Big, brown-bearded James did as he was told. And Lotty was made to promise that if ever she came to Shepherd's Bush she would pay Capstan Cottage a visit, where she, this burly skipper's wife, lived when her husband was far at sea.
But as she made this promise, little did Lotty think how soon she would meet this kindly woman once again.
. . . . . . .
They say it is an ill wind that blows nobody good. The storm that caused the sad and awful wreck of the good bark Cumberland had been by no means an ill-wind to the showman Biffins Lee. No one knew better than he did how to take advantage of a windfall. Immediately after the disaster his people had all to work extra time. No extra pay—that was quite another matter. But the Queerest Show had to be got into full swing, for hundreds of people from all directions flocked towards it, not only to see the scene of the wreck and to pick up souvenirs thereof on the beach, but to see Lotty the heroine, or to listen to the story of her daring and courage from the lips of Biffins Lee; for the girl herself was far too modest and shy to say one word concerning it. In fact, she thought very little about the matter, and could not have been made to believe that she had given evidence of any extra courage in doing what she had done. She knew from the first that in her Jenny Wren there would be no great difficulty in taking out a few rockets to the stranded ship, and she did so. Of course, it had been a little awkward getting alongside, and all that; but then—well, she was successful, and that perhaps as much by chance, she thought, as her own good management.
She shrank instinctively, therefore, from being made a hero of, and lionised; and when she saw newspapers effulgent with flowery language descriptive of her deed of daring, and calling her the second Grace Darling, and all that, she could have torn the pages out and burned them. Indeed, that is precisely what she would have done, only the papers belonged to the show and not to her.
But Biffins Lee had extracts made from these articles, printed in big, attractive capitals, and posted up near to the show, and great posters here and there at roadsides, with big black hands and pointing fingers on them:
THIS WAY TO THE QUEEREST SHOW ON EARTH.
————
GRACE DARLING,
WHO SAVED THE CREW OF THE 'CUMBERLAND.'
EVERY VARIETY OF AMUSEMENT,
SERIOUS AND COMICAL.
BEARS, APES, LIVING SKELETON, AND
THE DREADED DOOROOCOOLIE.
ONLY LIVING MERMAN IN THE WORLD.
Well, Lotty could not help this; but when told that she must appear on the stage in front of a specially prepared scenic screen—rocks, sea, and wrecked ship, with the little Jenny Wren bounding over the waves, and she in it; and that, moreover, she must dress as 'Grace Darling Redivivus' and describe her adventure, then for the first time in her life she became a beautiful but tearful little rebel.
'Father, father,' she cried, 'I cannot, will not do this!'
'Will not, eh? Well,' was the reply, 'and when I tell you that you must and shall, what is your answer to be?'