CHAPTER TWENTY SIX.
In another moment all the members of the party had left their seats, andwere standing by Rob's side, gazing disconsolately at the lost boat.Already it had been carried to a considerable distance, and the four menstared into each other's faces in horrified bewilderment.
"This is a nice state of things!"
"What _is_ to be done? How on earth are we to get her back?"
"She has floated so far--too far, I am afraid, for anyone to swim afterher."
"I could not last out such a distance. It seems a risky thing toattempt, much too risky. It would not improve matters to have adrowning case into the bargain. I am afraid none of us dare attemptit."
Then there was a pause, while the girls huddled together in a group,watching the men's faces with anxious glances. Arthur stood frowningand biting his moustache, his eyes bright with anger.
"I should like to shoot myself for my stupidity! Why could I not havethought of the tide when we were beaching the boat? It would have beenjust as easy to drag her up a few yards higher, and then we should havebeen safe. We should not have been in such a stupid hurry to befinished, but I heard Peggy's voice calling to me and--"
"Oh no, no! Don't say it--don't say it! Arthur, Arthur, don't say itwas my fault!" cried Peggy in a voice of such agonised distress asstartled the ears of her companions. Arthur's eyes turned from the boatfor the first time, and he hastened to her side.
"Why, Peg," he cried, "what's the matter, dear? Nobody was blaming you;there is not a shadow of blame to be laid on you. The fault is ours fornot giving more thought to what we were about. Rob and I ought to knowhow to beach a boat by this time, seeing the amount of yachting we havedone in our day, but, indeed, I don't need to blame any one but myself;I was in charge, and should have taken proper care."
"Well, it is not much use discussing who is to blame; the mischief isdone, and we had better set our wits to work to remedy it," cried thelittle chaperon briskly. "If the boat cannot be brought back, I supposeit means that we must stay here until--"
"Oh, how exciting! It's just like the _Swiss Family Robinson_, and_Leila on the Desert Island_. It's as good as being shipwrecked,without any of the bother," interrupted Mellicent gushingly. "Now,then, we must make a tent, and examine the trees to see which are goodto eat, and catch crabs and lobsters, and shoot the birds as they flypast, and Professor Reid shall be the father--the wise, well-informedman who knows what everything is, and how everything should be done--andEsther shall be his wife, and--"
"Mellicent, don't! Don't be silly, dear!" pleaded Esther gently. "Itis not a subject for jokes. Seriously, Arthur, how long may we have tostay? Is there any chance of being left here for the night?"
"Not the slightest, I should say. If we don't get back in time for ourdrive to the station, the flymen will give the alarm, and some one willcome over to see what has gone wrong. The worst that may happen is thatwe shall have to wait until the men get back from their regatta, but youneed have no fear of remaining for the night."
"But in any case it will be impossible to catch our train."
"I fear it will. We shall have to make the best of it, and camp at theinn until morning. It's unfortunate, but there are worse troubles atsea. Don't look so miserable, Peggy; I promise you, you shall come tono harm."
"But, mother--Mrs Asplin--what will they think? If we don't get backuntil late, can we send a telegram to them? It is such a tiny placethat the office might be closed."
Arthur's face clouded over, for this was a view of the case which hadnot occurred to him, and former experiences of country villages did nottend to reassure him.
"I can't tell you. I will drive to the station and do my best to send awire from there, but that's all I can say. There is one comfort: theyknow at home that if we miss the seven o'clock train, we are fixed forthe night, so they won't be as anxious as they might otherwise havebeen. They will probably guess pretty well what has happened."
He spoke with an assumption of confidence, but Peggy was not to bedeceived, and she turned on her heel and walked along the shore,wringing her hands together, and catching her breath in short, gaspingsobs.
"Help me! Oh, help me!" she repeated over and over again in a quiveringvoice, and the cry was addressed to no human ear. She was speakingdirect to One who understood her trouble, who knew without being toldthe reason of her anxiety. Not in vain had Mrs Asplin set an exampleof a Christian's faith and trust before the girl's quick-seeing eyes.Peggy had never forgotten her sweet calm on hearing the doctor'sverdict, or that other interview in the vicarage garden when she herselfhad first resolved to join the great army of Christ, and the habit wasgrowing daily stronger to turn to Him for help in all the difficultpaths of life. Now in "this moment of intensest anxiety her firstimpulse was to leave her companions," and go away by herself where shecould pour out her heart in a deep, voiceless prayer. She walked roundto the further side of the little islet, and seating herself on the samestone which an hour earlier had been the scene of her _tete-a-tete_ withHector, covered her face with her hands and rocked to and fro in anabandonment of grief. They could not catch the train ... They couldsend no telegram of reassurement; the night would pass--the long, longnight, and no word would be received of their safety ... For her ownfather and mother she was not seriously concerned, for they were too oldtravellers not to allow for unexpected delays, and had moreoverprophesied more than once that such a scatter-brained party would becertain to miss their train; but Mrs Asplin with her exaggerated ideasof distance, her terror of the sea, her nervous forebodings of evil--howwould she endure those long waiting hours? With her imaginative eye,Peggy saw before her the scene in the drawing-room at the vicarage, asthe hour of arrival passed by without bringing the return of thetravellers; saw the sweet, worn face grow even paler and more strained,the thin hands pressed against the heart. She recalled the patheticplea which had been made to her, and her own vow of remembrance, andonce more the responsibility of the position seemed heavier than shecould bear. "Oh, help me!" she murmured once more. "Help me _now_!"and then a voice spoke to her by name, and she looked up, to see Rob'sanxious face looking into hers.
"What is it, Peggy? Something troubles you--something more than youwill tell the others. Can you tell me? Can I help you, dear?"
It was the old Rob back again at the first hint of trouble, the old Rob,with no trace of the laboured pleasantness of the past weeks, but witheyes full of faithful friendship. Peggy gave a gasp of relief, andclutched his arm with an eager hand.
"Oh, Rob, yes! I'll tell you! It was a secret, but I must tell someone, I must have some one to consult." And then in hurried accents sheconfided to him her promise to Mrs Asplin, and the sad reason whichmade it so necessary to preserve her from alarm. "You see, Rob, it isvery serious," she said in conclusion. "It may be a case of life anddeath, for the doctor said she couldn't bear any strain, and when Ipromised, knowing so well all that it meant, she will feel she has goodreason for fear, if we do not return. All the night long, and both hergirls here! Oh, Rob, think what it will be! I feel as if I could notbear it; is if I could run all the way home to comfort her. You alwayshelped me, Rob; you used to find a way for me out of my old childishtroubles--do help me now! Think of _some_ way by which we can getback."
Rob looked at her fixedly, and his lips smiled, but his eyes were graveand steady.
"I'll try, Peggy," he said, "I'll do my best. There is nothing I wouldnot do for Mrs Asplin and--_you_! Remember always, whatever happens,that nothing you could have done for me to-day would have made me sohappy as asking my help in your trouble." He turned away as he spokethe last word, for the rest of the party were now approaching along thesands, bearing with them a branch of a tree, and the table-cloth whichhad been used for lunch. It had occurred to Arthur that if a flag couldbe erected at this particular spot, it might possibly catch the eyes ofthe fishermen, and attract them to call at the island on their way tothe shore, and the id
ea had been enthusiastically welcomed by hisfriends. It is astonishing how speedily the charms of a situation areminimised when that situation becomes a necessity instead of a choice.Before the discovery of the missing boat, the island had seemed all thatwas charming and romantic; now it seemed suddenly to have become chillyand forsaken, a bank of sand in a waste of water; a prison-house ratherthan a pleasure-ground. Eunice began to shiver, Mrs Bryce felt certainthat the grass was damp, and the professor was full of anxiety about his_fiancee_. One and all they were thankful for the occupation oferecting the flagstaff, and Arthur had no lack of assistants in histask. The hole was dug out to the proper depth with the assistance ofsuch motley tools as the ferrules of sticks and parasols, and the stoneswhich were scattered along the beach, while the cloth was sewed to thestick by the careful Esther, who never by any chance travelled aboutwithout a needle full of cotton in her pocket, in company with suchother usefuls as sticking-plaster, hair-pins, and camphor pills. Thecamphor pills were brought forth now, and received a very differentwelcome from that which would have been afforded them an hour before.Even Peggy took her turn with the rest, and though the men drew the lineat such an exhibition of weakness, they hinted that an additional cup oftea would be acceptable in its stead.
"We have done all we can, so now let us go back to our meal, and be asjolly as we can," said Arthur.
"We will brew a fresh lot of tea and drown our sorrows in the bowl; andif the viands give out, Mellicent can get us bread from the bread-treesand milk from the cocoanuts. Rob can climb up and bring one down, as heis accustomed to savage regions. Where _is_ Rob, by the bye? He washere ten minutes ago."
"He walked over to the other end of the island. I'll go round and givehim a call," Hector said; and in default of anything better to do hiscompanions followed in a long, straggling line, but no sign of Rob didthey find, only a little heap of clothing on the shore--a pair of boots,a coat, and waistcoat, and a sailor hat, which told their own taleplainly enough, even without the sight of the dark head which couldpresently be observed bobbing up and down between the waves. Rob hadswum off to try to recover the boat, and was risking his life in theeffort!--For a moment horror held his friends dumb, then the men brokeinto a chorus of denunciations.
"He'll never do it! He had no right to go off like that withoutconsulting us--without saying a word to a soul! A foolhardy trick!"
"He knew we would not let him try it. He is a capital swimmer, but it'sa stiff pull, and he can't catch her up, for she will drift with thetide further and further away."
"_Will_ she? Are you sure? Does she seem to you any further off nowthan she was a quarter of an hour ago? I don't think she is. I can seeher just as distinctly. Ah! I believe I understand it now. She hasdrifted on to a sandbank, and is not moving at all. Good old Rob! Heknows what he is about. If he can only hold out, he'll get her sureenough."
"If--yes, but if he does not? If he gets cramped or exhausted, there isno one to help him. We should have to stand here helpless, and see himsink. It was mad--mad--he should not have risked it! I'll give him apiece of my mind when he gets back!" cried Arthur hotly, and then, "Goodold Rob!" he added in another voice. "Good old Rob! Just like him tosteal away without saying a word to a soul. Just like him to think ofevery one else before himself. Give him a cheer, boys! Give him acheer to help him along."
And what a cheer that was that burst forth in response to his words! Itrang over the sea, eloquent with all the hope, and fear, and longingthat were beating in eight anxious hearts; once and yet again itsounded, with Peggy's high treble ringing out over all the rest."Bravo, Rob! Bravo! Hurrah! Hurrah! Hurrah!"
The dark head turned, a white arm waved in the air, and then Rob settledhimself once more to his task, while his friends watched in tenseanxiety. The professor drew Esther's hand through his arm and claspedit unashamed, and Arthur turned abruptly aside, putting his hands to hisface.
"I can't watch him;" he cried brokenly. "I must go away. Come and talkto me till it is over--help me to bear it!" His eyes met Peggy's as hefinished speaking, passed on with an unsatisfied expression, andfastened upon Eunice. "You!" his expression said as plainly as wordscould say it, "I mean _you_!" and Eunice followed without a word.
At another time the episode would have attracted universal attention,but the four remaining members of the party were so much engrossed withtheir own thoughts that hardly a glance was cast after the retreatingcouple. Mrs Bryce was eager to take Major Darcy aside, and ask hisadvice as a soldier and campaigner as to what steps could be taken toprepare for a possible night's vigil. "Hope for the best and preparefor the worst," was her motto; and she had already hit on a spot where,by pegging down the branches of trees, and fastening cloaks over thegaps, a very fair tent could be manufactured. She bore Hector away tosurvey it, and Peggy and Mellicent were left alone together, the latterstaring with curious eyes in her companion's face. An hour ago Peggyhad been the most agitated of the party, and had showed a terrorinconsistent with her character, yet now, when there seemed an evengreater need for anxiety, she was calm and quiet, a little white imageof composure.
"Peggy," she whispered softly, "aren't you frightened? Do you think hewill--get there, Peggy? Do you think he will be--safe?"
"I know he will be safe, Mellicent."
"But they say it is so dangerous! They say it is a risk. He _might_ bedrowned!"
"He will be safe, Mellicent. I am quite sure of it."
"But, oh, Peggy, how can you tell? How can you be sure?"
Peggy's eyes came round with a flash, and stared full in Mellicent'sface.
"Because I love him, Mellicent! Because we belong to one another, Roband I, and I cannot live without him. Because I have asked God to takecare of him for me, and I know He will do it!"
Mellicent shrank back aghast. What a confession to have heard fromPeggy's own lips! Peggy, the reserved and dignified; Peggy, who was soscrupulously reticent about her own feelings! She could hardly believeher ears. It seemed unnatural, alarming, almost shocking. Her eyesdropped to the ground, she shuffled uneasily to and fro, and creptquietly away.