Priscilla's Spies Part 12

"I'm afraid," she said, "that you were just as sceptical as your cousin was about my sponges."

"I was rather surprised."

"Naturally. You were thinking of bath sponges and naked Indians plunging over the side of their boats with large stones in their hands to sink them. But I'm not after bath sponges. I'm doing the zoophytes for the natural history survey of this district."

"Oh," said Frank vaguely.

"They brought me over from the British Museum because I'm supposed to know something about the zoophytes. I ought to, for I don't know anything else."

"It must be most interesting."

"Last week I did the fresh water lakes and got some very good results.

Professor Wilder and his wife are doing rotifers. They're stopping??"

"In tents?" said Frank with interest.

"Tents! No. In quite the sweetest cottage you ever saw. I sleep on a sofa in the porch. What put tents into your head?"

"Then it wasn't Professor Wilder and his wife whose boat you rescued just now?"

"Oh, dear no. I don't know who those people are at all. I never saw them before. Miss Benson is doing the lichens, and Mr. Farringdon the moths.

They're the only other members of our party here at present, and I'm the only one out on the bay."

Frank was conscious of a sense of relief. It would have been a disappointment to him if the German spies had turned out to be harmless botanists or entomologists.

Jimmy Kinsella was sitting in front of his boat gazing placidly at the sea when Priscilla tapped him on the shoulder.

"What are you doing here, Jimmy?" she said.

"Is that yourself, Miss?" said Jimmy, eyeing her quietly.

"It is. And the only other person present is you. Now we've got that settled."

Jimmy Kinsella grinned.

"I thought it was the _Tortoise_ when I saw her; but I said to myself 'There's strangers on board of her, for Miss Priscilla would know better than to run her aground on the bank when the tide would be leaving her.'"

"You haven't told me yet," said Priscilla, "what you're doing here."

"I'm out along with the lady beyond."

"I could see that much for myself. What's she doing?"

"Without she'd be trying the salt water for the good of her health, I don't know what she's doing."

"I thought at first that it might be that," said Priscilla. "Has she any sponges with her?"

"Not that I seen, Miss. But sure none of them would take a sponge with them into the sea. They get plenty of it without that."

"I just thought she hadn't."

"If I was to be put on my oath," said Jimmy slowly, "and was to be asked what I thought of her??"

"That's just what I am asking you."

"I'd say she was a high up lady; may be one of them ones that does be waiting on the Queen, or the wife of the Lord Lieutenant or such."

"What makes you say that?"

"The skin of her."

Jimmy's eyes which had been fixed on the remote horizon focussed themselves slowly for nearer objects. His glance settled finally on Priscilla's bare feet.

"Ah!" she said, "when she took off her shoes and stockings?"

"Saving your presence, Miss, the legs of her doesn't look as if she was accustomed to going about that way."

"And that's all you know about her?"

"Herself and a gentleman that was along with her settled with my da yesterday for the use of the boat, the way I'd row her anywhere she'd a fancy to go."

"That was the gentleman who has Flanagan's old boat, I suppose?"

"It was not then, but a different gentleman altogether."

"Then you can leave him out," said Prisdlla, "and tell me all you know about the other couple, the ones who lost their boat."

"Them ones," said Jimmy, "has no sense, no more than a baby would have.

Did you hear what they're after paying Flanagan for that old boat of his?"

"Four pounds a week."

"You'd think," said Jimmy, "that when they'd no more care for their money than to be throwing it away that way they'd be able to afford to pay for a roof over their heads and not to be sleeping on the bare ground with no more than a cotton rag to shelter them. It was last Friday they came in to Inishbawn looking mighty near as if they'd had enough of it 'Is there any objection,' says he, 'to our camping on this island?' 'We'll pay you,' says the lady, 'anything in reason for the use of the land.' My da was terrible sorry for them, for he could see well that they weren't ones that was used to hards.h.i.+p; but he told them that it would be better for them not."

"On account of the rats?"

"Rats! What rats?"

"The rats that have the island very nearly eaten," said Priscilla.

"Sorra the rat ever I saw on Inishbawn, only one that came out in the boat one day along with a sack of yellow meal my da was bringing home from the quay; and I killed it myself with the slap of a loy."

"I just thought Peter Walsh was telling me a lie about the rats," said Priscilla. "But if it wasn't rats will you tell me why your father wouldn't let them camp on Inishbawn?"

"He said it would be better for them not," said Jimmy, "on account of there being fever on it, for fear they might catch it and maybe die."

"What fever?"