Part 25 (1/2)

”Yes. He sailed with us. You surely must have heard of that.”

”I heard nothing of it.”

”Well, that is queer?”

He hesitated and remained silent, as he might not have done if he had seen the agony of the father's face. Jean had stretched out her hand and touched him. She was trying to say something, but her lips uttered no sound.

”My son! my son! Oh, dinna tell me that he didna come home?”

It was an exceeding bitter cry.

”He didna come home--”

”Oh, Willie, tell him?” cried an eager voice, and his sister sprang forward and a hand was laid on the old man's arm. ”He hasna come home, but he's safe and well and he is coming home. And he is--good now. He was ay good, but now he is sorry, and he's coming home. And--Oh, sir, I beg your pardon--” added Marion, coming to herself, and she would have darted away again, but Jean held her fast.

Willie's heart softened as he met the old man's look.

”George was one of the two that went with Saugster. There is no better sailor than Tam, as ye ken; but he's open to the temptation o' strong drink. If there is any one that can keep Tam straight, it's George. I dare say they are in port by this time.”

”Willie,” said Miss Jean, ”tell us how it happened that he sailed with you. Surely you should have told us before you let him go?”

”I did my best, Miss Jean. He came on board that last morning with some of the men who had been making a night of it on sh.o.r.e, but I did not know it till we were nearly ready to set sail. I did my best to persuade him to stay at home. I sent three different messages to his father, but he couldna be found; and I wrote a line to--”

Mr Dawson groaned.

”I had heard that he had been seen in the town, in company with Niel Cochrane of the How. I went there to seek him, and the s.h.i.+p had sailed before I came back again.”

”It was to be,” said the sailor. ”And though I was sorry at the time, I was glad afterwards, and ye'll be glad too, sir. It has done him no ill, but good. He has gathered himself up again. He is a man now--a man among a thousand. And ye havena read your letter.”

A curious change had come over the young man's manner, though there was no one calm enough to notice it but Mr Manners. He had for the greater part of the time not been looking at Mr Dawson, but over his head, or at any one else rather than the master of the house when he spoke. But now he sat down near him, his voice softening wonderfully, and his face looking like the one that was leaning on Miss Dawson's shoulder on the other side of the old man's chair.

It was a very handsome face, but for that Mr Manners would have cared little. It was a n.o.ble face, strong and true; a face to trust, ”a face to love,” said he to himself. He had heard of Willie Calderwood before, as he had by this time heard of the most of May's friends, and he had gathered more from the story than May had meant to tell. And now he noticed that the handsome face had hardly turned towards Jean, and that Jean had not spoken since he came into the room.

Mr Dawson opened his letter with fingers that trembled. There was only a line or two, and when he had read it, he laid it on the table, and laid his face down upon it without a word; and when he lifted it again there were tears upon it.

”Oh, Willie, man! if ye had brought him home! There is nothing of mine but ye might have had for the asking, if ye had but brought him home!”

The young man rose and walked up and down the room once or twice, and then sat down again, saying gently,--

”I had no right to prevent his going. He was in his lather's s.h.i.+p of his own will, and though he submitted to command through all the voyage, that was of his own will too. And I am no' sure that I would have kept him, even if I could have done it. It was to save life that he went.

Danger? Well, it turned out that there was really less danger than was supposed when he offered to go. I went on board with him and we overhauled the s.h.i.+p and did what was needed to make all safe. As to its being his duty--he had no doubts o' that. It was to save life.”

”Dinna go yet, Willie, man,” said Mr Dawson, putting out his hand as the mate rose. ”We are a' friends here. This is Hugh Corbett, his father was your father's friend. And this is Mr Manners who has come seeking our May. It is no secret now, my la.s.sie.”

The two shook hands heartily--each ”kenning a man when he saw him.” And then the sailor offered his hand to May. And if Jean had had any doubts remaining as to the nature of the mutual interest of these two they were set at rest now. May blushed, but met his look frankly, and for the first time since he came Willie smiled brightly--a smile that ”minded”

Jean of the days before trouble of any kind had fallen upon them.

The rest of the story might have kept till another day, as Willie said, but he yielded to entreaty and sat down again. He had nothing to tell of George's story before he found him on board s.h.i.+p. He had come home meaning to see his father, but had fallen into bad hands, and, discouraged and ashamed, had changed his mind, not caring whether he lived or died. If he had not been allowed to go in the ”John Seaton,”

there were other vessels leaving Portie in which he could have sailed.