Jupiter Lights Part 48

"Sit--in the centre--as much--as you can," Eve shouted. Then, being the taller, she rose, and in the next flash looked within. There lay Jack in the bottom, probably unconscious, a still little figure with a white face.

"He's there," she called, triumphantly. And then they went up on the next wave together, and down again.

"Slip--your hand--along--to the end," Eve called.

Cicely obeyed.

The second canoe, which all her strength had scarcely been able to hold alongside, now accompanied them more easily, towed by its stern. If it could have followed them instead of accompanying them, that would have been easier still; but Cicely's seat was at the bow, and Eve did not dare to risk a change of places; with the boat in tow, she paddled towards the sh.o.r.e as well as she could, guided by the fire, which was large and bright, poor Porley, owing to whose carelessness in the second place the accident had occurred (Eve's in the first place), expending in the collecting of dry fuel all the energy of her repentance and her grief. They were not very far out, but progress was difficult; Eve was not an expert; she did not know how to allow for the opposition, the dead weight, of the second canoe attached to the bow of her own; every now and then, owing to her lack of skill, the wind would strike it, and drive it from her so strongly that it seemed as if the connecting link, Cicely's little arm, would be drawn from its socket. The red glow of the fire looked human and home-like to these wanderers,--should they ever reach it? The waves grew more formidable as they approached the beach,--they were like breakers; Eve did her best, yet their progress seemed snail-like. At length, when they were so far in that she could distinguish the figures of Porley and the Irishman outlined against the fire, there came a breaker which struck the second canoe full on its side, filling it with water. Cicely gave a wild shriek of rage as it was forced from her grasp. At the same instant the aunt, leaving the paddle behind her, sprang into the sinking craft, and, seizing the child, went down with him into the dark lake.

She came up again, grasping the side of the boat; with one arm she lifted the boy, and gave him to his mother, an enormous effort, as his little body was rigid and heavy--like death.

And then they got ash.o.r.e, they hardly knew how, though it took a long time, Eve clinging to the stern and Cicely paddling, her child at her feet; the Irishman came to their a.s.sistance as soon as he could, the wind drove them towards the beach; Porley helped when it came to the landing. In reality they were blown ash.o.r.e.

Jack was restored. As Eve ceased her rubbing--she had worked over him for twenty minutes--and gave him alive and warm again to his mother's arms, Cicely kissed her cheek. "Bend down your head, Eve; I want to tell you that I forgive you everything. There is nothing the matter with me now; I understand and know--all; yet I forgive you,--because you have saved my child."

XXIX.

Priscilla Mile, close-reefed as to her skirts, and walking solidly, reached the s.h.i.+pwrecked party soon after nine o'clock; as she came by the beach, the brilliant light of Porley's fire guided her, as it had guided Cicely and Eve out on the dark lake. Priscilla asked no questions, her keen eyes took in immediately Eve's wet clothes and Jack's no clothes, the child being wrapped merely in a shawl. She said to the Irishman, who was wet also: "Patrick Carty, you go back to the camp, you run just as fast as you can split; tell them what's happened, and let them send for us as soon as they can. 'Taint going to rain much, I guess."

The man hesitated.

"Well, what are you about?" asked Mrs. Mile, walking up to him threateningly, her beetle shawl-pins s.h.i.+ning in the fire-light.

The Irishman, who had been in a confused state ever since Cicely had forced his canoe into the water again after he had hauled it up on the beach, and had beaten his hands off fiercely with the oar when he had tried to stop her progress--a little creature like that turning suddenly so strong--answered, hurriedly, "It's goin' I am; ye can see it yersilf!" and was off like a shot. "_Wan_ attack from a fimmale will do!" was his thought.

The nurse then effected a change of dress; with the aid of part of her own clothing and part of Cicely's and Porley's, she got Eve and Jack into dry garments of some sort, Jack being wrapped in a flannel petticoat. The wind had grown much more violent, but the strange atmospheric conditions had pa.s.sed away; the lightning had ceased. It was now an ordinary gale, the waves dashed over the beach, and the wind drove by with a shriek; but it was not cold. The four women sheltered themselves as well as they could, Cicely holding Jack closely; she would not let any one else touch him.

A little after two o'clock the crouched group heard a sound, and Hollis appeared in the circle of light shed by the flaring wind-swept fire. He bore a load of provisions and garments in baskets, in a sack suspended from his neck, in bags dangling from his arms, as well as in his hands and pockets; he had even brought a tea-kettle; it was a wonder how he had come so far with such a load, the wind bending him double. Priscilla Mile made tea as methodically as though the open beach, with the roaring water and the shrieking gale, had been a quiet room. Hollis watched them eat with an eagerness so intense that unconsciously his face made masticating movements in sympathy. When they had finished, a start pa.s.sed over him, as if he were awakening, and, making a trumpet of his hands, he shouted to Cicely: "Must go now; 'f I don't, the old _judge_'ll be trying to get here. Back--with _boat_--soon as _ca-a-an_."

"I'll take your _coat_, if you don't mind," said Mrs. Mile, shrieking at him in her turn; "then Miss _Bruce_ can have this _shawl_." And she tapped her chest violently to show him her meaning. Hollis denuded himself, and started.

With the first light of dawn he was back. They reached the camp about ten o'clock the next morning.

At three in the afternoon Cicely woke from a sleep of four hours. Her first movement was to feel for Jack.

Jack was sitting beside her, playing composedly with four spools and a little wooden horse on rollers.

"We'd better dress him now, hadn't we?" suggested Mrs. Mile, coming forward. She spoke in her agreeing voice; Mrs. Mile's voice agreed beforehand that her patients should agree with her.

"I will dress him," said Cicely, rising.

"I wouldn't, now, if I were you, Mrs. Morrison; you're not strong enough."

"Where is my dress?" asked Cicely, looking about her.

"You don't want anything, surely, but your pretty blue wrapper?" said Mrs. Mile, taking it from its nail.

"Bring me my thick dress and my walking-shoes, please."

They were brought.

Eve came in while Cicely was dressing.

"Eve, who is this person?" Cicely demanded, indicating the nurse with a sideward wave of her head.

"Oh, I'm just a lady's maid--they thought you'd better have one; Porley, in that way, you know, isn't good for much," answered Mrs. Mile, readily.

"Whatever you are, I shall not need your services longer," said Cicely.

"Do you think you could go to-night?"

"Certainly, ma'am; by the evening boat."

"There is no evening boat. I must have been ill a long while,--you talk in such a wheedling manner. I am well now, at any rate, and you can return to Port aux Pins whenever you like; no doubt you have been much missed there."

Mrs. Mile, giving Eve a significant look, went out.

The storm was over, but the air had turned much colder; the windows of the lodge were closed. Eve seated herself by the east window.

"I have been ill, then?" asked Cicely.

"Yes."

"I have been out of my mind?"

"Yes," Eve answered again, in a listless voice.

"I'm not so any longer,--you understand that?"

"I understand," Eve responded.

Her cheeks were white, the lines of her face and figure had fallen; she looked lifeless.

Cicely stopped her work of dressing Jack, and gazed at her sister-in-law for a moment or two; then she came and stood before her. "Perhaps you didn't understand what I said on the beach? I told you that I remembered everything, knew everything. And that I forgave you because you had saved baby; you jumped into the lake and saved him." She paused a moment; "I forgive you--yes; but never let us speak of it again--never on this earth;--do you hear?" And, putting her hands on Eve's shoulders, she pressed the palms down violently, as emphasis.

Then going back to Jack, she resumed the dressing. "It's the strangest thing in the world about a child. When it comes, you think you don't care about it--little red thing!--that you love your husband a million times more, as of course in many ways you do. But a new feeling comes too, a feeling that's like no other; it takes possession of you whether you want it to or not; it's stronger than anything else--than life or death. You would let yourself be cut to pieces, burned alive, for your _child_. Something came burning right through me when I knew that Jacky was in danger.--Never mind, Jacky, play away; mamma's not frightened now, and Jacky's her own brave boy.--It made everything clear, and I came to myself instantly. I shall never lose my senses again; though I might want to, I'm so miserable."

"And I, who think you fortunate!" said Eve.

Cicely turned her head and looked at her with parted lips.

"Ferdie loved you--"

"Oh, he cared for others too," said Cicely, bringing her little teeth together. "I know more than you think;--than Paul thinks." She went on hurriedly with her task.