Page:Cornelia Meigs--The island of Appledore.djvu/52

36 soul. He had been sullen and discontented ever since his arrival that morning and, if he  had made any efforts to conceal his state of  mind, they had not been successful ones. So she had sent him off in the direction of Captain Saulsby’s house and seemed not in the  least surprised or displeased that he was so  long in coming back. Old maid aunts sometimes have a way of knowing things, just from the fact that they have lived so long.

Meanwhile Billy was still sitting on the bench listening, entranced, to details of full-rigged ships, schooners, yawls, raceabouts and  dories. His head began to reel under the weight of all the knowledge poured out upon  him, so that, finally, it was only with mighty  effort that he followed what the Captain was  saying. Even the old sailor realized this at length and decided to have mercy.

“I will tell you what we can do,” he said. “We will make you a model; schooner-rigged, we will have her, with everything complete  and shipshape, so that you can learn the ropes  too well ever to forget them. No,” as Billy tried to remonstrate, “of course I will have  time. What is an old man good for, when he can’t follow the sea any longer, but to hand on