Troublesome Comforts Part 2

"But they say they can get one easily. It's father's; and they can tie a string on to it and drag it."

"They can ask mother," said Susie impatiently.

"Yes, I suppose so." Amy had crept nearer, and put a small, unsteady hand on her knee. "Please don't let them do it, Susie," she said; "don't let them be naughty."

"Don't bother," said Susie. "I can't help it."

She shook off Amy's hand impatiently; but she was sorry a moment afterwards. Susie often said things like that, and it was rather a comfort that Amy was always quite ready to be forgiven.

"It is so beautiful here, Amy; and I dare say they are not being naughty really. They only hope we are looking; but I'm not going to."

She resolutely turned her back upon the boys and the strip of pebbles.

But Amy could not keep still; her eyes kept turning nervously to the st.u.r.dy jersey-clad figures, and presently she nudged Susie again.

"They've got the box, Susie. You can't think how deep the water is, and it looks so horrid; and d.i.c.k has a cold."

"Oh, don't bother," said Susie.

"Mother said you were to look after them, because you are the eldest,"

urged Amy.

"Why weren't one of you the eldest?" said Susie crossly. "I've been the eldest all my life, and I'm tired of it. Mother knows I can't manage them."

Without turning her head she knew that Amy was creeping again across the strip of pebbles. She heard her foot slipping, and the shouts of the boys when she reached them; then Amy's soft little frightened voice--and then silence.

An hour later Mrs. Beauchamp was sitting on the little balcony outside the drawing-room window. The sky was divinely blue, and the sun was dazzling. Close to her feet was a basket of stockings that needed darning, but she felt as if she must lay her needle down every now and then, to look at the gray, glittering sea, and the s.h.i.+fting crowd upon the beach. Her feet ached with perpetual running up and down stairs; but she was glad to think that the children were happy and good. In the room across the pa.s.sage she could hear nurse singing Alick to sleep, and down in the street below a funny little procession was winding up from the sea. She rose and looked over the balcony on to the tops of two sailor hats, and what looked like two soaking mushrooms. She stared at them stupidly, wondering why the box they dragged behind them was so familiar, and why they left such a long wet trail behind them.

After them sauntered a few idle fishermen; but just for a minute she could not grasp what had happened. Then she pushed the basket on one side and ran to the drawing-room door.

Up the stairs came the hurried rush of feet, with the box b.u.mping from stair to stair. Then the dripping family clung about her with soaked garments, and hair that looked like seaweed.

"Mother, change us, please, before nurse sees us."

"But what is it?" she cried. "How did it happen?"

"It was Tom's fault," said Susie, whimpering. "He sent d.i.c.k out to sea in the uniform case, and it has a hole in it, and it went down."

"Oh, run upstairs and change; d.i.c.k has a cough."

"He didn't drown," said Tom, "because we had tied a rope to it, and a fisherman pulled it up."

"And where is d.i.c.kie?"

"I told him to go up on the roof and dry--he's on the leads by now. It's awfully nice there; we went this morning."

"_On the roof!_--Susie, tell him to come down, whilst I get their clothes.--Tom, how can you do such things?"

"Why, you never told us not to," said Tom, with innocent eyes.

Susie crept upstairs, very white and quiet. She had been really frightened, and she had an uncomfortable feeling at the back of her mind that somehow it was her fault. She found d.i.c.k scrambling on to the roof, and hauled him in with unnecessary vigour. When she got downstairs she was sulky because her mother had not time to listen to her eager excuses, but put her hastily on one side.

"Never mind now, Susie. The first thing is to slip off your wet clothes and get dry, and then help me with the others. Give me the big towel, and untie Amy's frock."

"But, mother," argued Susie, "I couldn't guess he was going to be so naughty, could I?"

"You didn't try to guess," said Tom resentfully; "and now you are trying to make mother think you are better than me. You wouldn't hem our sails or dig with us. We had to do something."

"And now you want me to quarrel," said Susie.--"Mother, I want to explain."

"Hush, Susie! there is no time to explain now; you must tell me by-and-by."

Susie flung the towel on to the floor, and felt a great lump in her throat. d.i.c.k had to be dried and warmed, in order to stop that horrid little croaking cough; and no one cared for her excuses or explanations.

With angry tears blinding her she ran across to the nursery, and stood looking out at the silver line of sea and the bobbing s.h.i.+ps. Alick was stretching in his cradle, and it creaked under his weight. She could see his curly head and his outstretched fat legs. He was so accustomed to having his legs admired that he always pulled up his petticoats solemnly to exhibit them, as though pathetically hoping to get it over and have done with it.

Susie's ill-temper evaporated like smoke. She flung herself beside the cradle, and hugged Alick in her arms, leaning so closely over him that nurse, in hurrying to and fro, paused to expostulate.

"Not so close, Miss Susie, please--the child can't breathe; and I don't want you putting any of your naughtiness into his head."

"How can I, when he can't walk?" said Susie indignantly.

"Well, I wouldn't put it beyond you," said nurse. "I know you've been up to something, or you wouldn't be here now, looking as if b.u.t.ter wouldn't melt in your mouth."

"I'm trying to be good," said Susie, still indignant.

"Well, we shan't see the result yet awhile," said nurse, "for the way you've devil-oped these holidays is past imagining."

She always p.r.o.nounced it in that way, and the word held a dreary significance for Susie.

CHAPTER IV.

That horrid, teasing cough of d.i.c.k's got worse and worse, and by evening he was lying patiently in his crib, with a steaming kettle singing into the little tent of blankets that enveloped it, and a very large and very hot linseed poultice on his chest. Susie, sitting down below, could hear the hasty footsteps and the hoa.r.s.e, croaking sound that always filled her with panic. Their tea was brought to them by the overworked maid, and she and Tom ate it in a depressed silence, and then sat again on the window-sill looking silently and miserably out to sea. By-and-by nurse came in hurriedly, with the news that baby was crying and had to be attended to, and that she and Tom must manage to put themselves to bed.

"I haven't time to brush your hair," nurse said regretfully; and Susie's face lightened.

"Nurse, is d.i.c.k better?" she asked breathlessly.

"He's about as bad as I've ever seen him," nurse said shortly, and turned to leave the room; but Susie clung desperately to her skirt.

"Don't go, nurse. Let me do something--let me hold baby."

"No, indeed, Miss Susie," said nurse; "you've done mischief enough already. Go to bed quietly, and try to get up right foot foremost to-morrow."