The Children of the Castle

by Mrs. Molesworth

into a veryfairly amiable humour the next morning. He flatly refused, however, todo any lessons, though it was intended that he should; and MissHortensia, judging it best to make a virtue of necessity, told him heshould have his time to himself for three days, after which he must jointhe twins in the school-room.

  "For these three days," she said, "I will give Ruby and Mavis ahalf-holiday, so that they may go about with you and show youeverything. But if you do not come regularly and punctually to lessonsafter that, I will not give your cousins any extra holidays while youare here."

  She spoke firmly, and Bertrand looked at her with surprise. He wassurprised indeed into unusual meekness, for he said nothing but "Allright."

  They gave him some directions as to where he would be most likely toamuse himself and with safety. Indeed, unless one were _determined_ tohurt oneself, there were no really dangerous places about the castle; inspite of the cliffs and the sea, Ruby and Mavis had played there alltheir lives without ever getting into mischief.

  "He is not a stupid boy," said Miss Hortensia, after giving herinstructions to Bertrand, "and I have no doubt he can take care ofhimself if he likes."

  "I'm sure he wouldn't like to hurt himself," said Ruby with a littlecontempt; "he's the sort of boy that would hate pain or being ill."

  "It is to be hoped nothing of that kind will happen while he is here,"said Miss Hortensia. "But I can only do my best. I did not seek thecharge, and it would be quite impossible to shut him up in the house."

  "He'd very likely try to get out of the window if you did, cousinHortensia," said Mavis with her gentle little laugh. She was feelinghappy, for Ruby had continued kind and gentle this morning. "And if Iwere a boy I'm not sure but that I would too, if I were shut up."

  "Well, let us get to our work," said Miss Hortensia with a resignedlittle sigh.

  Lessons were over; Ruby and Mavis had had their usual morning run alongthe terrace, had brushed their hair and washed their hands, and werestanding up while Miss Hortensia said grace before beginning dinner,when Bertrand appeared.

  He came banging in, his cap on his head, his boots wet and dirty, hischeeks flushed, and his eyes bright with running and excitement. Helooked very pretty notwithstanding the untidy state he was in, but itwas impossible to welcome him cordially; he was so rude and careless,leaving the door wide open, and bringing in a strong fishy smell, thereason of which was explained when he flung down a great mass of coarseslimy seaweed he had been carrying.

  "You nasty, dirty boy," said Ruby, turning up her nose and sniffing.

  "Really, Bertrand, my dear," began Miss Hortensia, "what have youbrought that wet seaweed here for? It cannot stay in this room."

  "I'll take it away," said Mavis, jumping up.

  "What harm does it do?" said Bertrand, sitting down sideways on hischair. "I want it. I say you're not to go pitching it away, Mavis.Well when am I to have something to eat?"

  "Go and wash your hands and hang up your coat and come and sit straightat the table and then I will give you your dinner," said Miss Hortensiadrily.

  "Why can't you give it me now?" said Bertrand, with the ugly scowl onhis face.

  "Because I will not," she replied decidedly.

  The roast meat looked very tempting, so did the tart on the sideboard.Bertrand lounged up out of his seat, and in a few minutes lounged backagain. Eating generally put him into a better temper. When he had gotthrough one plateful and was ready for another, he condescended to turnto his companions with a more sociable air.

  "I met a fellow down there--on the shore," he said, jerking his headtowards where he supposed the sea to be; "only a common chap, but heseems to know the place. He was inclined to be cheeky at first, but ofcourse I soon put him down. I told him to be there this afternoonagain; we might find him useful, now he knows his place."

  Ruby's eyes sparkled.

  "I'm very glad you did put him down," she said. "All the same--" thenshe hesitated.

  "Do you know who he is?" asked Bertrand.

  "He's the best and nicest and cleverest boy in all the world," saidlittle Mavis.

  Bertrand scowled at her and muttered something, of which "a dirtyfisher-boy," was all that was audible. Miss Hortensia's presence didoverawe him a little.

  "I am afraid there can be no question of any of you going out thisafternoon," she said, glancing out of the window as she spoke; "it isclouding over--all over. You must make up your minds to amuseyourselves indoors. You can show Bertrand over the house--that willtake some time."

  "May we go up into the turret-rooms and everywhere?" said Ruby.

  "Yes, if you don't stay too long. It is not very cold, and you are sureto keep moving about. There--now comes the rain."

  Come indeed it did, a regular battle of wind and water; one of thesudden storms one must often expect on the coast. But after the firstoutburst the sky grew somewhat lighter, and the wind went down a little,the rain settling into a steady, heavy pour that threatened to lastseveral hours. For reasons of her own, Ruby set herself to coaxBertrand into a good humour, and she so far succeeded that hecondescended to go all over the castle with them, even now and thenexpressing what was meant to be admiration and approval.

  "It isn't ramshackle, any way," said Ruby. "It's one of the strongestbuilt places far or near."

  "If I were a man and a soldier, as I mean to be," said Bertrandboastfully, "I'd like to cannonade it. You'd see how it'd come topplingover."

  "You wouldn't like to see it, I should think," said Mavis. "It's beenthe home of your grandfathers just as much as of ours. Don't you knowyour mother is our father's sister?"

  Bertrand stared at her.

  "What does it matter about old rubbishing grandfathers and stuff likethat?" he said. "That was what that fisher-fellow began saying aboutthe castle, as if it was any business of his."

  "Yes indeed," said Ruby, "he's far too fond of giving his opinion." Shenodded her head mysteriously. "We'll have a talk about him afterwards,Bertrand."

  "Ruby," began Mavis in distress; but Ruby pushed her aside.

  "Mind your own business," she said, more rudely than Mavis had everheard her speak.

  "It's all Bertrand," said Mavis to herself, feeling ready to cry. "I'msure they are going to plan some very naughty unkind thing."

  They were on their way up the turret-stair now; the west turret. Theyhad already explored the other side. Suddenly a strange feeling cameover Mavis; she had not been in this part of the castle since theadventure in the grotto.

  "She said she comes to the west turret still," thought the child; "justas she did when cousin Hortensia was a little girl. I wonder if sheonly comes in the night? I wonder if possibly I shall see her ever uphere? If I did, I think I would ask her to stop Bertrand making Rubynaughty. I am sure dear Princess Forget-me-not _could_ make anybody doanything she liked."

  And she could not help having a curious feeling of expecting something,when Ruby, who was in front, threw open the turret-room door.

  "This is the _haunted_ room, Bertrand," she said, and there was amocking tone in her voice. "At least so Mavis and cousin Hortensiabelieve. Cousin Hortensia can tell you a wonderful story of a night shespent here if you care to hear it."

  Bertrand laughed contemptuously.

  "I'd like to see a ghost uncommonly," he said.

  "It would take a good lot of them to frighten _me_."

  "That's what I say," said Ruby. "But the room looks dingy enough,doesn't it? I don't think I ever saw it look so dingy before."

  "It looks as if it was full of smoke," said Bertrand, sniffing about;"but yet I don't smell smoke."

  There _was_ something strange. Mavis saw it too, and much more clearlythan did the others. To her the room seemed filled with a soft bluehaze; far from appearing "dingy," as Ruby said, she thought the vaguecloudiness beautiful; and as she looked, it became plain to her that thehaze all came from one corner, where it almost seemed to take form, tothicken and yet to lighten; for there was a glo
w and radiance over thereby the window that looked towards the setting sun that did not come fromany outside gleam or brightness. No indeed. For the rain was pouringdown, steadily and hopelessly, with dull pitiless monotony from a leadensky. Scarcely could you picture to yourself a drearier scene than theunbroken grey above, and unbroken grey beneath, which was all there wasto be seen from the castle that afternoon. Yet in Mavis's eyes therewas a light, a reflection of something beautiful and sunshiny, as shestood there gazing