Part 9 (1/2)
”What is Dirk or his to you?” exclaimed Trafford. ”Was that what kept you so late? Is that how you came to be caught by the tide?”
”Yes,” said Noll, ”I--”
His uncle interrupted him with a stern, ”Noll, you reckless lad! What are those Culm people to us,--to me? You put your life in peril--oh, I tremble to think _what_ peril!--for Dirk's miserable child? What were you thinking of? Have you no regard for your life,--for my happiness?”
”Why,” said Noll, quickly, ”Dirk loves his child as well as you love me, and I thought perhaps Hagar's medicines could help it, and I didn't know there was any peril till I got into it; and oh, Uncle Richard, what will they do now that I can't come back?”
”I don't know,” said Trafford, gloomily; ”they are accustomed to such things, I suppose. Shall I have to command you to take off those wet clothes?”
Noll began to remove his ice-cold garments, but presently said,--
”Is there,--do you think there'll be any hope of my going back to-night, Uncle Richard? The child is dreadful sick, you know.”
”Going back!--to-night! Are you crazy, Noll?” Trafford cried. ”No, you will not put foot outside the door this night!”
”But, Un--”
”Hus.h.!.+ not another word,” said his uncle, sternly. ”If you have no regard for your life, I must have for you. Hagar is waiting at the door with your dry clothes. Are you ready for them?”
Noll answered ”Yes,” his heart suddenly filled with a dreary recollection of the sight which he had seen in Dirk's miserable abode.
It seemed to him as if he could hear the sick child's wail above the war of the storm. Dirk, he thought, would watch and wait for his return, peering through the dirty little window into the gathering gloom and darkness, and, finding that he did not come, would settle back into despair again.
Noll put on the dry garments with a heavy heart. He was sure he felt strong enough to return to Culm, and although the sea barred the beach path, yet, with a lantern, he could find a way over the rocks, he thought. But Uncle Richard had utterly refused; so there was no hope, and the child must suffer on, and Dirk watch in vain.
”Oh,” thought Noll, ”why wasn't I more careful? Why _didn't_ I think of the tide? Then nothing would have happened, and I could have gone back!”
Hagar came in, saying, ”Ye'll hab yer supper here, in de kitchen, Mas'r Noll, 'cause it's warmer fur ye dan in de dinin'-room. Ye won't mind Hagar's ole kitchen jes' fur once, honey?”
”No,” said Noll, sadly, ”I won't mind at all, Hagar, and I'm not hungry--much.”
Trafford went out to change his own wet clothing. The old housekeeper bustled between her cupboards and a little round table which she had drawn before the fire, casting wistful looks at Noll as he sat gravely gazing in the coals.
”Bress de Lord! bress de Lord fur savin' ye!” she e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed, fervently, as she bent down over her tea-pot which was spouting odorous jets of steam from its place on the hearth; ”'pears like dar wouldn't be nuffin left in dis ole house ef de sea had swallered ye, Mas'r Noll. Don't _ye_ t'ank de Lord?” she asked, peering up into the boy's sober face.
”Yes; I'm glad to live, and I thank G.o.d for saving me; but oh, Hagar,”
said Noll, almost with tears in his eyes, ”there's somebody on this Rock to-night that's as sad as you or Uncle Richard would have been if the tide had swept me away!”
”Now!” said Hagar; ”an' who is dem yer?”
”Dirk Sharp's little girl is sick with a fever, and I think she's going to die,--though of course I can't tell,--and they haven't a drop of medicine. Just think, Hagar,--dying, and nothing to save!”
Hagar thought, and sighed heavily over her tea-pot. ”Don' know what's goin' to 'come o' them yer Culm folks!” she said.
”And,” continued Noll, ”I promised to bring Dirk some medicine,--I was going to get it of you; but I got into that fearful tide and was half drowned, and now--oh, what can I do?”
”Bress ye, honey, ye didn't 'spect to go back in de dark to Culm?”
cried Hagar.