The Children of the Castle

by Mrs. Molesworth

And where isWinfried?"

  "All right," said Bertrand, in a curious voice; "he's coming directly.We're to get into the boat and go on a little way, keeping near theshore. He's coming down another way."

  (Yes, Bertrand, that he is!)

  Mavis looked up anxiously.

  "And the cross?" she said.

  "Winfried's got it," he said. Which was true. Then he turned away, thefact being that he was so choking with laughter that he was afraid ofbetraying himself.

  "Ruby," he called, "come and help _me_ to drag the boat a littlenearer;" and as Ruby came close he whispered to her, "I've done it--splendidly--he's shut up in his tower! Locked in, and the locks aregood strong ones--now we can have a jolly good spree without that prigof a fellow. Only don't let Mavis know till we're safe out in theboat."

  Ruby jumped with pleasure.

  "What fun!" she exclaimed. "How capital! You have been clever,Bertrand. But take care, or Mavis will suspect something. Quick,Mavis," she went on, turning to her sister, "help us to pull in theboat. There, we can jump in now, Bertrand. You and Mavis steady itwhile I spring;" and in another moment she was in the boat, where hersister and Bertrand soon followed her.

  All seemed well; the sky was clear and bright, the sun still shining.The faces of two of the party were sparkling with glee and triumph. ButMavis looked frightened and dissatisfied.

  "I wish Winfried had come back with you, Bertrand," she said. "Whydidn't he? Did cousin Hortensia keep him for anything?"

  "Goodness, no," said Bertrand. "What a fuss you make, child! He's allright; you can look out for him, and tell me if you see him coming. Ishall have enough to do with rowing you two."

  "Winfried doesn't find the boat hard to row," said Mavis; "it's your ownfault if it is hard. You might as well wait for him; he'd see us as hecomes down the cliffs."

  "Oh no, that would be nonsense," said Ruby hastily; "besides, he's notcoming that way. You heard Bertrand say so. _I_ could row too,Bertrand," she went on.

  But the boy had already got his oars in motion, and though he wasneither skilful nor experienced, strange to say the little boat glidedon with the utmost ease and smoothness.

  "There now," said Bertrand, considerably surprised, to tell the truth,at his own success, "didn't I tell you I could row?"

  "No," said Mavis bluntly, "you said just this moment you'd have enoughto do to manage it."

  "Mavis, why are you so cross?" said Ruby. "It is such a pity to spoileverything."

  She spoke very smoothly and almost coaxingly, but Mavis looked herstraight in the eyes, and Ruby grew uncomfortable and turned away. Butjust then a new misgiving struck Mavis.

  "Bertrand," she cried, "either you can't manage the boat, or you'redoing it on purpose. You're not keeping near the shore as you said youwould. You're going right out to sea;" and she jumped up as if shewould have snatched the oars from him.

  "Sit down, Mavis," said Ruby. "I'm sure you know you should never jumpabout in a boat. It's all right. Don't you know there's--there's acurrent hereabouts?" Current or no, _something_ there was, besidesBertrand's rowing, that was rapidly carrying them away farther andfarther from the shore. Mavis looked at Bertrand, not sure whether hecould help himself or not. But--

  "Winfried wouldn't have told you to keep near the shore if youcouldn't," she said; "he knows all about the currents."

  Bertrand turned with a rude laugh.

  "Does he indeed?" he said. "It's more than I do; but all the same thiscurrent, or whatever it is that is taking us out so fast, has come justat the right minute. I never meant to keep near in, there's no fun inthat. We're going a jolly good way out, and when we're tired of itwe'll come back and land close to the old wizard's cottage. Ruby and Iare going to play him a trick; we want to catch him with the mermaidsRuby heard singing the other day. If we set the villagers on him,they'll soon make an end of him and his precious grandson."

  "Yes," said Ruby spitefully; "and a good riddance they'd be. ThatWinfried setting himself up over us all."

  Mavis grew pale.

  "Ruby; Bertrand," she said, "you cannot mean to be so wicked. You knowthe villagers are already set against old Adam rather, even though hehas been so good to them, and if you stir them up--they might kill himif they really thought he was a wizard."

  "We're not going to do anything till we know for ourselves," said Ruby."We're first going to the cottage really to find out if it's true. Youknow yourself, Mavis, we _did_ hear some one singing and speaking therethe other day who wasn't to be seen when we got there. And I believe it_was_ a mermaid, or--or a syren, or some witchy sort of creature."Mavis was silent. She had her own thoughts about the voice they hadoverheard, thoughts which she could not share with the others.

  "Oh, dear Princess Forget-me-not," she said to her self, "why don't youmake them see you, and understand how naughty they are?"

  For the moment she had forgotten the princess's promise that neitherWinfried nor his grandfather should suffer any harm, and she feltterribly frightened and unhappy.

  "Where is Winfried?" she said at last. "He will see us going out to seawhen he comes down to the shore, and if he tells cousin Hortensia shecan easily get some of the fishermen to come after us. They can row farquicker than you."

  Bertrand stopped rowing to laugh more rudely than before.

  "_Can_ they?" he said. "I doubt it. And as for Winfried telling--why,he doesn't know; he's locked in safe and sound in the west turret!He'll be quite comfortable there for as long as I choose to leave him,and however he shouts no one can hear him. Not that there's much fearof any of those lumbering boats overtaking us if they tried--why--"

  He took up the oars again as he spoke, but before he began to row hehalf started and glanced round. No wonder; the boat was gliding out tosea without his help, quite as fast as when he was rowing.

  "How--how it drifts!" he said in a rather queer tone of voice. "Isthere a current hereabouts, Ruby?"

  "I suppose so," said Ruby. "Try and row the other way, that'll soonshow you."

  But it was all very well to speak of "trying." No efforts of Bertrand'shad the very slightest effect on the boat. On it sped, faster andfaster, as if laughing at him, dancing along the water as if it werealive and enjoying the joke. Bertrand grew angry, then, by degrees,frightened.

  "It isn't my fault," he said. "I don't pretend to know all about thecurrents and tides and nonsense. You shouldn't have let me come outhere, Ruby?"

  Ruby was terrified, but angry too.

  "It isn't _my_ fault," she said. "You planned it all; you know you did.And if we're all--"

  "Be quiet, Ruby," said Mavis, who alone of the three was perfectly calmand composed. "If it stops you and Bertrand carrying out your naughtyplan, I am very glad if we are taken out to sea."

  "That's _too_ bad of you," said Ruby, angry in spite of her terror. "Ibelieve you'd rather we were drowned than that your precious Winfriedand his grandfather should get what they deserve. And we _are_ going tobe drowned, or any way starved to death. We're going faster and faster.Oh, I do believe there must be a whirlpool somewhere near here, andthat we are going to be sucked into it."

  She began to sob and cry. Bertrand, to do him justice, put a good faceupon it. He looked pale but determined.

  "This is what comes of having to do with people like that," he saidvindictively. "I believe he's bewitched the boat to spite us. I'llhave another try, however."

  But it was all no use. The boat, slight and fragile as it seemed,resisted his efforts as if it were a living thing opposing him. Crimsonwith heat and vexation, the boy muttered some words, which it was to behoped the girls did not catch, and flung down the oars in a rage. Onefell inside, the other was just slipping over the edge when Mavis caughtit. Strange to say, no sooner was it in her hold than the motionstopped; the boat lay still and passive on the water, swaying gently asif waiting for orders.

  "We've got out of the current," exclaimed Ruby. "Try, Mavis, can youturn it?
"

  It hardly seemed to need trying. The boat turned almost, as it were, ofitself, and in another moment they were quietly moving towards theshore. Nor did it seem to make any difference when Bertrand took theoars from Mavis and resumed his rowing.

  "If I only waited another moment," he said. "We got out of the