The Eagle Cliff, by R.M. Ballantyne.
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This is a truly delightful book by this prolific author. I know of no
other of his books that leaves so many images in the mind, so fresh
after many a year. The scene starts with a young man cycling on his
penny-farthing towards London. On the way he has an accident, knocking
down an elderly lady, but fleeing the scene when he sees a policeman
coming. But when he gets home he finds a telegram informing him that
his friends will be departing very soon in a yacht, to visit the
islands on the North-West of Britain, so he joins them.
Unfortunately there is a fog and the yacht is damaged but all the young
men and their crew manage to get ashore, finding themselves in the
neighbourhood of a large house, the residence of a gentleman and his
family. They are invited to stay there as his guests, and it is at
this point that the adventures begin, involving fishing, shooting,
bird-watching, sailing and so forth. There is a charming young lady
also staying in the house, and deploying her hobby of painting. Our
hero falls in love with her, but is very much taken aback when she is
joined by her mother, who turns out to be none other than the elderly
lady he had knocked down back in London. Even more disastrous was the
fire that destroyed the house. This is a brilliant book, and you will
love it.
As a footnote you may be surprised that one of the children is called
Junkie. This certainly does not mean that same as it does today:
instead it is a nickname given to a favourite boy-child, and you will
find several examples of this in Ballantyne's books.
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THE EAGLE CLIFF, BY R.M. BALLANTYNE.