Night Birds On Nantucket by Joan Aiken Read Free Book Online Page A

harassed. ‘Sister Tribulation is really a most estimable character,’ he murmured. ‘She is endowed with every Christian virtue.’
    â€˜You allus says that,’ Dido interjected.
    â€˜My poor Sarah – my poor wife never understood her. But I am sure that
thee
could persuade Dutiful Penitence to like her aunt, my child.’
    â€˜That’s as maybe,’ Dido said drily. ‘Anyhows, you better consider if there ain’t somebody else as could do the job. I’m a-warning you, see? Blimey, on an island the size of Nantucket’ – Dido had found it on the map by now – ‘there must be somebody else as could have charge of her. Now, I’m a-going to teach Dutiful P to play shuttlecock; lor, I don’t wonder the poor little tyke’s so mopish. She ain’t had no upbringing at all!’
    It took several weeks of Dido’s company and encouragement before Penitence could be persuaded on deck. Dido was too shrewd to hurry her. They played endless games in the cabin, sang songs, asked riddles, and talked, each telling the other the whole story of her life. Penitence was quite amazed by Dido’s tales of the London streets and could never hear enough about the fairs and the fights, the street markets, Punch and Judy shows, glimpses of grand people in their carriages, and the little Scottish King James III, against whom the Hanoverians were always plotting.
    â€˜Fancy living in such a great city!’ Penitence saiddreamily. ‘Why, where we lived in Nantucket it’s almost five miles to the next
house
.’
    â€˜Wouldn’t suit me,’ Dido said. ‘I likes a bit o’ life and company.’
    â€˜My mamma didn’t like it either. She came from Boston. When Papa went to sea,’ Pen confessed, ‘she used to take me for long visits to Cousin Ann in New Bedford. We didn’t stay in Nantucket much.’
    Dido had become quite fond of Pen by now – there was more in the funny little thing than met the eye – but none the less it was a relief to run up on deck now and then, to talk to Nate and joke with the sailors; after a few hours of Pen’s company she felt she wanted to shout and jump and climb into the rigging. Pen had grown absolutely devoted to her and, Dido considered, was coming out of her mopey ways very well.
    Pen still kept her quiet tastes, though; she liked to spend several hours a day doing lessons and sewing; she offered to read the Bible or hymns to Dido but this, for the most part, Dido politely refused.
    â€˜Tell you what, though,’ she suggested. ‘How ’bout asking your pa if we can invite Nate to come down and sing you some o’ his songs? He knows a rare lot, and on top o’ that he’s allus rattling off new ones. Wouldn’t you like it, eh?’
    Penitence looked doubtful. ‘Is he very big? He isn’t rough? He wouldn’t tease me or hurt me?’
    â€˜Now,
Pen
! Don’t you know me better’n that by now? Would I ask him if he was liable to do such blame-fool things? I’m
surprised
at you!’
    Pen apologized, Captain Casket’s permission was obtained, and Nate, rather bashfully, came down to thestateroom with his zither. At first Penitence trembled a good deal at the close presence of such a tall, lanky, red-headed creature, and was quite speechless with shyness. But when Nate sang:
    â€˜Oh, fierce is the Ocean and wild is the Sound
    But the isle of Nantucket is where I am bound,
    Sweet isle of Nantucket! where the grapes are so red,
    And the light flashes nightly on Sankaty Head!’ 1
    she was quite delighted, clapped her hands, and exclaimed, ‘Oh that
is
pretty! Sing it again!’
    Nate sang it again, and many others. Dido, curled up under the chart table, hugged her knees and congratulated herself. From that day, Nate was a welcome visitor in the cabin; in fact he was with them, singing a song about the high-rolling breakers