"What are you going to do with her?" asked Jacob, who having stolen down
from his roosting-place after a short rest, found his father and mother
sitting by the fire watching over the little girl, who was still asleep.
"Do with her!" exclaimed Dame Halliburt, looking at her husband, "why,
take care of her, of course, what else should we do?"
"No one owns her who can look after her better than we can; we have a
right to her, at all events, and we will do our best for the little
maiden," responded Adam, returning his wife's glance.
"I thought as how you would, father," said Jacob, in a tone which showed
how greatly relieved he felt. "I knew, mother, you would not like to
part with the little maid when once you had got her, seeing we have no
sister of our own; she will be a blessing to you and to all of us, I am
sure of that."
"I hope she will, Jacob; I sighed, I mind, when I found you were not a
girl, for I did wish to have a little daughter to help me, though you
are a good boy, and you mustn't fancy I love you the less because you
are one."
"I know that, mother," answered Jacob, in a cheerful tone; "but I don't
want her to work instead of me, that I don't."
"Of course not, Jacob," observed Adam; "she is a little lady born, there
is no doubt about it; and we must remember that, bless her sweet face.
I could not bear the thoughts of such as she having to do more work than
is good for her. Still, as God has sent her to us, if no one claims her
we must bring her up as our own child, and do our best to make her
happy, and she will be a light and joy in the house."
"That I'm sure she will," interrupted Jacob; "and Ben and Sam and I will
all work for her, and keep her from harm, just as much as if mother had
had a little maid, that we will."
"Yes, yes, Jacob, I am sure of it," exclaimed the dame, smiling her
approval as she glanced affectionately at her son.
So the matter was settled, and the little girl was to be henceforth
looked on as the daughter of the house.
"Of course, dame, I must do what I can, though, to find out whether the
little maid has any friends in this country," observed Adam, after
keeping silence for some minutes, as if he had been considering over the
subject; "she may or she may not, but when I come to think of the poor
dark woman who was on board, and who I take to have been her nurse, she
must have come from foreign parts. Still, as she speaks English, even
if her fair hair and blue eyes did not show that, it is clear that she
has English parents, and if they were not on board, and I am very sure
they were not, she must have been coming to some person in England, who
will doubtless be on the look-out for her. So you must not set your
heart on keeping the little maiden, for as her friends are sure to be
rich gentlefolks she would be better off with them than with us."
"As to that Adam, I have been thinking as you have; but then you see
it's not wealth that gives happiness, and if we bring her up and she
knows no other sort of life, maybe she will be as happy with us as if
she were to be a fine lady," answered the dame looking affectionately at
the sleeping child.
"But right is right," observed Adam; "we would not let her go to be
worse off than she would be with us, that's certain; but we must do our
duty by her, and leave the rest in God's hands."
Just then the child opened her large blue eyes, and after looking about
with a startled expression, asked, "Where ayah?" and then spoke some
words in a strange-sounding language, which neither the fisherman nor
his wife could understand.
"She you ask for, my sweet one, is not here," said the dame, bending
over her; "but I will do instead of her, and you just think you are at
home now with those who love you, and you shall not want for anything."
While the dame was speaking the two elder lads came downstairs, and as
the appearance of so many strangers seemed to frighten the little girl,
Adam, putting on his thick coat and sou'-wester, and taking up his
spyglass, called to his sons to come out and see what had become of the
ship.
They found it blowing as hard as ever. The sea came rolling towards the
shore in dark foaming billows. The atmosphere was, however, clear; and
the wreck could still be distinguished, though much reduced in size.
While Adam had his glass turned towards it he observed the mizzen-mast,
which had hitherto stood, go by the board, and the instant afterwards
the whole of the remaining part of the hull seemed to melt away before
the furious seas which broke against it.
"I warned you that the ship was doomed, and that no human being would
reach the shore alive," shrieked a voice in his ears; "such will be the
fate, sooner or later, of all who go down on the cruel salt sea."
Adam turning saw Mad Sally standing near him, and pointing with eager
gestures towards the spot where the wreck had lately appeared.
"Ah, ah, ah!" she shouted, in wild, hoarse tones, resembling the cries
of the sea-gull as it circles in the air in search of prey.
"Sad news, sad news, sad news I bring,
Sad news for our good king,
For one of his proud and gallant ships
Has gone down in the deep salt sea, salt sea,
Has gone down in the deep salt sea."
"Yonder ship has gone to pieces, there is no doubt about that, mother,"
said Adam; "but you were wrong to warn us not to go off to her, for go
off we did, and brought one of her passengers on shore who would have
perished if we had listened to you, so don't fancy you are always right
in what you say."
"If you brought human being from yonder ship woe will come of it.
Foolish man, you fought against the fates who willed it otherwise."
"I know nothing about the fates, mother," answered Adam; "but I know
that God willed us to bring on shore a little girl we found on board,
and protected us while we did so."
"Think you that He would have protected you when He did not watch over
my boy, who was carried away over the salt sea?" she exclaimed, making a
scornful gesture at Adam. "He protects not such as you, who madly
venture out when in His rage He stirs up the salt sea, salt sea, salt
sea!" and she broke out into a wild song--
"There were three brothers in Scotland did dwell,
And they cast lots all three,
Which of them should go sailing
On the wide salt sea, salt sea;
Which of them should go sailing
On the wide salt sea;"
and, wildly flourishing her arms, she stalked away towards the cliffs,
up which she climbed, still making the same violent gestures, although
her voice could no longer be heard, till she disappeared in the
distance.
A number of people had collected along the beach, eagerly looking out
for any portion of the wreck or cargo which might be washed on shore,
but they looked in vain; the sands swallowed up the heavier articles,
while the rest were swept by the tide out to sea. Nothing reached the
shore by which the name or character of the vessel which had just gone
to pieces could be discovered.
Adam Halliburt, finding that there was no probability of the weather
mending sufficiently to enable the _Nancy_ to put to sea, returned home.
"Look you, lads," he observed, calling his sons to his side; "you heard
what that poor mad woman said. You see how she was all in the wrong
when she told us not to put off to the wreck, and warned us that we
should come to harm if we did. Now, to my mind, she is just a poor mad
creature; but if she does know anything which others don't, it's Satan
who teaches her, and he was a liar from the beginning, and therefore she
is more likely to be wrong than right; and when you hear her ravings,
don't you care for them, but go on and do your duty, and God will take
care of you; leave that to Him."
"Ay, ay, father," answered Jacob; "she would have had us leave the
little maiden to perish, if we had listened to her; I will never forget
that."
While the elder lads went on board the _Nancy_ to do one of the
numberless jobs which a sailor always finds to be done on board his
craft, Jacob and his father entered the cottage.
The little girl was seated on the dame's knee, prattling in broken
language, which her kind nurse in vain endeavoured to understand. She
welcomed the fisherman and his son with a smile of recognition.
"Glad to see you well and happy, my pretty maiden," said Adam, stooping
down to kiss her fair brow, his big heart yearning towards her as if she
were truly his child.
"Maidy May," she said, with an emphasis on the last word, as if wishing
to tell him her proper name.
"Yes, our `Maiden May' you are," he answered, misunderstanding her, and
from that day forward Adam called her Maiden May, the rest of the family
imitating him, and she without question adopting the name.