Part 4 (1/2)

He was greatly surprised in the afternoon, when the service was generally better attended than in the morning, to find that only half his usual congregation was present. When he returned home, after making some visits in the parish, on the following Tuesday, he told us he suspected from the way he had been received that something was wrong, but it did not occur to him that his sermon was the cause of offence.

I, in the meantime, was spending my holidays in far from a satisfactory manner. My elder brothers amused themselves without taking pains to find me anything to do, while Ned was always at his books, and was only inclined to come out and take a const.i.tutional walk with me now and then. My younger brothers were scarcely out of the nursery, and I was thus left very much to my own resources. I bethought me one day of paying the old sailor Roger Riddle a visit, and perhaps getting his son Mark to come and fish with me.

I told Ned where I was going, and was just setting off when he called out--

”Stop a minute, d.i.c.k, and I will go with you; I should like to make the acquaintance of the old sailor, who, from your account, must be something above the common.”

I did not like to refuse, at the same time I confess that I would rather have gone alone, as I knew that Ned did not care about fis.h.i.+ng, and would probably want to stop and talk to Roger Riddle.

I was waiting for him outside in front of the house, when a carriage drove up full of boys, with a gentleman who asked me if my father was at home. I recognised him as a Mr Reynell, who lived at Springfield Grange, some five or six miles inland. Two of the boys were his sons, whom I knew; the others, he told me, were their cousins and two friends staying with them.

”We are going to have a picnic along the sh.o.r.e, and we want you and your brother to come and join us,” said Harry Reynell, the eldest of the two.

Ned came out directly afterwards, and said he should be very happy to go.

”Can't you get any of your friends to go also? The more the merrier.”

There were two or three other boys whom I knew staying with an aunt in the village, and I offered to run down and ask them.

”By all means,” said Harry, ”we have provisions enough, so that they need not stop to get anything; but I'm afraid we cannot stow them all away; if it's not very far off we may go on foot.”

”It is no distance to the prettiest part of the coast,” I replied; ”and I know a capital spot where we can pick up sh.e.l.ls and collect curiosities of all sorts, if any of you have a fancy for that sort of thing.”

”That will do,” said Harry Reynell; ”go and fetch your friends, and we will walk together.”

I accordingly ran down the village to Mrs Parker's, whose nephews were at home. We formed a tolerably numerous party. As my father was unable to go, Mr Reynell was the only grown-up person among us. The spot I had fixed upon was not far from Roger Riddle's cottage. As I had been thinking of him, I proposed asking the old sailor and Mark to join our party.

From the account I gave to Mr Reynell of Roger Riddle, he did not object to this. As Harry Reynell, his brother, and friends were good-natured merry fellows, we had a pleasant time as we walked or ran along, laughing and singing, and playing each other tricks. We soon left Mr Reynell behind, but he told us not to mind him, as he should soon catch us up. The carriage followed with the prog, but as the road was in many places heavy, it did not move as fast as we did. We at length reached the spot I had proposed, a small sandy bay, with cliffs on either side, out of which bubbled a stream of sparkling cold water, with rocks running out into the sea.

”This will do capitally,” said Harry. ”See, the whole beach is covered with beautiful sh.e.l.ls, and there may be sea anemones and echini, and star-fish, and all sorts of marine creatures.”

Having surveyed the place, we heard Mr Reynell shouting out to us to carry down the baskets of pies, tarts, cold ham, and chicken, plates, knives and forks. While the rest of the party were so engaged, I ran on to invite old Roger. I found him and Mark within.

”Much obliged to the young gentlemen, but I've had my dinner,” he answered; ”however, I'll come and have a talk with them, if you think they'll like it. May be, I'll spin them a yarn or two, which will do to pa.s.s the time while they are sniffing in the breezes, which they don't get much of while they are away up the country.”

”You'll come as soon as you can,” I answered, ”for they will be disappointed if you don't take a tart or two and a gla.s.s of wine.”

”Never fear, I'll come before long,” said old Roger.

Mark, however, looked as if he would have no objection to taste some of the good things in our hampers, so he very readily agreed to accompany me. We found the cloth spread out on the smooth dry sand, and covered with pies and other dainties, and the plates and the knives and forks.

Mr Reynell was engaged in making a huge salad in a wooden bowl. I introduced Mark in due form.

”Come and sit down,” said Harry to him in a kind way which soon made him feel quite at home. I don't know whether he had much of a dinner before, but he did ample justice to the good things which our friends had brought. We had nearly finished before old Roger made his appearance.

”Your servant, gentlemen all,” he said, making a bow with his tarpaulin; ”Master d.i.c.k here has asked me to come, saying it was what you wished, or I would not have intruded on you.”

”Very pleased to see you, Mr Riddle,” said Harry, who did the honours of the feast, ”sit down, and have some of this cherry pie, you will find it very nice, and, for a wonder, the juice hasn't run out.”

Harry chose the largest plate, and filled it with fully a third of the pie.

”Thank you, young gentleman; I may take a snack of that sort of thing;”

and the old sailor set to work, his share of the pie rapidly disappearing, as he ladled up the cherries with his spoon.

”Take a gla.s.s of cider now, Mr Riddle,” said Harry, handing him a large tumbler, which the old sailor tossed off, and had no objection to two or three more.

Meantime the tide had been rising, and no sooner was dinner over, than we had to pack up and beat a rapid retreat. We soon washed the plates and dishes in the water as it rose, and Ned packed them up. The expectations of those of our party who hoped to pick up sh.e.l.ls, and collect sea curiosities were thus disappointed.