"Now, don't you make matters worse than they are," interposed the Captain. "A little water will soon set them both right."

"And where shall we get water here?" she asked. "Tell me that!"

His answer came quick enough, the Captain being seldom "taken aback."

"You forget, ma'am, the little rivulet we pa.s.sed on our way. d.i.c.k," he added, "run and fetch some for us, like a good lad."

Nell had brought with her from home a little tin bucket, which she usually took down to the sh.o.r.e for collecting sea-anemones and other specimens for her aquarium; so, catching hold of this, d.i.c.k started off in the direction of the tiny brook they had crossed some little time before, returning anon with the bucket br.i.m.m.i.n.g full.

Miss Nell and Bob thereupon set to work in high glee at their extempore ablutions; and, when they had subsequently dried their faces in their pocket-handkerchiefs, both presented a much improved appearance.

With the exception of a few scratches, they bore little traces of the fray, the blood-stains, which looked at first sight so very dreadful, having vanished on the application of the cold water, as the Captain had prophesied.

"There, ma'am," cried he now exultingly; pointing this out to Mrs Gilmour, "I told you so, didn't I? 'all cry and little wool,' eh, ho, ho, ho!"

"That may be," retorted she; "but, water won't mend Nellie's dress."

"Well then, ma'am, I will," replied the Captain. "You'll always find a sailor something of a tailor, if he's worth his salt!"

He laughed when he said this, and his imperturbable good-humour banished the last vestige of Mrs Gilmour's vexation at the children's plight.

"Sure, and you shan't do anything of the sort," she said smiling. "I'll run up Nell's tatters meesilf!" As she spoke she produced from her pocket--a handy little "housewife," containing needles and thread, as well as a thimble, which useful articles the good lady seldom stirred out without; and, sitting down on a shawl which the Captain spread over a bit of turf that he a.s.sured her was free from nettles, and ten yards at least from the nearest rabbit-burrow, she proceeded to sew away at a brisk rate on the torn frock of Miss Nellie, who sat herself demurely beside her aunt.

"Will you be long?" inquired the old sailor, after watching her busy fingers some little time, getting slightly fidgety. "Eh, ma'am?"

"I should think it will be quite an hour before I shall be able to make the child decent," she replied. "Why do you ask?"

"Humph!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed the Captain, as he always did when cogitating some knotty point, "I'll tell you, ma'am. If it's agreeable to you, ma'am, the boys and I might go on to Brading and see the remains of that Roman villa I was talking about yesterday. That is, unless you would like us to wait till you've done your patchwork there, and all of us go together, eh?"

"No, I wouldn't hear of such a thing," answered Mrs Gilmour, looking up but not pausing for an instant in her task. "I wouldn't walk a mile to see Julius Caesar himself, instead of his old villa, or whatever you call it."

The Captain appeared greatly amused at this.

"I'm not certain that the place ever belonged to that distinguished gentleman," he said. "It is supposed, I believe, to have been the residence of a certain Vespasian, who was governor of the Isle of Wight some period after its conquest by the Romans; but how far this is true, ma'am, I can't vouch for personally, never having as yet, indeed, seen the spot."

"But, I a.s.sure you, I've no curiosity to go. I feel much too tired, and would rather sit comfortably here. Would you like, Nell, to go with the Captain and Bob?"

"No, auntie, I'd prefer stopping with you. I want to get some ferns and lots of things after you've mended my dress for me," replied Alice. "I like flowers better than old ruins."

She said this quite cheerfully, as if she didn't mind a bit not going with the boys.

This surprised the Captain somewhat, for he thought she would not like being left behind, and would have looked at all events a trifle cross.

But, seeing how she took the matter, the old sailor's mind was immensely relieved.

"Well then," he cried smiling, with his eyes blinking and winking away, "the sooner we're off, why the sooner we'll be back. Hullo, though, I've forgotten the hamper! Run up, d.i.c.k, and fetch it down here."

Off scampered the lad, coming back quickly with the hamper, which he placed carefully by Mrs Gilmour's side.

"There ma'am," said Captain Dresser, "you can look after the luncheon while we're away. Come along, boys--hi, Rover!"

"Oh, please leave him behind," implored Nellie. "We want him."

"What, who?" asked the Captain. "d.i.c.k or the dog?"

"Rover," replied Nellie promptly. "He'll protect us in your absence in case anything happens."

"What's that, eh!" quizzed the old sailor. "I suppose you're thinking again of those ferocious wild animals you encountered awhile ago, eh, missy?"

"It's a shame, auntie, for the Captain to tease me so!" exclaimed Nellie, as the chaffy old gentleman went off chuckling, followed by Master Bob and d.i.c.k, the three soon disappearing amidst the greenery.

"Never mind, though, I have got you, my good doggie; and I shan't forget how you came to my help, nor how glad I was to catch hold of your poor tail, you dear Rover, when you dragged me out of that horrid hole!"

"Be aisy, me dearie," remonstrated Mrs Gilmour, as Nell reached over to hug Rover in a sudden caress of affection, and caused by the sudden movement a breakage of the thread, thus interrupting her aunt's handiwork. "Sure, if you go wriggling about like an eel with that dog, I shall never get your frock mended!"

"All right, auntie, I beg your pardon. I'll be very good now, and promise not to move again till you tell me to."

So saying, Miss Nell resumed her former position, and, making Rover lie down at her feet, remained "as quiet as a mouse," as her aunt acknowledged, until the latter had completed her task of gathering up the rents in the damaged garment that the envious blackberry-thorns had made.

CHAPTER TWELVE.

"THE DEVIL'S BIT."

"Now, me dearie," said Mrs Gilmour, replacing her needle and thimble, with the reel of thread, in her little "housewife," and putting that carefully back into her pocket, "sure, we'll have a jollification on our own account as our gentlemen have left us. We'll show them that we can do without them, sure, when we like."

"How nice, auntie!" cried Miss Nellie, agreeing thoroughly in the sentiment her aunt had expressed, the desertion of the Captain and Bob, in addition to the fact of d.i.c.k having been also taken away, having affected the young lady more than she had acknowledged. "What shall we do first to be 'jolly,' as Bob says?"

"I'll soon show you, me dearie," replied Mrs Gilmour. "Sure, you'll say in a minute, Nell. Come now, me darlint, and help me."

Then ensued a pleasant task, one in which Rover especially evinced the keenest interest, the sagacious retriever watching their every movement with an attention that never faltered.

Needless almost to say, the agreeable occupation in question was that of unpacking the hamper containing all the good things which Sarah had packed and d.i.c.k had brought from the house for their picnic in the woods.

Aye, it was in the woods; and under the woods, too!

Encircled by a hedge of green shrubbery and thicket undergrowth, amidst which the wild-flowers of the forest stood out here and there, their brightest tints gleaming with a wealth of colouring which nature's gems alone display, Mrs Gilmour selected a nice smooth stretch of velvety turf for their table.

On this, she proceeded to lay a damask cloth, whose snowy whiteness contrasted vividly with its surroundings; for, a clump of silver birches joined in hand-clasp with a straggling oak overhead, sheltering the gra.s.s-plot with their welcome shade from the heat of the noonday sun, while, over all, a lofty spreading elm extended its st.u.r.dy branches, like outstretched arms, above its lesser brethren below, as if saying paternally, "Bless you, my children!"

Having daintily arranged the contends of the hamper to the best advantage on the open-air banqueting-table, an enormous veal-and-ham pie, their chief dish, in the centre, Mrs Gilmour and Nellie surveyed their handiwork with much complacency.

"Sure, and I don't think a single thing has been forgotten," observed the former with pardonable pride, after a critical inspection of the various viands. "At most of the picnics I have partic.i.p.ated in, either the salt, or the mustard, or something else has been left behind; but, to-day, I believe Sarah has remembered everything!"

"Yes, I'm sure she has, auntie dear!" cried Miss Nellie with equal enthusiasm. "Here's the kettle for us to boil; and the teapot, and teacups, too, all ready for our tea, auntie, after lunch."

"She is a good girl, Sarah, and I will reward her for this," said Mrs Gilmour, giving a final pat to the table-cloth after smoothing it down and pulling the corners straight. "I'm afraid, though, dearie, we'll have to wait a precious long time before Captain Dresser and the boys come back; and, laying the table has made me feel quite hungry, I declare."