“I’ll try to,” promised Sidney, “and I’m ashamed dreadfully, to have been so disappointed—about everything. I’ll take the sporting chance. Of course Vick would poke no end of fun at me if she knew how different everything is. But—” with sudden determination, “Vick shall never know.” Then Sidney drew a long breath and let her thoughts revert to the Arabella.
“What is the Arabella?”
“Look beyond that schooner that’s nosing into the tide.”
“Why, that’s a real boat.”
“Oh, the Arabella’s real enough. But she’s been pensioned off—you might say; she’s enjoying a peaceful old age on a sand bar. When the tide is out she’s high and dry.”
“And she belongs to Lavender?” incredulously.
Dugald Allan laughed. “The blood of his ancestors is strong in the boy. He wanted a boat. A boat of his own—poor lad. He used to hide on the fishing schooners until they’d clear the Point. So I bought the Arabella for him. Her owner was going to chop her up for kindling wood. She serves a good purpose—and a safe one, moored out there. Lavender sails the globe on her—and nothing can harm him.
“Oh, I see—just pretend. But even that’s fun. Will he let me go with him?”
“I am sure he will. If you ask him to take you to the Caribbean Sea on his next voyage you’ll win him completely.”
“I’ll help Lavender play the game for I know lots of different places—though they’re mostly inside the map.”