Elsie at Nantucket Page 6

  CHAPTER VI.

  She is peevish, sullen, froward,Proud, disobedient, stubborn, lacking duty;Neither regarding that she is my child,Nor fearing me as If I were her father.

  --_Shakespeare_.

  A day or two of bright, breezy weather had succeeded the storm, andanother "squantum" had been arranged for; it was to be a morepretentious affair than the former one, other summer visitors unitingwith our party; and a different spot had been selected for it.

  By Violet's direction the maid had laid out, the night before, thedresses the two little girls were to wear to the picnic, and theyappeared at the breakfast-table already attired in them; for the startwas to be made shortly after the conclusion of the meal.

  The material of the dresses was fine, they were neatly fitting andprettily trimmed, but rather dark in color and with high necks and longsleeves; altogether suitable for the occasion, and far from unbecoming;indeed, as the captain glanced at the two neat little figures, seatedone on each side of him, he felt the risings of fatherly pride in theirattractiveness of appearance.

  And even exacting, discontented Lulu was well enough pleased with hermamma's choice for her till, upon leaving the table and running out fora moment into the street to see if the carriages were in sight, she cameupon a girl about her own age, who was to be of the company, very gaylyapparelled in thin white tarletan and pink ribbons,

  "Good-morning, Sadie," said Lulu. "What a nice day for the 'squantum,'isn't it?"

  "Yes; and it's most time to start, and you're not dressed yet, are you?"glancing a trifle scornfully from her own gay plumage to Lulu's plainerattire.

  The latter flushed hotly but made no reply. "I don't see anything of thecarriages yet," was all she said; then darting into the cottage occupiedby their family, she rushed to her trunk, and throwing it open, hastilytook from it a white muslin, coral ribbons and sash, and with headlongspeed tore off her plain colored dress and arrayed herself in them.

  She would not have had time but for an unexpected delay in the arrivalof the carriage which was to convey her parents, brother and sister andherself to the "squantum" ground.

  As it was, she came rushing out at almost the last moment, just as thecaptain was handing his wife into the vehicle.

  Max met her before she had reached the outer door. "Lu, Mamma Vi saysyou will need a wrap before we get back; probably even going, and you'reto bring one along."

  "I sha'n't need any such thing! and I'm not going to be bothered withit!" cried Lulu, in a tone of angry impatience, hurrying on toward theentrance as she spoke.

  "Whew! what have you been doing to yourself?" exclaimed Max, suddenlynoting the change of attire, while Grace, standing in the doorway,turned toward them with a simultaneous exclamation, "Why, Lulu--" thenbroke off, lost in astonishment at her sister's audacity.

  "Hush, both of you! can't you keep quiet?" snapped Lulu, turning fromone to the other; then as her father's tall form darkened the doorway,and a glance up into his face showed her that it was very grave andstern, she shrank back abashed, frightened by the sudden conviction thathe had overheard her impertinent reply to her mamma's message, andperhaps noticed the change in her dress.

  He regarded her for a moment in silence, while she hung her head inshame and affright; then he spoke in tones of grave displeasure, "Youwill stay at home to-day, Lulu; we have no room for disrespectful,disobedient children--"

  "Papa," she interrupted, half pleadingly, half angrily, "I haven't beendisobedient or disrespectful to you."

  "It is quite the same," he said; "I require you to be obedient andrespectful to your mamma; and impertinence to her is something I will byno means allow or fail to punish whenever I know of it. Sorry as I am todeprive you of an anticipated pleasure, I repeat that you must stay athome; and go immediately to your room and resume the dress she directedyou to wear to-day."

  So saying he took Grace's hand and led her to the carriage, Maxfollowing after one regretful look at Lulu's sorely disappointed face.

  Grace, clinging about her father's neck as he lifted her up, pleaded forher sister. "Oh, papa, do please let her go; she hasn't been naughty fora long while, and I'm sure she's sorry and will be good."

  "Hush, hush, darling!" he said, wiping the tears from her eyes, thenplacing her by Violet's side.

  "What is wrong?" inquired the latter with concern; "is Gracie notfeeling well?"

  "Never mind, my love," the captain answered, assuming a cheerful tone;"there is nothing wrong except that Lulu has displeased me, and I havetold her she cannot go with us to-day."

  "Oh, I am sorry!" Violet said, looking really pained; "we shall all missher. I should be glad, Levis, if you could forgive her, for--"

  "No, do not ask it," he said hastily; adding, with a smile of ardentaffection into the azure eyes gazing so pleadingly into his; "I canscarcely bear to say no to you, dearest, but I have passed sentence uponthe offender and cannot revoke it."

  The carriage drove off; the others had already gone, and Lulu was leftalone in the house, the one maid-servant left behind having alreadywandered off to the beach.

  "There!" cried Lulu, stamping her foot with passion, then dropping intoa chair, "I say it's just too bad! She isn't old enough to be my mother,and I won't have her for one; I sha'n't mind her! Papa had no businessto marry her. He hardly cares for anybody else now, and he ought to loveme better than he does her; for she isn't a bit of relation to him,while I'm his own child.

  "And I sha'n't wear dowdy, old-womanish dresses to please her, alongwith other girls of my size that are dressed up in their best. I'drather stay at home than be mortified that way, and I just wish I hadtold him so."

  She was in so rebellious a mood that instead of at once changing herdress in obedience to her father's command, she presently rose from herchair, walked out at the front door and paraded through the villagestreets in her finery, saying to herself, "I'll let people see that Ihave some decent clothes to wear."

  Returning after a little, she was much surprised to find Betty Johnsonstretched full length on a lounge with a paper-covered novel in herhand, which she seemed to be devouring with great avidity.

  "Why, Betty!" she exclaimed, "are you here? I thought you went with therest to the 'squantum.'"

  "Just what I thought in regard to your highness," returned Betty,glancing up from her book with a laugh. "I stayed at home to enjoy mybook and the bath. What kept you?"

  "Papa," answered Lulu with a frown; "he wouldn't let me go."

  "Because you put on that dress, I presume," laughed Betty. "Well, it'snot very suitable, that's a fact. But I had no idea that the captain wassuch a connoisseur in matters of that sort."

  "He isn't! he doesn't know or care if it wasn't for Mamma Vi," burst outLulu vehemently. "And she's no business to dictate about my dresseither. I'm old enough to judge and decide for myself."

  "Really, it is a great pity that one so wise should be compelled tosubmit to dictation," observed Betty with exasperating irony.

  Lulu, returning a furious look, which her tormentor feigned not to see,then marching into the adjoining room, gave tardy obedience to herfather's orders anent the dress.

  "Are you going in this morning?" asked Betty, when Lulu had returned tothe little parlor.

  "I don't know; papa didn't say whether I might or not."

  "Then I should take the benefit of the doubt and follow my owninclination in the matter. It's ten now; the bathing hour is eleven; Ishall be done my book by that time, and we'll go in together if youlike."

  "I'll see about it," Lulu said, walking away.

  She went down to the beach and easily whiled away an hour watching thewaves and the people, and digging in the sand. When she saw the othersgoing to the bath-houses she hastened back to her temporary home.

  As she entered Betty was tossing aside her book. "So here you are!" shesaid, yawning and stretching herself. "Are you going in?"

  "Yes; if papa is angry I'll tell him he should have forbidden me if hedidn't want me to do it."
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  They donned their bathing-suits and went in with the crowd; but thoughno mishap befell them and they came out safely again, Lulu found thatfor some reason her bath was not half so enjoyable as usual.

  She and Betty dined at the hotel where the family had frequently takentheir meals, then they strolled down to the beach and seated themselveson a bench under an awning.

  After a while Betty proposed taking a walk.

  "Where to?" asked Lulu.

  "To Sankaty Lighthouse."

  "Well, I'm agreed; it's a nice walk; you can look out over the sea allthe way," said Lulu, getting up. But a sudden thought seemed to strikeher; she paused and hesitated.

  "Well, what's the matter?" queried Betty.

  "Nothing; only papa told me I was to stay at home to-day."

  "Oh, nonsense! what a little goose!" exclaimed Betty; "of course thatonly meant you were not to go to the 'squantum'; so come along."

  Lulu was by no means sure that that was really all her father meant, butshe wanted the walk, so suffered herself to be persuaded, and they went.

  Betty had been a wild, ungovernable girl at school, glorying incontempt for rules and daring "larks." She had not improved in thatrespect, and so far from being properly ashamed of her wild pranks andsometimes really disgraceful frolics, liked to describe them, and wascharmed to find in Lulu a deeply interested listener.

  It was thus they amused themselves as they strolled slowly along thebluff toward Sankaty.

  When they reached there a number of carriages were standing about nearthe entrance, several visitors were in the tower, and others werewaiting their turn.

  "Let us go up too," Betty said to her little companion; "the view mustbe finer to-day than it was when we were here before, for the atmosphereis clearer."

  "I'm afraid papa wouldn't like me to," objected Lulu; "he seemed tothink the other time that I needed him to take care of me," she addedwith a laugh, as if it were quite absurd that one so old and wise asherself should be supposed to need such protection.

  "Pooh!" said Betty, "don't be a baby; I can take care of myself and youtoo. Come, I'm going up and round outside too; and I dare you to do thesame."

  Poor proud Lulu was one of the silly people who are not brave enough torefuse to do a wrong or unwise thing if anybody dares them to do it.

  "I'm not a bit afraid, Miss Johnson; you need not think that," shesaid, bridling; "and I can take care of myself. I'll go."

  "Come on then; we'll follow close behind that gentleman, and the keeperwon't suppose we are alone," returned Betty, leading the way.

  Lulu found the steep stairs very hard to climb without the help of herfather's hand, and reached the top quite out of breath.

  Betty too was panting. But they presently recovered themselves. Bettystepped outside just behind the gentleman who had preceded them up thestairs, and Lulu climbed quickly after her, frightened enough at theperilous undertaking, yet determined to prove that she was equal to it.

  But she had advanced only a few steps when a sudden rush of wind caughther skirts and nearly took her off her feet.

  Both she and Betty uttered a cry of affright, and at the same instantLulu felt herself seized from behind and dragged forcibly back andwithin the window from which she had just emerged.

  It was the face of a stranger that met her gaze as she looked up withfrightened eyes.

  "Child," he said, "that was a narrow escape; don't try it again. Whereare your parents or guardians, that you were permitted to step out therewith no one to take care of you?"

  Lulu blushed and hung her head in silence. Betty, who had followed herin as fast as she could, generously took all the blame upon herself.

  "Don't scold her, sir," she said; "it was all my doing. I brought herhere without the knowledge of her parents, and dared her to go outthere."

  "You did?" he exclaimed, turning a severe look upon the young girl (hewas a middle-aged man of stern aspect). "Suppose I had not been nearenough to catch her, and she had been precipitated to the ground fromthat great height--how would you have felt?"

  "I could never have forgiven myself or had another happy moment while Ilived," Betty said, in half tremulous tones, "I can never thank youenough, sir, for saving her," she added, warmly.

  "No, nor I," said the keeper. "I should always have felt that I was toblame for letting her go out; but you were close behind, sir, and theother gentleman before, and I took you to be all one party, and ofcourse thought you would take care of the little girl."

  "She has had quite a severe shock," the gentleman remarked, againlooking at Lulu, who was very pale and trembling like a leaf. "You hadbetter wait and let me help you down the stairs. I shall be ready in avery few moments."

  Betty thanked him and said they would wait.

  While they did so she tried to jest and laugh with Lulu; but the littlegirl was in no mood for such things; she felt sick and dizzy at thethought of the danger she had escaped but a moment ago. She made noreply to Betty's remarks, and indeed seemed scarcely to hear them.

  She was quite silent, too, while being helped down the stairs by thekind stranger, but thanked him prettily as they separated.

  "You are heartily welcome," he said; "but if you will take my advice youwill never go needlessly into such danger again."

  With that he shook hands with her, bowed to Betty, and moved away.

  "Will you go in and rest awhile, Lu?" asked Betty.

  "No, thank you; I'm not tired; and I'd rather be close by the sea. Tellme another of your stories, won't you? to help me forget how near I cameto falling."

  Betty good-naturedly complied, but found Lulu a less interested listenerthan before.

  The "squantum" party were late in returning, and when they arrived Bettyand Lulu were in bed; but the door between the room where Lulu lay andthe parlor, or sitting-room, as it was indifferently called, was ajar,and she could hear all that was said there.

  "Where is Lulu?" her father asked of the maid-servant who had been leftbehind.

  "Gone to bed, sir," was the answer.

  Then the captain stepped to the chamber door, pushed it wider open, andcame to the bedside.

  Lulu pretended to be asleep, keeping her eyes tight shut, but all thetime feeling that he was standing there and looking down at her.

  He sighed slightly, turned away, and went from the room; then she buriedher face in the pillows and cried softly but quite bitterly.

  "He might have kissed me," she said to herself; "he would if he loved meas much as he used to before he got married."

  Then his sigh seemed to echo in her heart, and she grew remorseful overthe thought that her misconduct had grieved as well as displeased him.

  And how much more grieved and displeased he would be if he knew how shehad disregarded his wishes and commands during his absence that day!

  And soon he would be ordered away again, perhaps to the other side ofthe world; in danger from the treacherous deep and maybe from savages,too, in some of those far-away places where his vessel would touch; andso the separation might be for years or forever in this world; and ifshe continued to be the bad girl she could not help acknowledging toherself she now was, how dared she hope to be with her Christian fatherin another life? She had no doubt that he was a Christian; it wasevident from his daily walk and conversation; and she was equallycertain that she herself was not.

  And what a kind, affectionate father he had always been to her; she grewmore and more remorseful as she thought of it; and if he had been besideher at that moment would certainly have confessed all the wrong-doing ofthe day and asked forgiveness.

  But he was probably in bed now; all was darkness and silence in thehouse; so she lay still, and presently forgot all vexing thought insound, refreshing sleep.

  When she awoke again the morning sun was shining brightly, and her moodhad changed.

  The wrong-doings of the previous day were the merest trifles, and itwould really be quite ridiculous to go and confess them to her father;she supposed, inde
ed was quite sure, that ha would be better pleasedwith her if she made some acknowledgment of sorrow for the fault forwhich he had punished her; but the very thought of doing so was sogalling to her pride that she was stubbornly determined not to doanything of the kind.

  She was thinking it all over while dressing, and trying hard to believeherself a very ill-used, instead of naughty, child. It was a burningshame that she had been scolded and left behind for such a triflingfault; but she would let "papa" and everybody else see that she didn'tcare; she wouldn't ask one word about what kind of a time they had had(she hoped it hadn't been so very nice); and she would show papa, too,that she could do very well without caresses and endearments from him.

  Glancing from the window, she saw him out on the bluff back of thecottage; but though her toilet was now finished, she did not, as usual,run out to put her hand in his, and with a glad good-morning hold up herface for a kiss.

  She went quietly to the dooryard looking upon the village street, andpeeped into the window of the room where Grace was dressing with alittle help from Agnes, their mamma's maid.

  "Oh, Lu, good-morning," cried the little girl. "I was so sorry youweren't with us yesterday at the 'squantum;' we had ever such a nicetime; only I missed you very much."

  "Your sympathy was wasted, Grace," returned Lulu, with a grand air. "Ihad a very pleasant time at home."

  "Dar now, you's done finished, Miss Gracie," said Agnes, turning toleave the room; then she laughed to herself as she went, "Miss Lu sheneedn't think she don't 'ceive nobody wid dem grand airs ob hers; 'spectwe all knows she been glad nuff to go ef de cap'n didn't tole her shegot for to stay behin'."

  Grace ran out and joined her sister at the door. "Oh, Lu, you would haveenjoyed it if you had been with us," she said, embracing her. "But weare going to have a drive this morning. We're to start as soon asbreakfast is over, and only come back in time for the bath; and papasays you can go too if you want to, and are a good girl; and you--"

  "I don't want to," said Lulu, with a cold, offended air. "I like to beby myself on the beach; I enjoyed it very much yesterday, and shallenjoy it to-day; I don't need anybody's company."

  Her conscience gave her a twinge as she spoke, reminding her that shehad passed but little of her day alone on the beach.

  Grace gazed at her with wide-open eyes, lost in astonishment at herstrange mood; but hearing their father's step within the house, turnedabout and ran to meet him and claim her morning kiss.

  "Where is your sister?" he asked when he had given it.

  "The little one is asleep, papa," she answered gayly; "the other one isat the door there."

  He smiled. "Tell her to come in," he said; "we are going to haveprayers."

  Lulu obeyed the summons, but took a seat near the door, without so muchas glancing toward her father.

  When the short service was over Grace seated herself upon his knee, andMax stood close beside him, both laughing and talking right merrily; butLulu sat where she was, gazing in moody silence into the street.

  At length, in a pause in the talk, the captain said, in a kindly tone,"One of my little girls seems to have forgotten to bid me good-morning."

  "Good-morning, papa," muttered Lulu, sullenly, her face still averted.

  "Good-morning, Lucilla," he said; and she knew by his tone and use ofher full name that he was by no means pleased with her behavior.

  At that moment they were summoned to breakfast.

  Lulu took her place with the others and ate in silence, scarce liftingher eyes from her plate, while everybody else was full of cheerful chat.

  A carriage was at the door when they left the table.

  "Make haste, children," the captain said, "so that we may have time fora long drive before the bathing hour."

  Max and Grace moved promptly to obey, but Lulu stood still.

  "I spoke to you, Lulu, as well as to the others," her father said, inhis usual kindly tone; "you may go with us, if you wish."

  "I don't care to, papa," she answered, turning away.

  "Very well, I shall not compel you; you may do just as you please aboutit," he returned. "Stay at home if you prefer it. You may go down to thebeach if you choose, but nowhere else."

  "Yes, sir," she muttered, and walked out of the room, wondering in ahalf-frightened way if he knew or suspected where she had been the daybefore.

  In fact, he did neither; he believed Lulu a more obedient child than shewas, and had no idea that she had not done exactly as he bade her.

  This time she was so far obedient that she went nowhere except to thebeach, but while wandering about there she was nursing unkind andrebellious thoughts and feelings; trying hard to convince herself thather father loved her less than he did his other children, and was moreinclined to be severe with her than with them. In her heart of heartsshe believed no such thing, but pretending to herself that she did, shecontinued her unlovely behavior all that day and the next, sulkingalone most of the time; doing whatever she was bidden, but with a sullenair, seldom speaking unless she was spoken to, never hanging lovinglyabout her father, as had been her wont, but rather seeming to avoidbeing near him whenever she could.

  It pained him deeply to see her indulging so evil a temper, but hethought best to appear not to notice it. He did not offer her thecaresses she evidently tried to avoid, and seldom addressed her; butwhen he did speak to her it was in his accustomed kind, fatherly tones,and it was her own fault if she did not share in every pleasure providedfor the others.

  In the afternoon of the second day they were all gathered upon the beachas usual, when a young girl, who seemed to be a new-comer in 'Sconset,drew near and accosted Betty as an old acquaintance.

  "Why, Anna Eastman, who would have expected to see you here?" criedBetty, in accents of pleased surprise, springing up to embrace thestranger.

  Then she introduced her to Elsie, Violet, and Captain Raymond, whohappened to be sitting near, as an old school friend.

  "And you didn't know I was on the island?" remarked Miss Eastmanlaughingly to Betty, when the introductions were over.

  "I hadn't the least idea of it. When did you arrive?"

  "Several days since--last Monday; and this is Friday. By the way, I sawyou on Tuesday, though you did not see me."

  "How and where?" asked Betty in surprise, not remembering at the momenthow she had spent that day.

  "At Sankaty Lighthouse; I was in a carriage out on the green in front ofthe lighthouse, and saw you and that little girl yonder (nodding inLulu's direction) come out on the top of the tower; then a puff of windtook the child's skirts, and I fairly screamed with fright, expecting tosee her fall and be crushed to death; but somebody jerked her backwithin the window just in time to save her. Weren't you terriblyfrightened, dear?" she asked, addressing Lulu.

  "Of course I was," Lulu answered in an ungracious tone; then rose andsauntered away along the beach. "What did she tell it for, hatefulthing!" she muttered to herself; "now papa knows it, and what will hesay and do to me?"

  She had not ventured to look at him; if she had she would have seen hisface grow suddenly pale, then assume an expression of mingled sternnessand pain.

  He presently rose and followed her, though she did not know it till hehad reached her side and she felt him take her hand in his. He satdown, making her sit by his side.

  "Is this true that I hear of you, Lulu?" he asked.

  "Yes, papa," she answered in a low, unwilling tone, hanging her head asshe spoke, for she dared not look him in the face.

  "I did not think one of my children would be so disobedient," he said,in pained accents.

  "Papa, you never said I shouldn't go to Sankaty Lighthouse," shemuttered.

  "I never gave you leave to go, and I have told you positively, more thanonce, that you must not go to any distance from the house withoutexpress permission. Also I am sure you could not help understanding,from what was said when I took you to the lighthouse, that I would bevery far from willing that you should go up into the tower, ande
specially outside, unless I were with you to take care of you. Besides,what were my orders to you just as I was leaving the house thatmorning?"

  "You told me to change my dress immediately and to stay at home."

  "Did you obey the first order?"

  Lulu was silent for a moment; then as her father was evidently waitingfor an answer, she muttered, "I changed my dress after a while."

  "That was not obeying; I told you to do it immediately," he said in atone of severity, "What did you do in the mean time?"

  "I don't want to tell you," she muttered.

  "You must; and you are not to say you don't want to do what I bid you.What were you doing?"

  "Walking round the town."

  "Breaking two of your father's commands at once. What next? give me afull account of the manner in which you spent the day."

  "I came in soon and changed my dress; then went to the beach till thebathing hour; then Betty and I went in together; then we had our dinnerat the hotel and came back to the beach for a little while; then we wentto Sankaty."

  "Filling up the whole day with repeated acts of disobedience," he said.

  "Papa, you didn't say I mustn't go in to bathe, or that I shouldn't takea walk."

  "I told you to stay at home, and you disobeyed that order again andagain. And you have been behaving very badly ever since, showing a mostunamiable temper. I have overlooked it, hoping to see a change for thebetter in your conduct without my resorting to punishment; but I thinkthe time has now come when I must try that with you."

  He paused for some moments. Wondering at his silence, she at lengthventured a timid look up into his face.

  It was so full of pain and distress that her heart smote her, and shewas seized with a sudden fury at herself as the guilty cause of hissuffering.

  "Lulu," he said, with a sigh that was almost a groan, "what am I to dowith you?"

  "Whip me, papa," she burst out; "I deserve it. You've never tried thatyet, and maybe it would make me a better girl, I almost wish you would,papa," she went on in her vehement way; "I could beat myself for beingso bad and hurting you so."

  He made no answer to that, but presently said in moved tones, "What if Ihad come back that night to find the dear little daughter I had left afew hours before in full health and strength, lying a crushed andmangled corpse? killed without a moment's time to repent of herdisobedience to her father's known wishes and commands? Could I havehoped to have you restored to me even in another world, my child?"

  "No, papa," she said, half under her breath; "I know I wasn't fit to goto heaven, and that I'm not fit now; but would you have been really verysorry to lose such a bad, troublesome child?"

  "Knowing that, as you yourself acknowledge, you were not fit forheaven, it would have been the heaviest blow I have ever had," he said."My daughter, you are fully capable of understanding the way ofsalvation, therefore are an accountable being, and, so long as youneglect it, in danger of eternal death. I shall never be easy about youtill I have good reason to believe that you have given your heart to theLord Jesus, and devoted yourself entirely to His blessed service."

  He ceased speaking, gave her a few moments for silent reflection, thensetting her on her feet, rose, took her hand, and led her back towardthe village.

  "Are you going to punish me, papa?" she asked presently, in ahalf-frightened tone.

  "I shall take that matter into consideration," was all he said, and sheknew from his grave accents that she was in some danger of receivingwhat she felt to be her deserts.