Page:Cornelia Meigs--The Pool of Stars.djvu/140

 one had concerning their friends in the white cottage, trying to come to some conclusion as to what was the matter and what could be done. Michael's doleful face seemed to give warning every day that the "feeling in his bones" was in no way diminished, and Miss Miranda appeared more and more concerned and weary.

"Miss Miranda only meant to help us remember the Barbary pirates," David was saying, "but she told us more than that. I begin to see how it is their blood, hers and her father's, to dream of progress and new things. That new engine that Mr. Reynolds is trying to develop may turn out as great a thing as the clipper ship, and may bring as many changes. And she is doing as much for it as her father, managing that he is never disturbed or troubled or discouraged. Even if he should want to give it up, I think she wouldn't let him."

"She is more like Jonathan Adams than like Humphrey Reynolds," rejoined Elizabeth, "though they were both her great-grandfathers. Jonathan's daughter married Humphrey's son and they inherited the shipyard, so she told me yesterday, and built clipper ships after him. Some of them really did sail to Europe in nine days, just as Jonathan had hoped. They made a great fortune during that time when American ships were trading with the whole world."