Night Birds On Nantucket Read Online Free Page A

sometimesget a glimpse of her and through which a basin of water may be passed.’
    â€˜Well, my Ma would soon clobber me if I went on in such a way,’ said Dido frankly. ‘And if you was to ask me,
I
think she sounds touched in the upper works. But I can see what you wants. You wants me to put the wheedle on her and make her come out, ain’t that so?’
    â€˜Yes, my child. Thee has guessed right. I have a hatred of violence or trickery; I would not force her to come out. But if thee can somehow
persuade
her . . .’
    He looked at Dido hopefully, and added: ‘After all, we did pull thee out of the sea. We saved thy life.’
    â€˜Yes,’ muttered Dido ungratefully, ‘and if you hadn’t I might a bin picked up by an English ship and safe home now, instead o’ freezing at the fishy back end o’ nowhere. Anyways, why didn’t you ask Nate or Mr Pardon to have a go with the little girl?’
    Captain Casket appeared slightly embarrassed. At last he said, ‘My child, I tell thee this in confidence. The crew are not aware that Penitence has locked herself up in this way. They – they believe that she is ailing. To have it known that she defies me would be bad for discipline. Thee –’ he gazed at her anxiously – ‘thee will not divulge what I have told thee, my dear?’
    â€˜Oh,
now
I twig your lay,’ Dido said. He looked bewildered. ‘I see why you been so havey-cavey about her. All right, I’ll keep mum. And I don’t mind having a try.’
    â€˜Thee is a good child. I am truly grateful,’ Captain Casket said almost humbly. ‘I feel thee may succeed where I have failed.’
    Dido gave him a sharp look. ‘Ain’t trying to butterme up, are you? If I manage to wheedle her out in the fresh air, so you ain’t shamed when we gets to port and she won’t come out, will you see I gets a passage on the fust ship that’ll take me back to England?’
    â€˜Anything in my power I shall do,’ he assured her quickly. ‘As soon as we return to New Bedford I shall inquire about sailings.’
    â€˜What’ll happen to Dutiful Penitence – glad
I
wasn’t saddled with such a handle – then?’
    â€˜Oh, my sister Tribulation will look after her,’ Captain Casket said, avoiding her eyes. ‘Now I must leave thee to oversee the cutting-in. Goodbye, my child. Thee may have the use of my stateroom. I will move into Mr Slighcarp’s cabin.’
    As he walked aft, rather fast, Dido stared after him thoughtfully. Why had he been so anxious to get away? Somehow she felt that, although he seemed a good man, she could not entirely trust Captain Casket. He had more in his mind than he had told her. And she thought poorly of him for allowing his daughter to get the upper hand in so decided a way. Weak, she thought. He means well but he’s weak. That’s the sort that allus lets you down in the end.
    Still, she thought, I can look after meself. I’m a big girl now, near as big as Simon. And she surveyed her extra six inches with pride before squatting down, chin on fists, to consider the problem of how Dutiful Penitence Casket was to be persuaded out of her shell.

3
Talking to Penitence – the veiled lady – hopscotch – Dido makes a promise
    LONG AFTER DARK had fallen Dido was still squatting on the quarter-deck, her brow wrinkled in thought. Twice since her talk with Captain Casket she had gone below, tapped on the panel in the captain’s stateroom and tried to persuade the hidden occupant of the little room beyond to come out. Her first attempt had met with no response; next time the only reaction had been a fierce, miserable whisper from behind the panel:
    â€˜Go away. Go
away
! Whoever you are I shan’t come out. I know you’re only trying to trick me to go up on deck and be drowned!’
    Dido saw that she would have to be clever.
    â€˜What