A "CLOSE-UP" VIEW
Dalton had gone to the town on the railroad, where he had arranged to
have his mail sent for a while, writing to the lawyer again and telling
him to direct important letters to the general delivery there for the
present. Sarita had a headache and was lying down for the afternoon,
looked in upon occasionally by Elizabeth, who was at her usual
occupation of sketching or painting. Beth ascribed Sarita's headache to
some cheap candy which the girls had bought at the village and was
hoping that a little soreness about Sarita's throat would not amount to
anything.
Leslie, who had been in the ocean earlier in the day with Elizabeth, was
a bit of bright color on the beach in a red frock and sweater to match.
She was easily seen from the launch, where figures waved at her and
pointed toward the dock, a small one at the end of the town nearest the
Secrest headland, as Peggy had begun to call it.
They were beckoning her to come, Leslie saw; and making a pile of her
shells, for gathering them was her latest occupation, she ran toward the
little dock. There, before she arrived the pretty launch was bobbing up
and down inside the breakwater.
"Come on for a cruise, Leslie!" called Peggy. "It's grand this
afternoon. We'll bring you back in time for anything."
Jack was out on the rough boards to help Leslie inside of the launch. It
was really not necessary to accept or refuse, only to climb in.
A large, dark woman looked critically at Leslie and Leslie found no
sympathy in her eyes when, after she was seated, she met her glance.
"Madame Kravetz, this is Leslie Secrest. Madame teaches me, Leslie.
Where is Sarita?"
"She has a headache and Beth is hoping that it doesn't mean tonsilitis.
Sarita wore a thin dress and forgot her sweater when we went out last
night, but Beth is dosing her and perhaps it will not amount to
anything." Leslie was wondering a little about Peggy's governess. She
did not look French, and her name was certainly not French. She might be
one of those Swiss who are part French and part German. Leslie did not
like her expression.
Jack was running the launch. Out to sea they started; then, after a
time, they made for the bay, which was better for launches than the sea,
which was growing rough. For a while they cruised around among the
fishing boats and a few pretty sail-boats until Peggy directed Jack to
head for Steeple Rocks.
"Take Leslie through the channel, Jack, and show her our little harbor
in our own bay."
Madam Kravetz started to say something, but closed her thin lips rather
tightly instead. Leslie thought that she had been about to make an
objection, but she was having too good a time to think much about their
chaperon.
The channel was interesting. Jack was careful between rocks at the
entrance, but the distance widened as they proceeded. At their right a
narrow islet with high rocks kept the force of the ocean from the
channel and other rocks made a breakwater for the Ives' harbor, "Ives
Bay."
"People are often afraid when we take them through the channel for the
first time," said Peggy, "especially if they have heard the stories
about Pirates' Cove. But we tell them that the channel is deep and safe
even for a boat of fair size, if they veer away a little from the rocks
on the Cove side."
Peggy nodded toward the rocks at their left over which tossing waters
left their spray. "Dad showed Jack where to go and where not to go," she
added. "I just _love_ Steeple Rocks, Leslie, and I wish that you would
come here a lot."
Leslie saw that Madame Kravetz looked annoyed. She almost turned her
back upon the girls and looked out over the boat's edge with a frown.
"These are Beth's 'Cathedral Rocks,'" Leslie replied to Peggy. "She
loves them, more than any of us. Beth is an artist, you know. But we all
love to look at them and I like any rock on the coast. They beat sand
for beauty any day, though I will say that for bathing, you may give me
a sandy beach."
Little waves lapped the shore near the dock where Jack skilfully brought
their boat. Leslie felt thrilled, as she confided to Sarita later, to
see a pretty sailboat tied there, together with other boats of various
sorts. Dear me, they could have everything they wanted, she supposed.
In response to Leslie's exclamation over the number of boats, Peggy said
that her father had a large yacht, too, that had to be docked in the
other bay. "We wondered if that larger dock were not yours," said
Leslie. "I think that you are a very lucky girl, Peggy, to have so much
fun."
"But after all, Leslie, it's _people_ that make fun and good times, not
_things_, or even places, though I like to cruise." Peggy frowned and
looked thoughtful, while Leslie wondered again. But now Jack was
offering to help the ladies out of the boat "What are you going to do
now?" asked Madame Kravetz.
"Oh, I want to show Leslie all over Steeple Rocks. Jack and I have been
intending to explore them more ourselves, but we haven't had time, with
all the company we have had."
"No,--and you haven't time now," coldly said Peggy's governess. "Your
mother will expect to meet your friend, since you have brought her here;
and then it will be necessary to see her home before long, if her sister
does not worry about what has become of her."
"Oh, you always think up such horrid things, Madame K," rather pettishly
Peggy said. "All right, though, for I want Mother to see Leslie."
It was quite a climb to reach the top of the headland and then, indeed,
they were only at the beginning of the higher mass known as Steeple
Rocks. But good steps had been made, with a strong railing, that made
the ascent easy to the young people. Madame Kravetz, also, climbed
easily.
When they reached the top of the steps, they walked from the upper
platform to a rocky expanse which was evidently the rear of the Steeple
Rocks garden, for presently they came among little trees, planted with
decorative intent, and Leslie found herself within a formal garden.
Flowers were blossoming and Leslie would have liked to linger, had not
Peggy hurried her on to show her the house, an immense affair, of how
many rooms Leslie could only guess. There were gables and ells and
corners and masses of stone. There were chimneys and bay windows and
balconies. From the rear they went around to the front, past a
porte-cochere, where a big car was standing.
The entrance was particularly beautiful, Leslie thought, with wide steps
and pillars. Great flags of stone made the porch floor. Light wicker
chairs stood about and a long wicker couch was piled with pretty
cushions in gay colors. "And they don't want _us_ to have even a log
cabin!" Leslie thought, in a moment of resentment.
But no one could be resentful with Peggy, who was the most hospitable
creature imaginable. Jack, too, felt the responsibility of making Leslie
have a good time. Peggy took Leslie to her own pretty room first, where
both girls made themselves a little more presentable. Leslie was glad
that her dress and sweater were respectable, since she was to meet Mrs.
Ives. Gathering shells on the beach had not improved the appearance of
her hands, which were now washed with Peggy's pet soap, fragrant and
soothing. Then they joined Jack on the porch again, to find him at a
little table behind tall glasses of delicious lemonade and a dish of
cakes. This was almost better than camping! But never mind. The
Secrests, too, would have a house one of these days!
Through the trees they could see a tennis court where active figures
were playing and other people were about. White, red, blue, orange, all
sorts of colors, had a share in the sport costumes. "It's doubles," said
Peggy. "There, it's over. Now they will be coming in, I think."
In a few minutes small groups, perhaps a dozen people in all, sauntered
toward the house, Mrs. Ives hurrying on before the rest. "That's Mother
in the white," said Peggy, going to the steps to stop her.
"Oh, Mother, stop a minute, won't you? Leslie's here."
Mrs. Ives halted and turned toward Leslie and Jack. "Yes, Peggy, if Jack
will order some lemonade and cakes for us all. That is what I was
hurrying for. So this is Leslie?" She cordially extended a hand to
Leslie, who rose and stepped forward to greet her, rather surprised to
find her so young, in appearance, at least, with her bobbed hair and
youthful dress. Referring to their kindness to Peggy, Mrs. Ives renewed
her invitation.
But Leslie saw that her hostess was not speaking very seriously. "Thank
you, Mrs. Ives," she said. "We were glad to be invited, but there have
been things to hinder us (indeed there had), and then, we are scarcely
prepared to mingle with your guests. We came to camp, you know."
"That will make no difference," cordially said Mrs. Ives, "but perhaps
you will best enjoy the beach party that Peggy is planning. Peggy, you
arrange it and have what you want. Excuse me, Miss Leslie, I must go
on."
Although Leslie felt that Mrs. Ives pleasant cordiality was not assumed,
she saw that her mind was wandering toward her older guests during the
time of their brief conversation. One of the ladies was waiting for her
and both went into the large room which Leslie had noticed as she passed
in the hall. Sounds of music presently reached them.
"Now that's over," coolly Peggy remarked, "and we've gotten rid of
Madame. Jack, I want to take Leslie to my room and talk with her a
little bit. Will you be ready to take her back in the launch when we
come down?"
"I surely will, but you'd better make it snappy if you don't want to
have Miss Beth worrying over what has become of her wandering sister."
Leslie looked at her watch. There was time for a little visit only. She
followed Peggy back into the attractive room with its comfortable,
summer fittings.
So near the sea, the house was suitably screened from the strong winds
by the pile of headland rocks with their two towers. Peggy, however,
considered this a decided drawback, since there was no good view of the
sea from any of the windows. "But Dad said that I would be glad
sometimes not to be blown away or think that I was going to sail off
with the house! He wanted it close up against the rocks, and you can see
for yourself that part of the house fairly joins them. Dad has his
office there and his own little library. He's a shivery sort of man,
anyhow, used to Florida in the winters, you know."
"How would I know, sweet Peggy?"
"Probably you wouldn't," laughed Peggy. "That is what my own father used
to call me, 'sweet Peggy,' after the old song."
"Oh, then, Mr. Ives is really not your father," said the surprised
Leslie. But that accounted for some of Peggy's rather disrespectful
speeches.
"No, and I ought to be ashamed of myself for not liking him better. I
can have anything I want and he doesn't care. O Leslie, I wish that you
would let me talk to you about things sometimes! You are all so happy,
and we aren't, very, here. I don't know just what is the matter,
either!"
"Why, of course you may talk to me, Peggy! It seems to me that you might
be happy enough, a nice, pretty girl with everything to make you happy.
Why, child, we've had real trouble,--well, I suppose that you have been
through that, too, losing your father."
"Yes, though I was pretty small, then. Haven't you very much to live on,
either?"
Peggy was quite frank in her question, but Leslie, to whom having money
or not having it was only an agreeable or disagreeable incident, did not
mind. "Not so very much, Peggy," she answered, "but enough to get along
and more than some people. Then we are always expecting to do and be
something wonderful, you see!" Leslie was laughing a little, but Peggy
understood.
"Perhaps that's it," Peggy said. "Nobody here wants to do anything but
have a good time. If I had been allowed to have one of my girl friends
here this summer, I suppose I would have been satisfied. But when Mother
invited Jack, even, Dad made a terrible to-do about it and almost said
that he should not come; but he had already been invited. Dad said that
he did not want any 'curious boys' around. Leslie, there is something
funny going on and I wish I could find out what it is. I'm pretty sure
that Mother doesn't know either, and she worries. She has been worried
ever since that old foreigner came to be a sort of secretary or
something to Dad. He manages his business, Dad says sometimes. He's a
Count. Madame Kravetz belongs to the nobility, too."
"From what country?" asked Leslie, interested.
"Russia, I think, though she claims to be French. Old Count Herschfeld
is supposed to be Austrian. You'll see him sometime. He has fishy eyes
and is very straight and tall and pale, and has a slit for a mouth, and
walks like a soldier. Probably he was some sort of a general in the
war."
"If I were you, Peggy, I wouldn't worry over anything that you can't
help. You will be able to enjoy this wonderful place. It must be great
to be in Florida for the winters, too."
"I suppose it is. I never thought about it. Mother married Dad when I
was about six years old. He was nicer then than he is now. We travel so
much that I have a teacher with me all the time. But I heard Mother
talking to Dad about _not_ putting me in school, so I suppose that
boarding school will be the next thing for me."
"Do you like your governess?"
"I do _not_. To myself I call her 'Crabby.' Kravetz, Kravy, Crabby, you
see. Sometime I will forget before company!"
"Better not," smiled Leslie. "But if they let you, suppose you stay
around with us a good deal this summer. You and Sarita and I will be a
sort of--'triumvirate,' you know. Dal will be terribly busy pretty soon,
building our log cabin, and we'll have to run our launch half the time
without him, and fish in the small boat, too. He is taking most of his
fun now, he says, though, of course, he will like to build the house,
too. He is crazy about the woods and about making things and having a
house of our own. We sold our house when Elizabeth got a place to teach
in a bigger town only a few miles away."
"I wish Elizabeth taught me," said Peggy. "I could learn more if I liked
the teacher and was sure that what she said was true."
Leslie was quite impressed by that statement. She had not liked the face
of the governess either.
"I'm going to be real good and see if they will not let me off from
lessons, though Mother said that Madame Kravy needed the money and the
place. But she could stay just the same. Dad said the other day that he
needed some one 'to help him in his office.'"
Leslie wondered what his business could be that he carried it on in this
remote spot. But he might be some big executive who had to keep in touch
with affairs and write "letters and things."
Busily they talked. Peggy thanked Leslie for asking her to be a member
of a "triumvirate" and said that if Sarita did not mind she surely would
belong. "Jack is sort of lost, too, without anybody of his own age.
Perhaps Dalton would not mind if he hung around when he was building."
"Well, Peggy, I think that I ought to tell you something, if you promise
not to say a word to Elizabeth about it. You see Beth was all used up
when school was out, and if she can only have a little while to be happy
and get strong again, why then it won't make so much difference what
happens, and I suppose that she will have to know about this. Now it
_might_ interfere with the 'triumvirate.'"
"Tell, me. I'll not say a word. I can't imagine what it is."
"I'm sure you never could. You see, Peggy, your father may not _want_
you to come to see us, or have us out here, or anything. Was he there
when your mother sent word for us to come?"
"No."
"I thought so." Then Leslie gave the details of their first meeting with
Mr. Ives, summing up the case quite clearly. "So, you see, if Mr. Ives
wants to get us off the land, and we stand up for what we think are our
rights, it may not be so very pleasant all around. We'd always like you,
Peggy, but it might be embarrassing for you to have much to do with us."
"It would be a great deal more pleasant than not to have anything to do
with you. Little Peggy will try diplomacy. I'll find out what Dad is up
to; but if I don't, and the position in the triumvirate is still open,
I'll fill it, you can be sure."
"Well, then, Peggy, don't do anything you oughtn't for our sakes."
"How about little Peggy's sake, Leslie?"
"Same thing. But if your mother lets you, you will certainly be welcome
_on_ the Sea Crest and in the Eyrie pretty soon."
"When shall we have the first meeting of the 'triumvirate'?"
"Say to-morrow."
"To-morrow it is."
The faintly ticking little wrist watches announced to the girls who
glanced at them that they must bring the visit to a close. They ran
downstairs and Leslie strolled out, while Peggy hunted up her cousin. In
a few minutes the three were going down the steps to the Ives' launch,
which carried them past the foaming rocks and into the bay toward
Leslie's homing spot, the little rude dock at the base of the Secrest
headland. Pirates' Cove looked just as interesting and deadly as ever,
as they passed it. The Sea Crest bobbed up and down gently in
recognition of the other boat, and Jack gallantly handed Leslie to a
safe foothold and saw her up the more difficult steps, before he took
the wheel from Peggy and waved a goodbye. The little launch chugged
away. Leslie stopped at the top to lean upon a rock and watch the boat
and her new friends. What a queer household there was at Steeple Rocks.
Mr. Ives was not Peggy's father. She was glad of that. She was sure that
others there beside Madame Kravetz were foreign. The lady who waited for
Mrs. Ives and joined her had spoken to her in French, probably because
Mrs. Ives knew French; for she heard the guest "jabber" something else
to another lady that followed them.
There was something queer going on, Peggy had said. Of course. It was
that, perhaps, that made Mr. Ives try to send them all away. Leslie's
thoughts were busy with impressions received at Steeple Rocks.