Part 14 (2/2)
Mr. Fogo looked at the pair helplessly, and again at Caleb, whose eyes were obstinately averted.
”Caleb!”
”Sir.”
”Ask Miss Dearlove if she would mind stepping ash.o.r.e.”
With a sudden brightening of face, Caleb called her name.
Tamsin looked up.
”Ef 'ee please, you'm to come ash.o.r.e, to wance!”
The girl rowed a couple of strokes, grounded the boat, and stepped lightly ash.o.r.e with a big basket and an unembarra.s.sed glance at the Notice.
”There's a few young potatoes at the bottom,” she said, with a curtsey, as she handed her gift to Mr. Fogo. ”They're the earliest and best anywhere in these parts. Can you cook potatoes?” she asked, suddenly turning to Caleb. Beneath her sun-bonnet her pretty cheek was flushed, and her chin thrust forward with just a shadow of defiance.
”Iss, to be sure,” grinned Caleb. ”Why, us does our own was.h.i.+n'.”
Tamsin's eyes travelled without bashfulness over the array upon the beach.
”Pretty was.h.i.+ng, I expect!” She walked up and took some of the clothes into her hand. ”Look here--not half-wrung--and some fallen in the mud and dirtied worse than ever.”
With fine contempt she moved among the clothes, wrung them, spread them out again, and even returned with some to the wash-tub.
Like four whipped schoolboys the males looked on as she tucked up the sleeves of her neat print gown.
”Soap, too, left to float in the wash-tub, and--salt water I declare!
Caleb, empty this and get some soft water from the old b.u.t.t by the back door. Oh, you poor, helpless baby!”
Mr. Fogo, though the words were not spoken to him, winced and turned to stare abstractedly at the river.
”Sir,” said Caleb from his hammock that night, ”cudn' 'ee put in a coddysel?”
”A codicil?”
”Iss, just to say, 'No wimmen allowed but Tamsin Dearlove--us don't mind she.' Wudn' that do, sir?”
”I'm afraid not, Caleb. By-the-bye, how does your Notice run?
'All women found trespa.s.sing will be--'”
”Dealt wi' 'cordin' to the law, sir.”
”Dear me, Caleb!” murmured Mr. Fogo, ”but I trust that under no circ.u.mstances should I deal with a woman otherwise than according to the law.”
CHAPTER IX.
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