V
A FISH STORY AND OTHER THINGS
"Oh, Polly! Polly!" Phronsie came running along the deck, and up to thelittle group playing shuffle-board; "there's such a very big whale."And she clasped her hands in great excitement. "There truly is. Do comeand see him."
"Is there, Pet?" cried Polly, throwing down her shovel, "then we mustall go and see him. Come, Jasper, and all of you," and she seizedPhronsie's hand.
"He is very dreadful big," said Phronsie, as they sped on, Jasper andthe other players close behind. "And he puffed, Polly, and the waterwent up, oh, so high!"
"That's because he came up to breathe," said Polly, as they racedalong. "Dear me, I hope he won't be gone when we get there."
"Can't he breathe under the water?" asked Phronsie, finding it ratherhard work to perform that exercise herself in such a race. "What doeshe stay down there for, then, say, Polly?"
"Oh, because he likes it," answered Polly, carelessly. "Take care,Phronsie, you're running into all those steamer chairs."
"I'm sorry he can't breathe," said Phronsie, anxiously trying to steerclear of the bunch of steamer chairs whose occupants had suddenly leftthem, too, to see the whale. "Poor whale--I'm sorry for him, Polly."
"Oh, he's happy," said Polly, "he likes it just as it is. He comes upfor a little while to blow and--"
"I thought you said he came up to breathe, Polly," said Phronsie,tugging at Polly's hand, and guilty of interrupting.
"Well, and so he does, and to blow, too,--it's just the same thing,"said Polly, quickly.
"Is it just exactly the same?" asked Phronsie.
"Yes, indeed; that is, in the whale's case," answered Polly, as theyran up to Grandpapa and the rest of their party, and the knots of otherpassengers, all staring hard at a certain point on the sparkling wasteof water.
"I thought you were never coming," said old Mr. King, moving away fromthe rail to tuck Polly and Phronsie in where they could get a goodview. "Oh, there he is--there he is--Jasper, look!" cried Polly.
"There he is!" crowed Phronsie, now much excited. "Oh, isn't he big,Grandpapa?"
"I should say he was," declared Mr. King. "I think I never saw a finerwhale in my life, Phronsie."
"He comes up to blow," said Phronsie, softly to herself, her facepressed close to the rail, and her yellow hair floating off in thebreeze; "and Polly says it doesn't hurt him, and he likes it."
"What is it, Phronsie child?" asked old Mr. King, hearing her voice.
"Grandpapa, has he got any little whales?" asked Phronsie, suddenlyraising her face.
"Oh, yes, I imagine so," said old Mr. King; "that is, he ought to have,I'm sure. Porpoises go in schools,--why shouldn't whales, pray tell?"
"What's a porpoise?" asked Phronsie, with wide eyes.
"Oh, he's a dolphin or a grampus."
"Oh," said Phronsie, much mystified, "and does he go to school?"
"Well, they go ever so many of them together, and they call it aschool. Goodness me--that _is_ a blow!" as the whale spouted valiantly,and looked as if he were making directly for the steamer.
"Oh, Grandpapa, he's coming right here!" screamed Phronsie, clappingher hands in delight, and hopping up and down,--Polly and Jasper werealmost as much excited,--while the passengers ran hither and thither toget a good view, and levelled their big glasses, and oh-ed and ah-ed.And some of them ran to get their cameras. And Mr. Whale seemed to likeit, for he spouted and flirted his long tail and dashed into the waterand out again to blow, till they were all quite worn out looking athim. At last, with a final plunge, he bade them all good-by anddisappeared.
Phronsie, after her first scream of delight, had pressed her face closeto the rail and held her breath. She did not say a word, but gazed inspeechless enjoyment at the antics of the big fish. And Grandpapa hadto speak two or three times when the show was all over before she heardhim.
"Did you like it, Phronsie?" he asked, gathering her hand up closely inhis, as he leaned over to see her face.
Phronsie turned away with a sigh. "Oh, Grandpapa, he was so beautiful!"She drew a long breath, then turned back longingly. "Won't he ever comeback?" she asked.
"Maybe not this one," said old Mr. King; "but we'll see plenty more, Iimagine, Phronsie. At least, if not on this voyage,--why, some othertime."
"Oh, wasn't it splendid!" exclaimed Polly, tossing back the littlerings of brown hair from her brow. "Well, he's gone; now we must runback, Jasper, and finish our game." And they were off, the otherplayers following.
"I'd like to see this very whale again," said Phronsie, with a smallsigh; "Grandpapa, I would, really; he was a nice whale."
"Yes, he was a fine one," said old Mr. King. "I don't know as I everput eyes on a better specimen, and I've seen a great many in my life."
"Tell me about them, do, Grandpapa," begged Phronsie, drawing nearer tohim.
"Well, I'll get into my steamer chair, and you shall sit in my lap, andthen I'll tell you about some of them," said Mr. King, much gratified.As they moved off, Phronsie clinging to his hand, she looked back andsaw two children gazing wistfully after them. "Grandpapa," shewhispered, pulling his hand gently to attract attention, "may thatlittle boy and girl come, too, and hear about your whales?"
"Yes, to be sure," cried Mr. King. So Phronsie called them, and in afew minutes there was quite a big group around Grandpapa's steamerchair; for when the other children saw what was going on, they stopped,too, and before he knew, there he was perfectly surrounded.
"I should very much like to hear what it is all about." Mrs.Vanderburgh's soft voice broke into a pause, when old Mr. King stoppedto rest a bit. "You must be very fascinating, dear Mr. King; you haveno idea how pretty your group is." She pulled Fanny forward gently intothe outer fringe of the circle. "Pray, what is the subject?"
"Nothing in the world but a fish story, Madam," said the old gentleman.
"Oh, _may_ we stay and hear it?" cried Mrs. Vanderburgh,enthusiastically, clasping her gloved hands. "Fanny adores such things,don't you, dear?" turning to her.
"Yes, indeed, Mamma," answered Fanny, trying to look very much pleased.
"Take my word for it, you will find little to interest either of you,"said Mr. King.
"Oh, I should be charmed," cried Mrs. Vanderburgh. "Fanny dear, draw upthat steamer chair to the other side." But a stout, comfortable-lookingwoman coming down the deck stopped directly in front of that samechair, and before Fanny could move it, sat down, saying, "This is mychair, young lady."
"That vulgar old woman has got it," said Fanny, coming back quitecrestfallen.
"Ugh!" Mrs. Vanderburgh shrugged her shoulders as she looked at theoccupant of the chair, who surveyed her calmly, then fell to readingher book. "Well, you must just bear it, dear; it's one of theannoyances to be endured on shipboard."
"I suppose the lady wanted her own chair," observed Mr. King, dryly.
"Lady? Oh, my dear Mr. King!" Mrs. Vanderburgh gave a soft littlelaugh. "It's very good of you to put it that way, I'm sure. Well, nowdo let us hear that delightful story. Fanny dear, you can sit on partof my chair," she added, regardless of the black looks of a gentlemanhovering near, who had a sharp glance on the green card hanging to theback of the chair she had appropriated and that bore his name.
So Fanny perched on the end of the steamer chair, and Mr. King, notseeing any way out of it, went on in his recital of the whale story,winding up with an account of some wonderful porpoises he had seen, anda variety of other things, until suddenly he turned his head and keenlyregarded Fanny's mother.
"How intensely interesting!" she exclaimed, opening her eyes, andtrying not to yawn. "Do go on, and finish about that whale," feelingthat she must say something.
"Mamma!" exclaimed Fanny, trying to stop her.
"I ended up that whale some five minutes ago, Madam," said Mr. King. "Ithink you must have been asleep."
"Oh, no, indeed, I have been charmed every moment," protested Mrs.Vanderburgh sitting quite erect. "You surely have the gift of a_ra
conteur_, Mr. King," she said, gracefully recovering herself. "Odear me, here is that odious boy and that tiresome old man!" as TomSelwyn came up slowly, his Grandfather on his arm.
Mr. King put Phronsie gently off from his lap, still keeping her handin his. "Now, children, the story-telling is all done, the whales andporpoises are all finished up--so run away." He touched his sea-cap toMrs. Vanderburgh and her daughter, then marched up to the old man andTom.
"I am tired of sitting still," he said. "May my little granddaughterand I join you in a walk?"
Tom shot him a grateful look. Old Mr. Selwyn, who cared most of all forPolly, mumbled out something, but did not seem especially happy. ButMr. King did not appear to notice anything awry, but fell into step,still keeping Phronsie's hand, and they paced off.
"If you know which side your bread is buttered, Mamma," said FannyVanderburgh, shrewdly, looking after them as they disappeared, "you'llmake up to those dreadful Selwyn people."
"Never!" declared her mother, firmly. "Fanny, are you wild? Why, youare a Vanderburgh and are related to the English nobility, and I am anAshleigh. What would your father say to such a notion?"
"Well, Papa isn't here," said Fanny, "and if he were, he'd do somethingto keep in with Mr. King. I hate and detest those dreadful Selwyns asmuch as you do, Mamma, but I'm going to cultivate them. See if I don't!"
"And I forbid it," said her mother, forgetting herself and raising hervoice. "They are low bred and common. And beside that, they areeccentric and queer. Don't you speak to them or notice them in theslightest."
"Madam," said the gentleman of the black looks, advancing and touchinghis cap politely, "I regret to disturb you, but I believe you have mychair."
Mrs. Vanderburgh begged pardon and vacated the chair, when thegentleman touched his cap again, and immediately drew the chair up tothe one where the stout, comfortable-looking woman sat.
"It seems to me there are more ill-bred, low-lived people on board thisboat than it has been my lot to meet on any voyage," said Mrs.Vanderburgh, drawing her sea coat around her slight figure and sailingoff, her daughter in her wake.