Una sped away. Hannah, heavily laden, and laughing now outright, followed her.
“I never seen the like,” she said. “Didn’t I say to Master Neal last night that she was an early one? Eh, Miss Una, did you no take notice of the eyes of her? She’d wile the fishes out of the sea, or a bird off a bush, so she would, just by looking sweet at them. It’s queer manners they have where she comes from. I’m thinking that silly gowk of a captain’s no the first man she’s beguiled. I was counted a braw lass myself in me day, and one that could twine a lad round my thumb as fine as any, but I couldna have done thon, Miss Una.”
Una gave a little shudder of disgust.
“How could she bear to? How could she touch such a man?”
“Ay, I was wondering that myself, her that’s so high falutin’ in her ways, and no like a common lassie. Not but what thon captain’s a clever enough cut of a man for them as thinks of nothing but a clean figure and a good leg. He’s no that ill-looking; but, eh, there’s a glint in his eye I wouldna trust. I pity the lassie that loves him. But there’s no fear of thon lady falling into sic a snare. She can mine herself well, I’m thinkin’.”
They reached the cliff above the Pigeon Cave, and Una began her downward climb. Hannah stared at her in horror.
“Mind yourself, Miss Una. You’re never going down there, are ye? And you expect me to break my old bones going after you, do ye? Faith and I willna avaw, I’d rather be back rolling my eyes at the captain and letting on to him that I wanted a kiss than go down yon cliff.”
“Come,” said Una, “it looks worse than it is. Come, Hannah, you must come. Would you have the poor boy starve in the cave?”
The appeal was too strong to be resisted. Hannah, with much grumbling, climbed down. Una carried the bundles one by one to the shelf of rock from which Neal had slipped into the dark water the night before. She took the straps from them, and unwound the sheets and bathing clothes. Within was store of food—parcels of oatcake, baps, cold meat, butter, cheese, a bottle of wine, a flask of whisky and water, a package of candles. She had determined that Neal should feast royally in his hiding-place, and that he should not sit in the dark, though he had to sit alone. She floated the raft of corks, and very carefully loaded it with her good things. Then, with a piece of cord, she moored it to the rock.
“Are ye no afeard, Miss Una?” said Hannah. “Eh, but it’s well to be young and strong, I wouldna go in there, not for all the gold and silver and the spices that King Solomon gave to the Queen of Sheba. I wouldna go in a boat, let alone swimming. Miss Una, could you no shout, and let him come for the food himself?”