nobodyelse! And hasn't he often and often brought me a bit of his own dinnertied up in his handkerchief, or a pie he would find lying handy in thepantry, when he knowed I'd had nothing for my dinner that day at all!'
"Vea said nothing, but she evidently thought her brother was a verycurious boy, and that she had not understood him at all.
"When Natilie had returned with the things required by the sick boy andhis attendants, Uncle John and I set off home, he promising that wewould return the next afternoon to inquire after Patrick. The sun wasjust shedding its last rays of golden light over the sea, lighting it upwith a strange lurid light, which, with the stillness of the scene, andthe great rocks on the coast, left a strange impression on my mind.
"'And you say you have enjoyed yourself, my dear!' said Uncle John,after we had walked on in silence for some time.
GOING HOME WITH UNCLE JOHN.]
"'Oh, very much indeed, uncle,' I replied. 'I like Vea so much, andAlfred is such a funny boy. Isn't it a pity that Patrick is so fond ofmischief, when he seems to have such a kind heart?'
"'I've always liked that boy Patrick,' said my uncle; 'and, what ismore,' he continued, as if to himself, 'I never liked Alfred.'
"'That is very strange, uncle,' I replied; 'he is such a polite boy, andso quiet in the drawing-room. He is so funny too; he nearly set me offlaughing at the funny faces he made behind his aunt's back; and he canspeak just like her, in that queer low drawling tone.'
"'Exactly,' said my uncle; 'that is the very thing I dislike about him.He has the power of mimicry, and is also able to keep a grave face whenothers are forced to laugh--a thing poor Patrick is not able to do, andthe consequence is he gets into sad disgrace for laughing, and, to savehis brother, won't tell what he is laughing at. Alfred is a mean boy,for twice I have seen him allow his brother to be punished, when, bysimply telling he was the cause of it, the punishment might have beenavoided. Now, who do you think was the actua
l culprit who cut that nicetable in the summer-house?'
"'It must have been Patrick, uncle; he never denied it,' I replied.
"'That is the strange thing, dear. Patrick is greatly to blame in this,that he will not tell upon his brother, but is so easy-minded, that,rather than exert himself to make his friends think well of him, heallows every one to suppose that he is the offender; and, as I saidbefore, Alfred
Bluff Crag; or, A Good Word Costs Nothing Page 5
