Page:Cornelia Meigs--The island of Appledore.djvu/114

96 curves and flourishes; the words, even the  letters belonged to a foreign language. Billy felt that he ought to recognize it, but in the  half-light of the big room could not make it  out. The dust was thick upon the pages, so they must have been there some time; most  probably he had merely failed to notice them  when he had been there before.

Captain Saulsby was less restless now than he had been, and seemed to be growing quieter  and more contented, even drowsy. Billy thought that he had better wait a little before  he set out for the Shutes’, that it would be better to let the old man fall asleep so that he  might not know he was being left alone. He sat down upon the floor to wait until the Captain should drop off.

It did not seem at all unpleasant to be resting a little for, oh, Heavens, how tired he was! He was still sore and aching from his hours in the water; he had not slept so very long during  the night; the very excitement and novelty  that had kept him up so far, had worn him  out and made his present exhaustion more  complete. He thought it would do no harm if he just lay down, with his coat rolled up  for a pillow, perhaps it might make the cap-