home?â
âHelped with the housework.â
âWell I done that too. But I played arterwards.â
âAfter Iâd done my tasks Mamma used to let me sit on her lap while she read the Bible,â said Penitence. Her composure faltered. âIf â if Iâd been extra good, she used â she used to sing a h-hymn ââ
Here, breaking down altogether, Penitence threw herself on the bed, buried her head in the quilt and cried. She cried very much indeed.
Dido looked at her worriedly. There was little consolation to offer. Foolish, Mrs Casket may have been, but her daughter had plainly thought the world of her.
âDonât take on so,â Dido said after a while, with awkward sympathy. âWant a hankersniff? Iâve got one.â
But as Penitence made no reply, just went on crying and shivering and choking, Dido sat down on the floor by her, feeling oddly grown-up and capable and protective, and put an arm round her.
âCheer up,â she muttered. âIâll keep an eye on you. It wonât work out so bad. Youâll see.â
The small silvery head rubbed against her.
âWill you? Will you really?â
âThat I will.â
âAnd when we get home to Nantucket? Will you stay with me then? Soâs Papa donât leave me all alone with Aunt Tribulation? Iâd die if I was to be looked after by a dragon. Please?
Please!
â
The thin arms came round Didoâs neck in a tight hug, so that she could hardly breathe.
âWell â maybe,â Dido said reluctantly. âJust for a little while. You know, I dessay your Auntie Trib ainât so dragonish really. But till your pa gets you fixed up with somebody else ââ
âOh, you are kind! Youâre so much braver than I am.Iâm scared of
everything
. But youâve even been in the
sea!
If youâll â if youâll stay with me it will be much better. Will you promise?â
âAll right,â Dido said, sighing.
âWould you â would you sing something now? That song you were singing before?â
âAll right,â said Dido again. She began to sing in a small gruff voice:
âWhoâll buy my sweet lavender?
Three bunches a penny!
Fresh picked in Sevenoaks this morning,
Three bunches a penny!â
She stroked the tousled head. It lay heavily on her shoulder, and before long drooped in sleep.
Dido sat and stared at the lamp, which they had forgotten to turn out. Presently its yellow flame swelled and wavered in a blur of tears. Resolutely she blinked them away. It was stupid to be homesick when she knew her family wouldnât be missing her much anyway, if at all.
4
Encouraging Pen â the Galapagos â gamming with the
Martha â
Mr Slighcarpâs strange behaviour
â
round the Horn and back to New Bedford
â PSST! HEY! CAPâN â Capân Casket! Will you step this-away?â
Captain casket started, as Didoâs voice roused him from his usual sad reverie; he turned and saw her standing behind him.
Making sure that no one could overhear she came close to him and hissed conspiratorially:
âIâve done it! Sheâs out!â
Captain Casket appeared thunderstruck.
âOn deck?â
âNo, no, no, gaffer. Not yet. Give us time. But sheâs out in the cabin eatinâ of plum-duff and a-playinâ hopscotch. Iâll have her on deck one oâ these days, though, sâlong as you donât come creating and badgering.â
âThee is a remarkable child,â Captain Casket said solemnly.
âI say though,â Dido went on, âwhat âbout this Auntie Trib, then? She fair gives young Pen the horrors. Penthinks sheâs a dragon. Itâll be all my work for Habakkuk if Pen finds Auntie Tribâs going to have charge of her in Nantucket; sheâll snib herself up in the pantry again before you can say whale-o!â
Captain Casket looked