Crossriggs

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1908. … CHAPTER XXVI Van Cassilis kept a sailing-boat in the harbour of one of the little red villages down on the shore, and he would go in it sometimes for whole days at a time, returning very sunburnt and cheerful. It had been an old promise that Matilda’s boys were to be allowed to sail to the island with him, so they were greatly delighted when he appeared one morning asking if they might go the next day. Matilda could not bear to disappoint the children, and gave her consent. “You’ll come too, won’t you, Sandy?” Van inquired, looking at Alex. “Oh, I will come if you like. I don’t read on Saturdays, you know.” “Then perhaps I had better stay at home,” said Matilda, but Alex turned to her eagerly–“No, no, you must come–please, Matilda–if it’s a day like this, the worst sailor in the world would enjoy it–you must come!” Matilda agreed, although the prospect of a whole day’s sailing was by no means such a pleasure to her as it was to Alex, who loved the sea and all that belonged to it. Old Hopeful and Alex were at one in this, and in former days, they had more than once gone to London by sea, for even the smallest voyage in the grubbiest vessel was a pleasure to both of them. Van’s face brightened in an almost ludicrous way when he heard that Alex was coming. The children were in great delight. Sally was going elsewhere, and Baby was too young, so only the two older boys and Mike were allowed to go. The warmth had now come very suddenly. After a cold and dreary month of April came a week of heavenly weather; the sleeping orchards bloomed, the grass took on a livelier hue, the fresh wind came bounding across the fields with a gust of joy, and all the vexations of the changeful season were forgotten. Alex awoke this Saturday morning with the sense that the da…