It was a day or two after, that Shireen once more met her friends, but
this time it was on the sunny lawn in front of Uncle Ben's bungalow.
They were all there except Chammy the chameleon. No one knew for the
present where he was. He had eaten an extra supply of mealworms and
flies the day before, and forthwith disappeared. In a fortnight's time
perhaps, he might be found in the fold of a curtain, or behind the
ventilator in the Colonel's study, or he might be brought up from the
cellar in a scuttle of coals, or tumble out of a bag of flour when the
cook went to make a dumpling, for no one could ever say for certain
where Chammy might or might not be.
But on this particular afternoon Colonel Clarkson and Uncle Ben were
drinking iced sherbet, and smoking their pipes in peace at a little
wicker table under the shadow of the great chestnut tree.
Warlock and Tabby had just come back from a long ramble in the woods,
and thrown themselves down beside Shireen and her foster son, Vee-Vee,
the Pomeranian, Cockie, and Dick, the starling, were bandying words
together on the gowany lawn. [The gowan is the mountain daisy.]
It would have been very difficult indeed for a stranger to have told
whether they were quarrelling or not.
One thing is certain, they were each of them trotting out all the words
in their somewhat limited vocabulary for the other's benefit, no matter
whether they were relevant or not.
Dick was much more active than Cockie, and ran round and round him on
the lawn, pausing occasionally to thrust his beak into the ground, and
opening it out like a pair of compasses, peep into the hole to see if a
worm were at home.
I have said that Dick kept running round and round Cockie. He certainly
described a circle about two yards from the cockatoo--he knew better
than to come any nearer, for the big bird had a punishing beak--but
seeing that Cockie in the centre went wheeling about, and always faced
Dick, it becomes a question whether Dick actually did go round him.
What do you think?
And all the while the two kept talking.
Not that their conversation was very edifying. I shall give you a
sample.
_Dick_.--(After swallowing a worm six inches long.) "Tse, tse, tse, tse!
Pretty Dick! Pr-r-r-etty Dick!"
_Cockie_.--"Pretty Cockie!"
_Dick_.--"Dick's a darling starling, master's pretty pet."
_Cockie_.--"Poo-oor Cockie!"
_Dick_.--"Eh? Eh? What is it? What d'ye say? Tse, tse, tse! You
rr-r-rascal!"
_Cockie_.--"Cockie wants to go to bed!"
_Dick_.--"You r-rascal! Sugar, snails, and sop! What is it, you
r-rascal? Whew, whew, whew!" (whistling).
_Cockie_ (singing).--"Lal de lal, de dal, de dal."
_Dick_ (talking very fast).--"Dick's a darling! Dick's a starling!
Dick's a master's pretty pet, sugar, snails, and pretty sop; you
r-r-rascal!"
Dick now hauls out an extra long worm. Cockie shrieks as if he had seen
a snake. Dick, frightened out of his wits, lets go the worm, and flies
off to perch on the tabby cat's glossy back, and commences--a favourite
trick of his--to go through the motions of having a bath.
"Well, Mother Shireen," says Warlock.
"Well, children, so you've got back?"
"Oh, Mother Shireen, what a day we've been having!" says Tabby.
"Yes," cries Warlock, "it's been an out and outer."
"You haven't been naughty, I hope?"
"Oh, no, that is not particularly. But I chased Mother Maver's old grey
cat, though I didn't mean to have done so; but what does she always want
to spit at me for I want to know? And I jumped at Farmer Dobbs' game
cock, and nearly had him by the tail. Oh, didn't he skraigh just! and
didn't the chickens fly! And then old Farmer Dobbs flew at me with the
garden rake. But I don't care, for his cock once struck me on the head
with his foot and made a hole in it. Then Tab and I went to the woods.
It is fine fun being in the woods. We found a wild bees' hive. Honey
is so nice, though Tab doesn't care for it. But I soon had the combs
out, and I'm afraid I killed all the bees. Twenty settled on my back,
then I rolled over and over with my heels in the air, and that settled
them. We went to the weasel's nest, but the weasel must have seen us
coming. Weasels are wily, you know. But Tab killed a wild pigeon, and
I killed a mole. We tried to get a rabbit, but couldn't. Then we spent
a whole hour trying to catch a water rat, but they are wily like the
weasels, and the door of their house is deep down under the water. Tab
isn't much good in the water, but you can't beat her in a tree. Some
day we are going to ask Cracker to come with us to the water-rat's bank,
and we'll sink a mine, and then see if the rats can make fools of Tab
and me. On our way back, we passed old Farmer Dobbs' place again, and
then we had it out."
"Had what out?" said Vee-Vee.
"Why the game cock's tail. He was in a field with his hens, and said
something cheeky to us as we passed, and I went for him. He flew up
into a tree, but Tab soon had him down out of that. Tab is simply a
treat in a tree. Then I grabbed him by the tail, and, oh, didn't the
feathers fly just! You _would_ have laughed. We left in rather a
hurry, because old Farmer Dobbs went in to get his gun. We shan't go
Farmer Dobbs' way again for a whole fortnight. But come, Shireen, tell
us a little more of your story. You left yourself at Beebee's beautiful
palace in Persia."
Yes, said Shireen, and soon after that ruby had been placed in my tooth,
an event occurred that altered the whole course of my life, and of poor
Beebee's too.
I do not know how old Beebee was at this time, but I think she must have
been about twelve, and she appeared to me to get more and more beautiful
every day.
Now, never during all my lifetime had I seen Beebee's father, and I was
now over six months old; but one day great preparations were being made
at the palace, slaves and servants were running about everywhere, and
the lovely saloons were decorated with flowers, and hung round with many
coloured lamps. I was not therefore surprised to be told by Beebee that
her father was about to pay a visit to his home, previous to
accompanying the Shah on a long journey to Europe, and over to England
itself.
"Oh, how much I should like to go," she sighed, "and if I did, you too,
my sweet Shireen, should accompany me."
Then one forenoon the father arrived in great state, with many camels
and horses, and even accompanied by several elephants. With him came
many other great men and dignitaries of the court, and they feasted for
many days together. But all this time my poor little mistress was
confined to her apartments.
One day--this was his only visit--Beebee's father came to see her.
He was indeed a noble-looking man, and splendidly dressed in silken
robes of many colours, and a cloak of camel's hair, from under which
peeped out a richly-jewelled sword-hilt. On his head was a gilded
turban; on his feet were beautiful sandals.
Beebee ran to meet him, and stood before him with downcast eyes. She
was prepared to rush into his arms and be embraced, but he only smiled
and coldly took her hand.
Then he sank into an ottoman with graceful ease, whilst she remained
standing by his side.
"My daughter grows taller, and she grows beautiful. She has a happy
future before her. I have come to say farewell for a time. I have a
long journey, and many long voyages before me. Beebee will see me when
I return."
Then she dropped on her knees before him, and clasping her hands as if
in prayer, held them up towards him.
"My father," she began.
He was frowning.
"My father is the most noble and handsome man in all the world. His
sword is the sharpest sword in Persia. The arm that wields it is the
strongest in all the wide dominions of the mighty Shah. If my father
had enemies they would flee before him. But this is impossible, for all
who see my father love him, and the Shah himself delights to bask in the
sunshine of his smile."
"My daughter speaks truly," he said, relenting a little, "she speaks the
white, pure truth; but what would she of me?"
"Oh, my father, you have but one little daughter, and she wants to love
you dearly. She would be more in your presence. Beebee wants to see
the world. Take her with you to Europe, to England. She would fain see
England. She--"
"Bah!" he interrupted. "Who hath put such foolish notions in your head?
Have you not an English teacher? She can tell you all you desire to
know. My daughter knows not what she asks."
"Oh, my father!"
"Silence, child! Silence! You are intended for the court of the Shah.
The touch of unbelieving fingers, nay, even the glance of a foreigner's
eye would defile my daughter's caste. No longer then would she be fit
to stand before the king of kings, our great lord and master, the Shah."
"Father, father, I will not be bride to the Shah!"
"What! This to me?"
He sprang up as he spoke, and I trembled lest he should strike my little
mistress to the earth. He towered above her, as the poplar tree towers
above the linden.
But he only strode to the arched and curtained doorway. He turned round
as he went out, holding the drapery in his left hand.
"Adieu!" he said. "Adieu! My daughter must obey me, or--"
"Or what, father?"
Once more her hands were extended pleadingly, prayerfully towards him.
"She _dies_!"
The drapery fell. Beebee's father had gone, and she had thrown herself
on the ottoman cushions to weep.
I walked softly towards her, I sung to her; I licked her little white
fingers. Then she ceased to weep.
"Oh, Shireen! Shireen!" she cried, "this is a bitter, bitter day to me.
And I wanted to love father so. I could love him so. I have no
mother. I--"
She threw herself down once more, and sobbed aloud.
I felt that I could have suffered anything to comfort and solace my
beautiful mistress.
But what could I do?