“There, Effie,” cried Mrs. Cossart, beaming, “isn’t that a charming plan?”
Effie pursed up her lips and gave her head a little toss.
“I don’t know till I’ve tried. I thought it always rained up at the Mount. I see the clouds come down every day about noon. But I’ll come if you want me; if I do get wet, I do. I don’t care so very much. If I do get a bad night afterwards it won’t kill me, I daresay!”
“Oh, we’ll take care of you!” cried Ronald, laughing. “Guy is going; and he isn’t to get wet either; so we’ll make love to the clerk of the weather. But the mornings are almost always fine even up there. It’s in the afternoon the clouds come down.”
Sheila was delighted to think of going on this excursion. So far, although they had now been several weeks in the island, she had seen very little. The Cossarts liked to take things quietly, and there was plenty of time, they kept saying, to see everything.
The few rides with Effie had not been particularly exhilarating, as she had been nervous and dissatisfied with the horses, and though Ronald had gone prospecting about, the Dumaresqs and Miss Adene had been content for the most part with the pleasures of the garden; and so Sheila’s opportunities for sight-seeing had been but few.
However, nothing could have been more favourable than the weather the next day. Fine as it almost always was down in Funchal, there were days when the hills and mountain peaks were wrapped in cloud, and those who ventured up their sides were speedily wet through. But to-day all was clear and bright and sunny; and as the little railway train climbed puffing up the steep track, the air seemed to grow more and more clear and buoyant, and Sheila laughed aloud from pure gladness of heart.
All the Dumaresqs were of the party, including little Guy, who clung close to Sheila, and who was her especial care. Miss Adene went with them, “to keep them in bounds,” as she said, and Ronald and Effie completed the party. Perhaps Ronald felt he had rather neglected the delicate girl, whose pleasures seemed few and far between; for he constituted himself her cavalier that day; gave her his hand over any rough ground; pointed out the various objects of interests, and promised to be her companion in the running carro for the descent.
The air felt fresh and almost cold when they left the train. Sheila drank in long breaths with keen delight.
“It is almost like being in England again! I do love the lazy heat down below; but it is delightful to get up here where one feels like running and jumping!” and forthwith she and little Guy began chasing each other in and out amongst the trees and zigzag paths, till Miss Adene called to them that they were going up to the church, and told them to follow.