Dr Fraser arrives with Mr Marlow, a missionary, who recognises Waihoura.—He persuades her father to allow her to remain.—Return of Mr Pemberton, who has selected his land, and begins to settle on it.—The farm described.—He leaves them again for it accompanied by Mr Spears.—Waihoura recovers and learns English, while Lucy learns Maori.—A vessel arrives with sheep, some of which the doctor buys, and are looked after by Toby.—Lucy tries to explain the Gospel to Waihoura.
“I am not quite happy about her, Miss Lucy,” said Mrs Greening, when Lucy, as soon as she was dressed, went into the hut. “If she was an English girl I should know what to do, but these natives have odd ways, which puzzle me.”
The young Maori girl lay as she had been placed on the bed, with her eyes open, but without moving or speaking. There was a strange wild look in her countenance, so Lucy thought, which perplexed her.
“I wish the doctor were here,” she said; “if he does not come soon, we will send Harry to look for him.”
“Little Tobias shall go at once, Miss,” answered Mrs Greening. “The run will do him no harm, even if he misses the doctor.”
Tobias was called, and taking his stick in hand, the young giant set off at a round trot down the hill.
Lucy sat watching the sick girl, while Mrs Greening and Betsy made preparations for breakfast. Every now and then she cast an anxious glance through the open doorway, in the hopes of seeing the doctor coming up the hill.
“Oh! how sad it would be if she were to die in her present heathen state; when should she recover, she may have an opportunity of learning the blessed truths of the gospel,” thought Lucy. “How thankful I should feel could I tell her of the love of Christ, and how He died for her sake, and for that of all who accept the gracious offers of salvation freely made to them. I must try, as soon as possible, to learn her language, to be able to speak to her.”
Such and similar thoughts occupied Lucy’s mind for some time. At length, turning round and looking through the open doorway, she saw several natives coming up the hill. She recognised the first as Waihoura’s father. The party approached the hut, and stopped before the entrance.
“Dear me, here comes some of those savage-looking natives,” exclaimed Mrs Greening. “What shall we say to them? I hope they are not come to take the poor little girl away.”