"William, certainly, ma'am, if you will let him go with me, as you could ill spare the girl."
"Indeed, I do not like it; I would rather lose Juno for a time," replied Mrs. Seagrave.
"My dear wife," said Mr. Seagrave, "recollect how Providence has preserved us in such awful dangers - how we are landed in safety. And now, will you not put trust in that Providence, when the dangers are, as I trust, only imaginary?"
"I was wrong, my dear husband; but sickness and suffering have made me, I fear, not only nervous and frightened, but selfish: I must and will shake it off. Hitherto I have only been a clog and an incumbrance to you; but I trust I shall soon behave better, and make myself useful. If you think, then, that it would be better that you should go instead of William, I am quite content. Go, then, with Ready, and may Heaven protect you both!"
"No, ma'am," replied Ready, "William will do just as well. Indeed, I would go by myself with pleasure; but we know not what the day may bring forth. I might be taken ill - I might hurt myself - I am an old man, you know; and then I was thinking that if any accident was to happen to me, you might miss me - that's all."
"Pardon me," replied Mrs Seagrave; "a mother is foolish at times."
"Over-anxious, ma'am, perhaps, but not foolish," replied Ready.
"Well, then, William shall go with you, Ready; - that point's settled," observed Mr. Seagrave: "what is the next?"
"The next is to prepare for our journey. We must take some provisions and water with us, a gun and some ammunition, a large axe for me, and one of the hatchets for William; and, if you please, Romulus and Remus had better come with us. Juno, put a piece of beef and a piece of pork into the pot. William, will you fill four quart bottles with water, while I sew up a knapsack out of canvas for each of us?"
"And what shall I do, Ready?" said Mr. Seagrave.