“It seems to,” Peggy admitted sadly, but she did not like the idea of remaining all day long with Aunt Euphemia.
Church was long and hot, and then there was dinner, and then Aunt Euphemia said she would read Peggy a story. Peggy did not care about this; she wanted to go out, and yet did not dare to say so. But just as they were sitting down to read, Dr. Seaton came in, and Peggy was delighted to have the reading stopped.
“I’ve come to take Peggy with me to the harbour, if you will allow it, Miss Roberts,” he said. “I promised to take her there some day, and I have more time this afternoon than on week days.”
Aunt Euphemia was really rather pleased to get Peggy off her hands for an hour. She was feeling sleepy, and it was a bother to her to look after Peggy, so she consented to Dr. Seaton’s proposal without any difficulty.
It was not a long walk to the harbour, where there was much to see.
“I am going to take you on to a Danish ship,” Dr. Seaton said; “you will hear the men talking a queer language you have never heard before, and the captain will take you down into his cabin, I dare say.”
The Danish ship was lying close up to the quay. It was painted very bright emerald green, and Dr. Seaton pointed out to Peggy the figure of a woman made of wood and painted white which was at the bow of the ship.
“Poor lady, she goes through all the storms with her white dress. When she comes into harbour after a winter storm she is crusted over with salt from the waves,” he said.
“Why do they have a wooden lady at the end of the ship?” Peggy asked.
“Because they think it brings luck to the ship,” said Dr. Seaton.