Part 123 (1/2)
The door opened, and an unexpected visitor, Eli, came in, looking grave and kind.
Margaret eyed him in silence, and with increasing agitation.
”Girl,” said he, ”the skipper is come back.”
”One word,” gasped Margaret, ”is he alive?”
”Surely, I hope so. No one has seen him dead.”
”Then they must have seen him alive.”
”No girl; neither dead nor alive hath he been seen this many months in Rome. My daughter Kate thinks he is gone to some other city. She bade me tell you her thought.”
”Ay, like enough,” said Margaret, gloomily; ”like enough. My poor babe!”
The old man in a faintest voice asked her for a morsel to eat: he had come fasting.
The poor thing pitied him with the surface of her agitated mind, and cooked a meal for him, trembling, and scarce knowing what she was about.
Ere he went he laid his hand upon her head, and said, ”Be he alive, or be he dead, I look on thee as my daughter. Can I do nought for thee this day? bethink thee now.”
”Ay, old man. Pray for him; and for me!”
Eli sighed, and went sadly and heavily down the stairs.
She listened half stupidly to his retiring footsteps till they ceased.
Then she sank moaning down by the cradle, and drew little Gerard tight to her bosom. ”Oh, my poor fatherless boy; my fatherless boy!”
CHAPTER LXXIX
NOT long after this, as the little family at Tergou sat at dinner, Luke Peterson burst in on them, covered with dust.
”Good people, Mistress Catherine is wanted instantly at Rotterdam.”
”My name is Catherine, young man. Kate, it will be Margaret.”
”Ay dame, she said to me, 'Good Luke, hie thee to Tergou, and ask for Eli the hosier, and pray his wife Catherine to come to me, for G.o.d his love.' I didn't wait for daylight.”
”Holy saints! He has come home, Kate. Nay, she would sure have said so.
What on earth can it be?” And she heaped conjecture on conjecture.
”Mayhap the young man can tell us,” hazarded Kate, timidly.
”That I can,” said Luke. ”Why, her babe is a-dying. And she was so wrapped up in it!”
Catherine started up: ”What is his trouble?”