The Children of the Castle

by Mrs. Molesworth

west turret this half-holiday, however, for it was theright sort of day for a bright winter walk. And while the afternoon wasstill young, Ruby and Mavis, warmly wrapt up in their fur-lined mantlesand hoods, were racing downstairs to Winfried, who had come punctuallyand was waiting for them, so Ulrica had come in to say, at the door inthe archway on the sea side of the castle.

  "What are you here for?" was Ruby's first greeting. "Why didn't youcome to the garden side? Aren't you going to take us by the pathbetween the rocks, down below the field?"

  "No, Miss Ruby," said the boy, his cap in his hand. "We're goinganother way to-day. I think you will like it just as well. We must godown to the cove first."

  "_I_ don't mind," said Ruby, dancing on in front of the two others; "butI'm afraid Mavis has been dreaming of that nice cosy little path. Shewouldn't let me even look for the entrance to it yesterday; she said weshould wait for you to show it us."

  "I think Miss Mavis will like to-day's way just as well," Winfriedrepeated.

  They were some little distance down the cliff by this time. It was veryclear and bright; for once, the waves, even though the tide was close upto the shore, seemed in a peaceful mood, and only as a distant murmurcame the boom of their dashing against the rocks, round to the rightbeyond the little sheltered nook. Winfried stood still for a moment andgazed down seawards, shading his eyes with his hand, for winter thoughit was, the afternoon sunshine was almost dazzling.

  "What is it? What are you looking for?" asked Ruby, coming back a stepor two and standing beside him. "Do come on; it's too cold to hangabout."

  For once Winfried was less polite than usual. He did not answer Ruby,but turned to Mavis, who was a little behind.

  "Do you see anything?" he asked.

  And Mavis, following his eyes, answered, "Yes--there's--oh, there's alittle boat drifting in--a tiny boat--is it drifting? No; there's someone in it,--some one with a blue cloak; no, it must have been the wavesjust touching; the waves are so blue to-day."

  The boy gave a little sigh of satisfaction.

  "I thought so," he said. Then he sprang forward eagerly: "Come on," hecried, "we mustn't be late."

  Ruby followed, not too pleased.

  "I've as good eyes as Mavis," she said. "Why didn't you ask me? Idon't believe there's a boat at all."

  But even Ruby had to give in when in a few minutes they found themselvesat the edge of the cove, on the little half-circle of sand which was allthat the sea left uncovered at full tide. For there _was_ a boat, amost unmistakable and delightful boat, though scarcely larger than asofa, and looking like a perfect toy as it rocked gently on the ripplingwater.

  "Goodness!" said Ruby,--and it must be allowed that goodness is aprettier word than rubbish,--"how in the world did that boat come here?Did you bring it, Winfried? No, for if you had you wouldn't have beenlooking to see if it had come. But is it your boat?"

  "No," answered the boy; "it's lent me, on purpose for you and MissMavis. Get in, please."

  Ruby came forward, but hesitated.

  "Are you sure it's safe?" she said. "You know the sea is very rough--round there near the village. And this is such a very little boat."

  Winfried laughed.

  "It's as safe as--as the safest thing you can think of," he said."_You're_ not afraid, Miss Mavis."

  For all answer the little girl sprang into the boat; it danced under herfeet, but she only laughed.

  "Come on, Ruby," she called out; "it's lovely."

  Ruby stepped in cautiously. The little boat was most dainty and pretty.There were cushions for the little girls, and one or two soft richcoloured shawls, of a fashion and material such as they had never seenbefore.

  "Dear me," said Ruby, settling herself in the most comfortable place anddrawing the pretty rugs round her, "what a nice little boat! Yourfriends must be very rich, Winfried. But I know what I know;" and sheshook her head mysteriously.

  "What do you mean, Ruby?" said Mavis.

  Winfried was busy with his oars and did not seem to be attending tothem. Ruby leant forward and whispered, close into her sister's ear,"_Mermaids_!" Then seeing or thinking that the boy was not listening,she went on. "You know mermaids _are_ very rich. They dive down intothe shipwrecked vessels and fish up all the treasures. I daresay theseshawls have come from some strange country, right over at the other sideof the world. Indeed, _some_ people say that the horrid things sing tomake the sailors turn to look for them and get their ships all in amongthe rocks."

  Mavis looked puzzled.

  "I don't think that's _mermaids_," she said. "There's another name forthose naughty, unkind creatures."

  "Syrens," came Winfried's voice from the other end of the boat. And helooked up with a smile at the little girls' start of surprise. "Don'tbe afraid," he said, "my friends are neither mermaids nor syrens; you'renot going to be shipwrecked in this boat, I promise you." Somehow theboy seemed to have gained a new kind of dignity now that the childrenwere, so to say, his guests. Ruby said, "Thank you," quite meekly andsubmissively for her.

  Then they were all quite silent for a while, only the plash ofWinfried's oars broke the stillness. And somehow out there on the waterit seemed to have grown warmer, at least the children felt conscious ofneither cold nor heat, it was just perfectly pleasant. And the sunshone on mildly. There was a thorough feeling of "afternoon," with itsquiet and mystery and yet faint expectation, such as one seldom hasexcept in summer.

  "It is lovely," said Mavis presently; "only I'm a little afraid I'mgetting sleepy."

  "No, you needn't be afraid," said Winfried; and just as he said thewords, Mavis started, as something flitted against her cheek.

  "Ruby, Ruby!" she exclaimed, "did you see it? A butterfly--a bluebutterfly--in November! Oh, where has it gone to?" and she gazed allround anxiously.

  CHAPTER FIVE.

  THE FISHERMAN'S HUT.

  "... There are things which through the gazing eye Reach the full soul and thrill it into love."

  _To my Child_.

  Ruby burst out laughing.

  "You've been asleep and dreaming, you silly girl," she said. "Winfried,do you hear? Mavis says a blue butterfly flew past."

  "It kissed my cheek," said Mavis.

  Winfried smiled: "It's quite possible," he said. Ruby was just turningupon him with her laughter, when something made _her_ jump in turn.Something cold and damp touched her hand: she had taken her glove offand was dabbling idly in the water.

  "Ugh," she said, "I do believe that was a toad." The laugh was againsther now.

  "A toad, Ruby, out at sea! What are you thinking of?" said Mavis. "Youneedn't make fun of my butterfly if you talk of toads."

  "Well, it was something slimy and horrid like a toad," said Ruby."Perhaps it was only a fish. But whatever it was, I believe it was atrick of Winfried's. I'm sure, positive sure, you're a wizard,Winfried."

  She was half in fun and half in earnest. But the boy took it quitecomposedly.

  "No, I'm not," he said; "and no more is gran. But--people don'tunderstand, you see. If they see that one's a bit different from othersthey've no words for it but wizard and uncanny, and they get frightenedwhen it should be just the other way."

  This was much more of a speech than the fisher-boy was in the habit ofmaking. Both the children listened with interest.

  "How is your gran different from others?" asked Ruby.

  "You'll see it in his face; at least, I think you will," said Winfried."But now I mustn't talk, we're close to the little creek."

  He got the boat in most cleverly, to a very tiny creek, where was alittle landing-place, and leading upwards from it a flight of steps cutin the rock.

  "How funny, how very funny we never saw this place before," exclaimedthe little girls. "Do you keep the boat here, Winfried?"

  "Sometimes," he replied, "but not to-day. We won't need it again."

  He folded up the shawls and laid them neatly on the cushions, then hedrew in the oars, and in
another moment he had helped the children toget on shore, and all three had mounted several of the rock steps whenWinfried called to them to stop for a moment.

  "Look down," he said; and as he spoke, the little girls saw somethingmoving there below where they had just landed. It was the little boat;calmly and steadily it was moving out to sea, though it had no sails,and the oars were lying just as Winfried had