Part 6 (1/2)

”Vineyards,” said Mr. Phillips, who had voyaged much about the Cyrenian Sea.

On the north side of the bay, opposite the cottages, a promontory ran out into the water. On it, sometimes on its very edge, sometimes drawn a little back with a s.p.a.ce of smooth rocks in front of it, was the house built by King Otto, Konrad Karl's unfortunate predecessor on the Megalian throne. Perhaps that king himself had a taste for the fantastic. Perhaps he was only a commonplace man who had the luck to employ an architect of airy genius. The house was the palace of a dream of fairyland. It was built of the white stone of the island.

Long windows opened on balconies supported on white pillars which stood in the water. There were little glistening spires which rose from steep patches of red roof. There were broad shaded porches and flights of shallow white steps which led down into the water. The ground plan of the house followed the outline of the promontory on which it stood. Only in the upper storey did the eye find rest in a straight line. There nine great windows, green jalousied, gave upon a wide balcony. At one place where the rock had been eaten into by the sea, the architect had built over water which sighed and gurgled among mysterious green shades under vaulted roofs among the foundations of the house.

Miss Daisy, standing on the bridge, clapped her hands and then stood silent and motionless in an ecstasy of delight. Mr. Phillips, his eyes on the girl, rang the s.h.i.+p's engines to ”Dead Slow” and sent a man to summon Captain Wilson.

The steamer slid slowly through the water towards the opening at the south end of the protecting reef. Captain Wilson came on deck. Mr.

Donovan followed him. He stood leaning over the bulwarks just forward of the bridge. Miss Daisy ran to him and seized his arm.

”Father,” she cried, ”isn't it all lovely? Isn't it just a dream? Look at the two cottages. Look at the cliffs and the blue water. Did you ever see such blue----? and now----”

The s.h.i.+p swung slowly round the south end of the reef. The house on the promontory came full in view.

”And now look at the castle. It's too fairy for anything, isn't it?”

”Reminds me quite a bit,” said Donovan, ”of the hotel at the south end of the Marine Parade at Atlantic City. Kind of fanciful.”

”It's a dream come true,” said Miss Daisy.

Mr. Donovan turned round. Behind him, in a respectful att.i.tude, stood the major domo. A little further back, grouped together, were his ten fellow-servants, all in respectful att.i.tudes.

”Beg pardon, sir,” said the major domo.

The man, though engaged by Miss Daisy, had from the first refused to recognize her as his mistress. The negotiations in Southampton about the cabin had been carried on with Mr. Donovan. It was to Mr. Donovan that he spoke now.

”Beg pardon, sir,” he said, ”but does the family propose to reside here for any length of time?”

Mr. Donovan waved his hand towards Miss Daisy. She realized that, as queen of the island, it was her business to decide the movements of the court.

”Always,” she said. ”For ever and ever and ever. I shall never live anywhere else, and when I die I'll be buried here.”

”In that case, sir,” said the major domo, still ignoring the queen, ”I must request, in the name of self and the rest of the staff, to return to England at once, sir, and if I may add a suggestion, sir, I'd say by rail. This s.h.i.+p is not what we've been accustomed to in places where we've lived before.”

”Well,” said Mr. Donovan, ”you can go back if you like. Salissa is a free state, though not a republic; but there's liable to be some delay if you wait for a train.”

”You nasty beasts!” said Miss Daisy. ”You've spoiled the whole thing now by being cats. Just when everything was beautiful and I was so happy. I'd like to tell you what I think of you all. Oh, I do wish Mr.

Phillips was here. He'd----Oh, father, would you? I'm sure you could.”

Mr. Donovan looked at her and waited. In time, such was his experience, Miss Daisy usually explained what she wanted pretty clearly.

”I once heard Mr. Phillips talking to one of the sailors,” she said.

”He didn't know I was listening, of course. The sailor had been messing things about in a wrong way, and Mr. Phillips----”

”Language?” said Mr. Donovan.

”It was splendid. I never knew before that there were such words.”