The Children of the Castle Page 4

are talking. He has told meabout you--and--I've heard about the castle, though I've never been init. It's very fine. I like to look up at it from the sea."

  Ruby felt a little smoothed down. Her tone became more gracious.Mavis, who had drawn near, stood listening with great interest, and asthe boy turned towards her the smile came over his face again.

  "Who do you mean by `grandfather'?" asked Ruby eagerly. "Is it oldAdam? I didn't know he had any children or grandchildren."

  "Yes," the boy replied, "I'm his grandson. Was it grandfather you meantwhen you said he was queer?"

  "Oh," said Mavis, "Ruby didn't mean to be rude. It was only nonsense.People say--"

  "They say he's very queer indeed," said Ruby, who had no intention ofdeserting her colours. "They say he's a kind of a wizard or an ogre,and that you hear all sorts of sounds--music and talking and I don'tknow all what--if you're near his cottage in the evening, and that thereare lights to be seen in it too, not common lights like candles, butmuch more. Some say he's friends with the mermaids, and that they cometo see him--is that true?" and notwithstanding her boasted boldness Rubydropped her voice a little, and glanced over her shoulder half nervouslyseawards, as if not quite sure but that some of the tailed ladies inquestion might be listening to her.

  The boy did more than smile now. He laughed outright; but his laugh,though bright and ringing, was not the laugh the sisters had heard fromthe cottage.

  "The mermaids," he said. "No, indeed, poor little things, they nevervisit grandfather."

  "Well, why do you laugh?" said Ruby angrily again. "You speak as ifthere _were_ mermaids."

  "I was thinking of stories I have heard about them," said the boysimply. "But I couldn't help laughing to think of them coming to seegrandfather. How could they ever get up these stones?"

  "Oh, I don't know, I'm sure," Ruby answered impatiently. "If he's awizard he could do anything like that. I wish you'd tell us all abouthim. You must know, as you live with him."

  "I've not been long with him," said the boy. "He _may_ be friends withthe mermaids for all I know. He's friends with everybody."

  "You're mocking at me," said Ruby, "and I won't have it. I'm sure youcould tell me things if you chose."

  "We did hear talking and laughing," said Mavis gently, speaking almostfor the first time, "and it seemed as if there was some one else there."

  The boy looked at her again, and a very pleasant light came into hiseyes--more than that, indeed, as Mavis watched him it seemed to her thatthey changed in colour. Was it the reflection from the sky? No, therewas a mingling of every hue to be seen over by the western horizoncertainly, but scarcely the deep clear midsummer sky-blue they suddenlybecame.

  "What funny eyes you've got," exclaimed the child impulsively. "They'requite blue now, and they weren't a minute ago."

  Ruby stared at him and then at Mavis. "Nonsense," she said, "they'renot. They're just common coloured eyes. You shouldn't say such things,Mavis; people will think you're out of your mind." Mavis looked veryashamed, but the boy's face flushed up. He looked both glad andexcited.

  "If you please, miss," he said, "some people see things that othersdon't. I don't even mind that nonsense about gran and the mermaids;those that say it don't know any better."

  Ruby looked at him sharply.

  "Then there is something to know," she said. "Now you might as welltell us all about it. Is old Adam a wizard?"

  "That he's not," answered the boy stoutly, "if so be, as I take it, thata wizard means one that has to do with bad spirits--unkind andmischief-making and unloving, call them what you will. None of suchlike would come near gran, or, if they did, he'd soon send them to theright-about. I'd like you to see him for yourself some day, but notto-day, if you'll excuse it. He's very tired. I was running down tothe shore to fetch a pailful of sea water to bathe his lame arm."

  "Then we mustn't keep you," said Mavis. "But might we really come tosee your grandfather some day, do you think?"

  "I'll ask him," said the boy; "and I think he'd be pleased to see you."

  "You might come up to the castle if there's anything he would like--alittle soup or anything," said Ruby in her patronising way. "I'll speakto the housekeeper."

  "Thank you, miss," said the boy, but more hesitatingly than he hadspoken before.

  "What's your name?" asked Ruby. "We'd better know it, so that you cansay who you are when you come."

  "Winfried," he answered simply.

  "Then good-bye, Winfried," said Ruby. "Come on, Mavis;" and she turnedto pursue her way home past the cottage.

  Winfried hesitated. Then he ran a step or two after them.

  "I can show you a nearer way home to the castle," he said, "and if youdon't mind, it would be very kind of you not to go near by our cottage.Grandfather is feeble still--did you know he had been very ill?--andseeing or hearing strangers might startle him."

  "Then you come with us," said Ruby. "You can tell him who we are."

  "I'm in a hurry to get the salt water," said the boy. "I have put offtime already, and if you won't think me rude I'd much rather you came tothe cottage some day when we could invite you to step in."

  His manner was so simple and hearty that Ruby could not take offence,though she had been quite ready to do so.

  "Very well," she said, "then show us your nearer way."

  He led them without speaking some little distance towards the shoreagain. After all there was a path--not a bad one of its kind, for hereand there it ran on quite smoothly for a few yards and then descended bystones arranged so as to make a few rough steps.

  "Dear me," said Ruby, "how stupid we were not to find this path before."

  Winfried smiled. "I scarce think you could have found it without me toshow you," he said, "nor the short way home either for that matter. Seehere;" and having come to the end of the path he went on a few stepsalong the pebbly shore, for here there was no smooth sand, and stoppedbefore a great boulder stone, as large as a hay-cart, which stood outsuddenly among the broken rocks. Winfried stepped up close to it andtouched it apparently quite gently. To the children's amazement itswung round lightly as if it had been the most perfectly hung door. Andthere before them was revealed a little roadway, wide enough for two towalk abreast, which seemed to wind in and out among the rocks as far asthey could see. It was like a carefully rolled gravel path in a garden,except that it seemed to be of a peculiar kind of sand, white andglistening.

  Ruby darted forward.

  "What a lovely path!" she exclaimed; "will it take us straight home?Are you sure it will?"

  "Quite sure," said Winfried. "You will see your way in no time if yourun hand-in-hand."

  "What a funny idea," laughed the child; and Mavis too looked pleased.

  "I'm quite sure it's a fairy road," she was beginning to say, but,looking round, their little guide had disappeared. Then came his voice:

  "Good-night," he said cheerfully. "I've shut-to the stone door, and I'mup on the top of it. Good-night, little ladies. Run homehand-in-hand."

  The girls looked at each other.

  "Upon my word," exclaimed Ruby, not quite knowing what to say, "if oldAdam isn't a wizard his grandson is. I think we'd better get out ofthis as quick as we can, Mavis."

  She seemed half frightened and half provoked. Mavis, on the contrary,was quite simply delighted.

  "I shouldn't wonder if this was the mermaid's own way to the cottage,"she said. "I'm sure old Adam and Winfried aren't wizards; but I dothink they must be some kind of good fairies, or at least they must haveto do with fairies. Come along, Ruby, hand-in-hand;" and she held outher own hand.

  But Ruby by this time had grown cross.

  "I won't give in to such rubbish," she said. "I don't want to go alonghand-in-hand like two silly babies. If it was worth the trouble I'dclimb up to the top of the stone and go home the proper way."

  This was all boasting. She knew quite well she could not possibly climbup the stone. But she walk
ed on a few steps in sulky dignity. Suddenlyshe gave a little cry, slipped, and fell.

  "Oh, I've hurt my ankle!" she exclaimed. "This horrid white gravel isso slippery."

  Mavis was beside her almost before she had said the