Felix.—"What, do you think we shall find caverns and pirates in it, like this one, Tommy?"
Smart.—"No, Sir, I'se warrant there is neer a pirate there, but it's an uncommon curious place, and like this 'un as one pea to another. The ould lady seems but baddish I consate."
This was but too true. Whether from the fright or the heat, or the unusual exertions, Madame was anything but well, and fell from one fit of hysterics to another. We could do but little to mend her, for even supposing we had had smelling salts on the island we should not have deemed it one of the necessaries to bring upon the rock. We put Zoë beside her with orders to talk to her, and tell her as many of her adventures as she could to amuse and divert her mind.
And then Jenny told us how good and brave Miss Zoë had been, and how neither of them would have been taken prisoners had it not been for that "squawking" Hargrave. Upon which Gatty and the boys declared they wished her no worse fate than to be married to one of the pirates.
Schillie (with gravity).—"I will make over to her my interest with the King."
Gatty.—"We might actually have been on board sailing away at this moment instead of frying up here, with these frightful pirates blinking and grinning at us, as if they never saw Christians before."
Sybil.—"Perhaps they never did, Gatty."
Serena.—"Jenny, did you know that we were discovered in the caverns through Hargrave? They made her a trap to catch us."
Jenny.—"Miss Zoë told me, Miss, she was afraid from what she could make out that they were going to make something out of Mrs. Hargrave. But I could not understand them at all. Nevertheless we both cautioned her as much as possible, though she was in such a sad way I doubt if she heard us. After awhile she was taken away from us, and, though I told her the last thing to be sure to be careful, and do her duty by her mistress, she screamed so I don't think she minded me one bit. The women were pretty civil, but very wild and bad looking, and I would not bear them to touch Miss Zoë, which they were trying to do all the while. And, oh, Miss Zoë was so brave, and, whenever I said you were all dead she said so too."
Gatty.—"How could you tell such fibs, Zoë? Madame will give you that odious Theresa Tidy's Nineteen Maxims of Neatness and Order, to do into German, for being so naughty."