SAFE ON SHORE
The bad weather continued. So did the illness of Miss Greatorex and Molly Breckenridge. Neither of them left their stateroom again till that day and another night had passed and the “Prince” came to her mooring in Yarmouth harbor.
Both Mrs. Hungerford and Dorothy spent much of their time with one or other patient, yet were often alone together on deck or in the music-room and became very well acquainted, indeed, during their hours of loneliness. From the girl Auntie Lu drew many details of her short life, and was especially interested when she found that Mrs. Betty Calvert was a friend of them both; exclaiming:
“Why, my dear, I’ve known Mrs. Betty Calvert all my life! She was my mother’s dearest correspondent. They had been girls together, though Mrs. Calvert was older than mother. Their homes were near each other in Maryland; and—why, the Calverts, or Somersets, were as intimate as it is possible for families to be with our folks—the Breckenridges! This is most interesting. Most certainly interesting. I must tell my brother. Schuyler is so loyal to all our old Marylanders; he thinks there are no people like them anywhere, though for my part I find human nature’s pretty much the same all the world over.”
“Yes, Mrs. Hungerford, I’ve heard Mrs. Calvert say that there was no gentleman so fine as a southern one. Mr. Seth laughs at her and says that’s a ‘hobby,’ and she’s ‘mistaken.’ He says ‘gentlemen don’t grow any better on one soil than another,’ but are ‘indigenous to the whole United States,’ though Mr. Winters is a Marylander himself.” Then she naïvely added in explanation, and in a little vanity about her botanical lore: “‘Indigenous’ means, maybe you don’t know, a plant that belongs to, is a native of, some particular region. Mr. Seth taught me and Father John. They both know lots about botany, though father hasn’t lived in the country as long as our ‘Learned Blacksmith,’ who does know, seems if, all there is worth knowing in this world. For a man, I mean.”
Aunt Lucretia smiled and nodded, but in an absent sort of manner as if she had scarcely heard what Dorothy had said. Then as the girl rose, remarking: “I’ll go now and sit a while with Molly if she’s awake. Funny! She says she feels all right as long as she lies down and so horrid when she tries to get up and dress;” the lady’s gaze followed her little figure with a keenly critical interest. Also, she eagerly greeted the Judge, who now came to her, with the ambiguous exclamation:
“Schuyler Breckenridge, the most marvellous thing! I’ve discovered—or I believe I have—what that remarkable likeness is which has so perplexed me. Blood always tells, always crops out!”
“Exactly. Especially in cases like this. Having nothing else to do I’ve tried whittling—with this result. Tie it up, Lu, and explain yourself—if you can,” he answered, whimsically holding out a finger he had cut and that was slightly bleeding.
“Oh! you poor dear!”
“Yes. Am I not! Wait. Here’s a bit of court-plaster. Forgot I had it or wouldn’t have troubled you. Now, talk ahead.”