But Nurse said she wanted Man Friday to do something for her before they went out again, and amid tears and expostulations, Eustace was laid in his own little bed, while Eliza and Nurse sat down in the shaded sitting-room for their own afternoon rest. Eliza soon fell asleep, but Nurse could hear that Eustace was grumbling and tumbling about in his bed, and was by no means disposed to go to sleep this afternoon. She let Eliza have her usual rest, for she knew the girl needed it, and so she kept Eustace as quiet as she could until the time for rousing the children came, and they all went out again.
Nurse usually took a parcel of bread-and-butter and cake with her, and they bought some milk on the beach about five o'clock, returning home about seven to a more substantial meal; and afterwards the children were bathed and put to bed.
To-day, however, Eustace demanded that Man Friday should carry their portion of bread-and-butter, that they might eat it together in the cave.
"Don't change your frock," said Nurse, when Eliza went to wash her face and hands before starting out again.
Eustace insisted that his bread-and-butter should be tied up in the handkerchief, and Nurse saw that there was a piece of bread there already, and then learned that the child had bought a penny loaf in the morning by way of providing stores for his journey, and he and Eliza had eaten part of it before dinner. But he insisted upon the remaining portion being taken in the handkerchief, and carried the bundle himself until they got down to the beach, for fear Nurse should tell Eliza to take it out.
Here she was "Eliza," and under Nurse's control; but when once their camp was reached, she was "Man Friday," and under his direction. This was the compact that Nurse had been obliged to make with him in the morning; and so, as soon as her stool was set up, and baby and Winny set about their digging, Eliza and Eustace went off, Nurse looking after them with a smile of complacent assurance that nothing could happen to the little boy with Eliza in attendance, little dreaming what weary, anxious hours would pass before she should see either of them again.
"Now we are going to our cave," announced Eustace, when they were fairly away from "the savages." "I know just where to find it, though I did forget when father first went away. It's a wonderful cave, Friday, and leads right through the mountains to another country."
Eliza opened her eyes. "There are no mountains here, Master Eustace, only the chalk and sand cliffs."
"Of course; you have never seen my island before, Friday, and cannot be expected to know a mountain."
Eustace said this with such a look of lofty disdain that Eliza found it difficult to keep from laughing, which would be altogether wrong in "Man Friday," as Eustace had explained to her. Though she could not help saying, "The cave is a long way off," as they walked on and on until the bank of sea-thistles were left far behind, and the cliffs ran down much closer to the sea than they did near their camp where they had left the savages.