“Never think of me, sweet girl; I shall sleep,” replied her mother.
Early in the afternoon Forrest received orders to get the Nereide ready to take his master and young mistress across to the Bluff. And Mrs. Helmstedt, with affectionate care, dressed her daughter. Never had Margaret been in full dress before. Her attire was rather delicate than rich, and consisted of a lace robe over a rose-colored silk skirt, and a wreath of white and red rosebuds in her hair. Her white kid gloves and white satin shoes were wrapped up to be put on when she should reach the Bluff.
When all was ready Marguerite walked down with her husband and daughter to the beach to see them off. As they reached the sands a pleasant object met their view. It was a fairylike boat, of elegant form, artistically painted, of a shaded gray on the outside and white, flushed with rose-color, on the inside; and bore upon its prow, in silver characters, The Pearl Shell.
“And here is the pearl,” said Franky Houston, who had just leaped on shore, going to Margaret and taking her hand, “will you allow me to put her in it, Mr. Helmstedt?”
“Certainly, Franky, since you were so kind as to come. Your dainty ‘shell’ is also somewhat cleaner and more suitable to her dress than our working-day boat.”
“How do you do, Mrs. Helmstedt? Come, Margaret,” said the youth.
“Stop, Franky, I must bid mamma good-by first,” replied the maiden, going up to her mother. “Sweet mamma! you will not be lonesome?”
“No—no, my love, I shall go to sleep—good-evening,” said Mrs. Helmstedt, throwing over her daughter’s head and shoulders a fleecy white shawl, to protect her from the sea breeze.
“Come, Margaret,” pleaded her companion.
“Yes, yes, I am coming, Franky. Mamma, dearest mamma! I do so dislike to leave you alone to-night—it seems so cruel. We are all going but you. Everybody on the island, black and white, can go abroad but you. Mamma, why is it? Why do you never leave the island, dearest mamma?” inquired Margaret, fixing her earnest, tender eyes wistfully upon her mother’s face.