The Little School-Mothers

“Mr Durrant has gone to the yacht,” she whispered to Harriet, “but he doesn’t wish any of us to bathe until he returns.”

Ralph, who was quite uninterested in Jane’s whispered communication now ran down to the edge of the water and began to amuse himself shying pebbles into the sea.

“Of course there will be no telegram,” said Harriet to Jane. “Father’s in all probability as well as usual, still, that was a good idea of yours, and it isn’t likely to be found out.”

“I don’t think it is likely,” said Jane. “I am awfully wicked,” she continued, “and it is you, Harriet, who have made me so. I told Mr Durrant that you were almost certain a telegram would come. It was a lie, of course, but I have done it for Bobbie’s sake, and Miriam’s sake, and now you have got to earn my five pounds for me; now is your chance.”

“But you have spoilt it with that message,” said Harriet. “Mr Durrant said we were none of us to bathe until he came back.”

“You must bathe,” said Jane. “I am going to pretend that I forgot all about the message. You must act as though you never got it.”

“Then you, Jane, will be punished.”

“I can only be in disgrace,” said Jane; “and I don’t mind if I get my money. In any case, I shan’t bathe; I am going to walk about very slowly along the beach, and will wait for you near the yacht. If any of the sailors see me, they will take me on board, and I can wait for you there. I shall be much too miserable to look on. Don’t let Ralph go far into the sea – just a wee, wee bit out of his depth: then catch him very quickly; only be sure you let Robina and the other girls see you do it. Things will be all right for us both now, won’t they?”

“Yes,” said Harriet, in an excited tone. She too felt that her chance had come. Her conscience was dulled to sleep. Not for worlds would she awaken it.

Jane immediately began to walk back to Totland Bay, and Harriet turned to the other girls who had come up now to join her.

“When,” – said Ralph, who was softly jumping up and down and holding Vivian’s hand – “when is we all going into the nice, cool, lovely blue water?”

“But where can Mr Durrant be?” said Robina.

“He said that he would come with us because the current would certainly be a little strong to-day. Perhaps we had better not bathe.”

“Oh, of course those who are frightened need not bathe,” said Harriet: “but I am going into the water for one.”

“But where is father? where is my father?” asked Ralph.

“He has gone,” said Harriet, “out of great kindness to me to find out if a telegram has come on board the ‘Sea-Gull’ to tell me about my own father, who isn’t well. Isn’t it good of him?”

“Just like father,” said Ralph. “And is your father very, very bad, Harriet?”

“Oh, I hope he is much better now,” said Harriet. “But he sometimes does get ill, and then of course I am anxious.”

“’Course you are, poor Harriet,” said Ralph, taking her hand and stroking it softly.

“Well, girls,” said Harriet, looking at the others; “who’s going to bathe, and who isn’t?”

Two or three elected to get into their bathing things, and go into the water. The little cove was absolutely sheltered. The water was like glass. Some of the children were accustomed to sea-bathing, some were not. Harriet began eagerly to question.

“Who can swim?” she asked.

“I can,” said Frederica.

“And I a little bit,” said Rose Amberley.

“And I can’t,” said Robina; “but all the same, I am going to bathe if the rest of you do.”

“And who said you were not to bathe?” asked Harriet. “It will do you good, I think, for you look so hot and dusty.”

“Yes, I believe it would do me a lot of good,” said Robina, and as she spoke she took off her hat and twisting up her thick hair, knotted it firmly at the back of her head.

The girls then packed their bathing things, and Robina, Harriet and the others prepared to get into the water. Little Ralph, looking prettier than he had ever done before, in a little tight-fitting brown bathing suit, skipped about on the edge of the waves.

“Oh! won’t it be jolly!” he cried; “won’t it be jolly in the water! Come, Harriet.”

On his lips the words were almost bubbling, “You can swim splendid,” but he kept them back.

“Let me hold your hand, Ralph,” said Robina. “We mustn’t go far because your father is not with us, and your father wouldn’t like it.”

“Nonsense!” said Harriet, who was standing up to her knees in the water, which was quite warm, and as still as possible. “Those who are cowards,” she said, “need not come on; but from the little I know of Mr Durrant, I should say that of all things in the world, he would wish Ralph to prove himself a brave boy. Come along with me, Ralph; hold my hand; poor silly Robina can’t swim, you know.”

“Can’t you, Robina? Oh, I forgot,” said Ralph. He looked pityingly at her.

“I can swim quite a little bit,” he said. “Father taught me; only I can’t keep up very long, but leastways I can float. Can’t you even float, Robina? You has to turn on your back – so.”

As Ralph spoke, he suited the action to the words, lying perfectly still on his back, his head slightly lower than his chest. Harriet laughed; put her hand under the said little head, and forced him on to his feet again.

“Why, you are a splendid boy,” she said. “You and I will see together what we can do. The water is quite warm. Now, Ralph, you know the stroke. Come along; I will help you. All of you who can swim, come with me, won’t you. I thought before I got into the water that the current might be a little strong, but I see I am mistaken. We can easily go as far as the entrance to the cove. What fun it will be to look at the outside world from the edge of the cove.”

Harriet began to swim out boldly, and Ralph for a time kept pace with her, laughing as he did so. Suddenly, a girl cried out:

“Don’t go any further, Harriet; there’s a fisherman beckoning to us. Turn back, Harriet; turn back!” Harriet turned quickly. She saw a man on the cliff gesticulating and waving his hand. She looked at Ralph. Ralph was still swimming close to her. The other girls had not even gone out of their depths. Robina, however, with her face white as death, was struggling into deep water.

“No, no!” cried Harriet. “Turn back, turn back, Robina! It’s all right – it really is. Don’t come any further, you’ll be drowned if you do!”

“Ralph, Ralph, Ralph!” pleaded Robina. “Come back to me, come back!”

The little boy looked at her and smiled.

“Don’t be frightened,” he said. “I is all right. I is just going as far as Harriet, and then I’ll swim back to you. It’s lovely in the water, it is so warm and – ”

A tiny white curling wave came up to him at that moment as though it were a play-fellow and broke over him as though it were laughing at him, and carried him imperceptibly so far from Harriet that she could no longer reach out her hand to touch him. Oh, still of course he was quite safe. He was nowhere near the entrance to the cove, and even though there was another white wave coming on, he was safe, as safe could be. But why had all the waves in a moment, as it were, got little tiny white crests on them? and why was the sea not quite so blue? and why was there a wind which took the heat out of the water? Why had all these things happened? But of course there was not the slightest danger? Still, perhaps Harriet might as well keep near to Ralph. She wanted him to be in a little bit of danger. She wanted him to cry out to her, and then she wanted to catch him and bring him back, and she wanted the people on the shore to say: “Well done, Harriet! Well done, brave, brave girl! You have saved the little chap’s life!”

So she delayed, trifling just a minute, and now another play-fellow wave – a bigger and a rougher one than the first two, caught the gallant tiny swimmer, and turned him right over this time and suddenly filled his lungs with water. Ralph threw up his arms. There was a sharp scream from the girls on the shore. Harriet saw the fisherman flying down from the cliffs above, and, turning herself, swam as fast as ever she could in Ralph’s direction. But now she was about to test her own foolhardiness, for alas! poor little Ralph had got into the current – one of those terribly dangerous currents which have wrecked not only brave swimmers, but even boats at sea when they got within the neighbourhood of the treacherous Needles.

The little brown head bobbed one minute on the surface of the waves and then disappeared. Harriet gave a frantic cry. She swam after the boy, putting out all her strength. Her hand was stretched out, and when he reappeared, she caught him by his little bathing suit.

By this time, one of the fishermen had got into the water, and a minute or two later, both girl and boy were lying exhausted on the beach.

“You did a mighty silly thing, young folks – daring to go into the water on a day like this!” said the man. “Why, little master was just drownding!”

“O Harriet!” said Frederica; “you were brave!” Harriet heard the words, and then sank away into a swoon. Had she earned her reward? These were the last thoughts she took with her into the world of unconsciousness.

When she came to herself, Mr Durrant was bending over her. Ralph, very pale, but quite well, was seated close to her side and all the other girls were gazing at her from a respectful distance.

“I don’t understand this story at all,” said Mr Durrant. “Sit up, Harriet, my dear. You have received a great shock; you must drink some of this.” He held a cup of hot coffee to her lips. One of the fishermen had brought it from his own cottage near by.