A STRANGER APPEARS AT EGLOSHAYLE
CORAL and Beryl received a hearty welcome home from the good folks of
Egloshayle. Every one seemed glad that they had returned. The little
Sunday scholars were delighted to see their teachers again, and to
learn that the school was to be re-opened on the following Sunday.
After their long holidays, Miss Burton found that her pupils settled to
their lessons better than she could have expected. She kept them well
employed, and so busy and happy were they that the days seemed winged,
so swiftly did they pass.
At the end of June, Mr. Hollys returned home, but he did not remain
more than a few weeks at Egloshayle. After he had gone, in the warm
August days, the children almost lived in the open air, reading and
working, or learning their lessons in some shady nook in the garden,
and often coaxing Miss Burton to allow them to have their tea or supper
there. Sometimes they would picnic at some pleasant place along the
shore; Andrew would go with them loaded with various requisites, and
with his help the children would kindle a fire in some sheltered corner
amongst the rocks, and boil the kettle for tea in gipsy fashion. When
this enjoyable repast was over, Coral and Beryl would amuse themselves
by clambering about the rocks, or wading in the waves in search of
shells or seaweed.
Though she was now in her teens, and growing a tall girl, Beryl did not
disdain these simple pleasures. She was perfectly satisfied with the
life she led, and no thought of change, or trouble ever crossed her
mind. But whilst she was thus fearless of the future, the coming days
were bringing her change and trouble of a kind that would be very hard
to bear.
Mr. Hollys came home again at the beginning of September, and, as usual
at this season, he had many visitors. Engaged though he was, he managed
to find time for many a visit to the schoolroom, and showed much
interest in the doings of the children and their governess.
It happened one day, at this time, that Miss Burton and the children,
returning through the village from a walk, noticed a strange gentleman
standing at the door of the "Blue Anchor Inn." There was nothing
remarkable in his appearance; he was merely a tall, dark man, with a
long brownish beard, and they would not have given a second thought to
him, had he not attracted their attention by starting forward as he
caught sight of the children, and regarding them, as they passed, with
an earnestness which they found rather embarrassing.
"How that man stared at us!" exclaimed Beryl loftily. "I think it was
very rude of him."
"I fancy he thought he had seen you before," remarked Miss Burton.
"He looked at Coral most," said Beryl. "I wonder who he is."
"Some one who is staying at the inn, I suppose," replied Miss Burton;
"an artist, perhaps, like your friend Mr. Gilbank."
"Oh, I dare say he knew us by the picture in the Academy!" said Coral,
hitting the truth in her childish simplicity.
The others laughed at this suggestion, and then, beginning to talk of
Mr. Gilbank, soon forgot the stranger they had seen.
But the next day they saw him again. This time he was on the beach,
standing with Joe Pollard on the rocks below Sheldon Point, and
listening earnestly to the fisherman, who appeared to be telling him a
long story.
"What a strange man that is!" said Beryl. "What can Joe be telling him?"
As she gazed at the two, she saw the stranger grasp Joe's hand, and
shake it heartily; then turning, he hastily made his way across the
beach in the direction of Egloshayle.
"I shall go and ask Joe who he is," said Beryl; and bounding over the
shingles, she was soon at Joe's side.
Joe was startled by the child's sudden appearance and eager questions.
He drew the sleeve of his jersey across his eyes, and cleared his
throat twice ere he answered her.
"It's the strangest thing, Miss Beryl," he said. "That gentleman has
come down from London to find out about the vessel that was wrecked
here last March twelvemonth. It seems he has just come back from
Canada, where he has been in search of a sister whom he had lost sight
of. He learned there that his sister had come to England in this
ship—the one as was wrecked here, I mean. So he came, asking me to tell
him about the wreck."
"Yes," said Beryl eagerly; "and what did you tell him?"
"Oh, all there was to tell, miss—about the poor lady who died up at the
house and little Miss Coral. He'd heard something of it before from the
shipowners, I reckon. He's gone off in a grand hurry now—to find Mr.
Hollys, I suppose."
"Oh, Joe, what a wonderful thing!" cried Beryl. "He must be Coral's
uncle. How surprised she will be to hear it! I must run and tell her."
And Beryl scrambled over the rocks with perilous haste in her eagerness
to join Coral. Her mind was thrown into such a state of wonder and
excitement by the news she had heard that she could not pause to think
how it might affect her own personal history.
Miss Burton and Coral were astonished to hear what she had to tell
them. Little Coral looked frightened. Her uncle had become a sort of
mythical personage to her, and she had never thought that he would
really appear.
"We had better go home at once, Beryl, and tell your father what you
have heard," said Miss Burton.
So they hurried to the house as quickly as possible, and surprised Mr.
Hollys with their intelligence. Beryl had hardly finished repeating to
her father what Joe had told her, when there came a loud ring at the
house-bell.
"There he is!" cried Beryl excitedly. "I knew he would soon come for
Coral."
"But he won't take me away, will he?" asked Coral, looking dreadfully
distressed.
"Not to-day, certainly, my child; don't look so alarmed," said Mr.
Hollys kindly, as he took up the card a servant now brought him, and
read on it the name of Robert Harvey. "You ought to be glad your uncle
has come."
But Coral felt anything but glad as Miss Burton hurried her upstairs to
be made presentable by Lucy. A little later a servant was sent to bring
Coral to the drawing-room. Coral's face grew white.
"You will come with me, Beryl?" she said, turning with an appealing
look to her adopted sister.
Beryl was quite ready to accompany her; but the servant interposed.
"Mr. Hollys said that only Miss Coral was to go down," she said.
Beryl dropped Coral's hand with a look of disappointment, and poor
little frightened Coral had to go alone to meet her formidable uncle.
"Oh, Miss Burton!" exclaimed Beryl, when they were alone. "Do you think
Coral's uncle will want to take her away from us?"
"I cannot tell," said her governess gravely.
And Beryl felt that if her dear little sister were taken from her, she
could never be happy again.