Part 10 (1/2)

CHAPTER VI.

MISSING!

”Well, well,” said Mr. Rowles, ”never mind; we must eat our dinners without her. She would not miss her share of this cabbage if she knew how tasty and juicy it is.”

Mrs. Rowles sat down very unwillingly. If the child was not on the island where could she be? It was very strange.

”She has no idea of time,” Mr. Rowles went on, between mouthfuls of the cabbage. ”I'm not going to blame her for that; she only takes after her father, who does not know day from night.”

They had a dull meal, being more anxious about Juliet than they cared to confess to each other. They thought she might have gone up the towing-path, or down the towing-path, or by the road towards the village, or by the fields towards the station. And at every sound from outside someone went to the door peering out with the hope of seeing the child. But an hour pa.s.sed, and no Juliet appeared. Then her aunt became seriously anxious, dreading lest some terrible thing should have happened.

”If she had fallen into the lock--” said Mrs. Rowles.

”We should have heard her scream,” said Mr. Rowles.

”If she had been kidnapped by gipsies,” said Emily; ”but then--”

”There are no gipsies about,” said Philip.

Mrs. Rowles now began to think that Juliet must have set off to go home. ”We have not been kind enough to her, poor child, and she can't bear it any longer.”

”Don't talk nonsense,” was Rowles's reply, as he obeyed a call to the lock. ”We've been too kind; and if Thomas Mitch.e.l.l had taken to any sensible business that did not keep him up all night, thereby breaking down his health, he would be able to support his family, and there would be no need for us to bother ourselves with such a cross-grained girl as that. Now, Phil, off to your digging again. Yes, gents, I know; how they do keep calling out for one, to be sure!”

Philip went out to the kitchen-garden. Within a few minutes his voice was heard, loudly raised.

”Here! Father! Mother! Emily! Come quick! Just look here!”

All three responded to his call

”Whatever is the matter?”

”Why, look there! The boat is gone!”

”So she is! Well, I never!” and Mr. Rowles stared blankly at the post to which his boat was usually moored. ”Someone has made off with the _Fairy_. That beats everything!”

Mrs. Rowles was wringing her hands. ”Oh, dear, dear, dear! This is worse than I expected. She never will come home again safe!”

”No,” said the lock-keeper, ”them that has took her are not likely to send her back; and if so be as she has drifted down by accident she will be drawn over Banksome Weir and be smashed. I'm glad she is only an old, worn-out thing.”

”An old, worn-out thing!” cried Mrs. Rowles, quite wildly. ”A poor, dear child of twelve! What are you thinking of?”

”I was thinking of the _Fairy_. You don't mean, wife--” and he grew more serious--”you don't mean that you think the child was in her?”

”That is what I do think, Ned.”

”Well, that is bad.”

”And see,” cried Phil, ”she must have taken the sculls, for they are gone too. I know Juliet thought she could manage a boat; she said so the other day.”

Emily was crying. Mr and Mrs. Rowles looked at each other in an agony.