The mysterious visitor was forgotten, my hand had healed, and Jack1's ankle was in a fair way to recovery, when a letter arrived from Mr. Barton to say that, owing to his wife's death, he felt he could not return to Bath. He had taken a house at Brighton, but the necessary business of moving would make it impossible for him to receive his pupils at the time fixed2. He hoped, therefore, that my father would not object to keeping the boys a fortnight longer.
With what a shout the letter was welcomed! I glanced anxiously at father; he did not look half as displeased4 as I thought he would. "Can you make yourselves happy till the beginning of September?" he asked.
"Just give us the chance, uncle. We will let you see what we can do. But what about Kathleen? We can't let her go before us?" Rupert looked at me with a mysterious sign.
"No, please father, don't send her away yet. I want her particularly."
"Mischief5 again?" said father, just catching6 my knowing look across at Kathleen. "I should have thought you had enough of getting into trouble by this time."
"It isn't mischief, father," I cried. "It's good, it's a beautiful secret, it's——" then I broke down and burst into tears.
It was only then, I think, that my parents realized that I had not done such a thing lately.
"Why, laddie," said father, soothing7 me gently, "I haven't seen any tears since the invasion of the Goths and Vandals. Here, young Alaric, carry him off, and bring back the smiles. Of course, Kathleen shall stay as long as you do, but I warn you"—and here father's face became very grave—"you have risked my son's life once, you had better not do it twice."
Harold was going to make some reply; but Rupert put his hand hastily over his mouth, and swung him out of the room before he and Kathleen came to lift me.
Whether it was that his foot was much better, or that Jack was delighted at the thought of spending a fortnight more than he expected at the Island Farm, I do not know; but he seemed that day to be possessed8 of twice his usual spirits. Of course, he was not allowed to put his foot to the ground; but it was cased in plaster of Paris, and he managed to hop3 with the help of a stick if he really wished to move.
"Now, commodore," said I, at last—for we had pretended he had been wounded in battle—"I wish you would keep still, you give me the fidgets; I know you'll damage that foot again; and you do look so queer hopping9 about like a wounded stork10. I might as well try to get about—I believe I should do it as well."
"So you will, old fellow, only not just yet. Rub, rub, rub, scrub, scrub, scrub, Kathleen, and then he will go like a bird."
"Do keep still," said Rupert, presently. "I've tried three times to make a straight line on this piece of wood, and each time you've shaken the table. What do you want? Tell me, and I'll get it; but don't keep bobbing about like a lame11 duck."
"That oak chest is bothering me," said Jack, coming to an anchor at last, with his bad foot on the chest itself. "What's inside of it."
"How should I know? You heard Edric say it was here when he first came up. I expect it has old clothes in it. Curiosity killed a cat; and when you know that a cat has nine lives, you can see what a deadly poison curiosity must be. It's a glorious bench to carpenter on; and it makes a good place to lie on, if you are fearfully tired and don't mind pretending you are on a stone bench."
"And it would be a splendid place to——"
"To what?" we all asked, looking up at Jack.
"Never you mind; I know what I know, and I'm not going to tell anybody."
But, unfortunately, he did tell somebody, and that was Harold, who was the very last person who should have been told.
A few days afterwards Jack was not well—it was merely a passing indisposition, headache and cold; but as there was so much difficulty in keeping him quiet when he was up, mother thought it best to make him stay in bed. My parents were both going to spend the afternoon and evening at a friend's house, and so my cousins were told that they need not keep only to their den12; they might have the run of the house, if they would promise to do nothing which they knew was wrong, and not to go outside at all, in case they might be tempted13 to mischief.
"We promise," said Rupert, gravely, and father knew he could trust him.
They carried me into Jack's room directly we were left alone, and there a certain mysterious operation went on, which had occupied us for half an hour twice a day during the last few weeks. A little reading, a good deal of talking, and then Jack said his head was worse; so we all retreated into the dining-room, and wondered what we should play at.
"I know," said Kathleen. "We have permission to go anywhere; let's have a game of hide-and-seek. I believe you'd take half an hour to find me, there are so many ins and outs, and ups and downs."
Of course, I could not join in that game, so I begged them to carry me back into Jack's room, where I lay reading, sometimes aloud, sometimes to myself, till, to my great delight, I saw him fall asleep.
From time to time I could hear a merry peal14 of laughter in the distance, or the quiet footsteps of someone running past the door in search of a hiding-place. The sounds pleased me, and then I began to wonder whether I should ever be able to join in such a game. Four weeks ago I should have laughed at the bare idea of such a thing; but now, things had changed. My cousins had brought fresh vigour15 to my mind; and if all were true that they told me, there seemed a hope that they might be the means of bringing new strength to my body.
I lay building castles in the air after a fashion quite new to me. I had got as far as walking to church with mother on my arm when I was a young man, when suddenly the door was pushed gently open, and Rupert whispered, "Have you seen Harold?"
"No; he has not been here."
"I told you he must have gone outside," said Kathleen, peeping over his shoulder.
"Not he," replied Rupert. "Don't you remember we all three promised we would not go out of the house? He must be somewhere inside? let's hunt again."
Half an hour passed, and then my cousins came back. I signalled to them that Jack was still asleep, and they could take me out of the room.
"We can't find him anywhere," said Rupert, as they carried me downstairs.
"Don't be anxious," I replied. "He must have gone outside; he will come back when he finds you do not go after him. Or shall you go into the garden to look for him?"
"Didn't I tell you we all promised not to go out?" he said. "I don't believe Harold is outside; if he is, I'll never speak to him again."
Of course, we laughed at the hasty speech which had ended in a promise that the speaker would certainly never keep. But by-and-by, as the light began to fade, and Harold made no appearance, we grew anxious about him.
"Supper will bring him; he will be tired and hungry by that time," we said; but we had finished our supper when the door was pushed open, and Jack entered in dressing-gown and slippers17.
"Jane says you have been playing hide-and-seek, and have lost Harold. Have you looked in the oak chest for him?"
"The oak chest?" we all repeated, with a terrified gasp18. "If he has been shut in there for a couple of hours he will be dead!"
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1
jack
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| n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克 | |
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2
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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3
hop
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| n.单脚跳，跳跃；vi.单脚跳，跳跃；着手做某事；vt.跳跃，跃过 | |
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4
displeased
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| a.不快的 | |
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5
mischief
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| n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹 | |
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6
catching
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| adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住 | |
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7
soothing
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| adj.慰藉的；使人宽心的；镇静的 | |
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8
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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9
hopping
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| n. 跳跃 动词hop的现在分词形式 | |
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10
stork
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| n.鹳 | |
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11
lame
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| adj.跛的，(辩解、论据等)无说服力的 | |
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12
den
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| n.兽穴；秘密地方；安静的小房间，私室 | |
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13
tempted
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| v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词） | |
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14
peal
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| n.钟声；v.鸣响 | |
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15
vigour
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| （=vigor）n.智力，体力，精力 | |
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16
amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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17
slippers
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| n. 拖鞋 | |
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18
gasp
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| n.喘息，气喘；v.喘息；气吁吁他说 | |
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