“I do not like to leave him, all wet, and so tired that I could knock him over with my little finger,” exclaimed Oliver. “But he won’t trust me about any thing.”
“There is father again! Tell him,” cried Mildred.
Both children shouted that Roger was here, and pointed behind them; but it was plain that their father could not make out a word they said, though they had never called out so loud in their lives. Roger heard them, however, as they judged by seeing him skulking among the trees behind, watching what use they were making of his name.
The children thought their father was growing very anxious. He still waved his hat to them, now and then, when he looked their way; but they saw him gazing abroad, as if surprised that the rush of waters did not abate. They observed him glance often round the sky, as if for signs of wind; and they longed to know whether he thought a wind would do good or harm. They saw him bring out, for the third time, a rope which he had seemed to think too short to be of any use; and this appeared to be the case, now as at first. Then he stooped down, as if to make a mark on the side of the white door-post (for the water had by this time quite hidden the steps); and Oliver thought this was to make out, for certain, whether the flood was regularly rising or not. They could not imagine why he examined so closely as they saw him do the door lintel, and the window-frame. It did not occur to them, as it did to him, that the mill might break down under the force of the current.
At last it was clear that he saw Roger; and from that moment, he scarcely took his eyes from his children. Oliver put his arm round Mildred’s neck, and said in her ear,—
“I know what father is watching us for. He is afraid that Stephen is here too, and no one to take care of us;—not even Ailwin.”
“Perhaps Stephen is here,—in the wood,” cried Mildred, in terror. “I wish this water would make haste and run away, and let us get home.”
“It cannot run faster than it does. Look how the waves dash along! That is the worst of it:—it shows what a quantity there is, where this came from. But I don’t believe Stephen is here. I have a good mind to ask Roger, and make him tell me.”
“No, don’t, Oliver! Stephen may be drowned. Do not put him in mind.”
“Why, you see he does not care for anything. He is teasing some live thing at this minute,—there, on the ground.”