"If you have brought the shells for Nelly and will leave them with me, I
will give them to her when she comes home."
Nothing he could say, however, would induce Eban to go away. The latter
had made up his mind to remain till Nelly's return.
Still Michael was not to be turned from his purpose of doing his own
work, though he could not prevent Eban from assisting him; and not till
the boat was moored, and her gear deposited in the shed, would he
consent to enter the cottage and seek the rest he required.
Meantime Eban, returning to his punt, shaped out a set of new tholes as
he proposed, and then set off up the hill, hoping to meet Nelly and her
grandmother.
He must have found them, for after some time he again came down the hill
in their company, talking gaily, now to one, now to the other. He was
evidently a favourite with the old woman.
Nelly thanked him with a sweet smile for the shells, which he had
collected in some of the sandy little bays along the coast, which
neither she nor Michael had ever been able to visit.
She was about to invite him into, the cottage, when Michael appeared at
the door, saying, with a sad face--
"O granny! I am so thankful you are come; father seems very bad, and
groans terribly. I never before saw him in such a way, and have not
known what to do."
Nelly on this darted in, and was soon by Paul's bedside, followed by her
grandmother.
Eban lingered about outside waiting. Michael at length came out to him
again.
"There is no use waiting," he said; and Eban, reluctantly going down to
his boat, pulled away up the harbour.