New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-10-21
CHAPTER XXXN11.

CHAPTERS AN L.
For the next few days nohng occurred worthy
OF note AT Carnoustie Castle.
Then Just as both hosts and guests were be-
ginning to feel the strain Of incessant good De
havior. and to have their condolences and COM
plants among themselves. an incident occurred
T. put new face upon everything
Captain Ainslie on returning from the moor
late afternoon stumbled over loose stone
and dlslocatcd his knee-joint.
The odd thing was according to Lady Ainslie
and her daughter in private that the accident
was genuine.
They would have thought nothing OF an OPP
perfume Illness, or the esaggeration OF some
trIflng mishap: indeed. they had been almost pre-
| pared for something Of the kind by the unusual
dulosccnce Of the young man, and the deaf ear
he turned toward family constitutions regard
ing the next move. Instead Of Fostering MS
mother with restless inquiries. instead OF mani
Testing any signs OF mpatence 10 know the
proposed day Of departure. he set about the Dust
ness Of the moment as though he had been hXed
/ forever in the spot whore he was. and on friday
morning nothing had been publicly said about
| going on the Monday. 81 even on the Iuesday'
! according To the programme first laid down .
I'VE must offer to go on Monday. thihk'
! Lady Ainse consulted with Alice, the two having
/ retired ostcnsibly to write letters In their own
| apartments. After the post comes III 'ni9 'A''.
! noon / viii g. 70 Lady Carnoustie with note
! In my hand and ask her If she can put up win
| us till Monday. and murmur something about
| tomorrow II she Is cordia-and she Is really
! very cordial and civil. have never known her
! SO pleasant think we might manage to make
It Tuesday," nterrogatively. What DO you
! think? DO you get on well? Do the girls seem
to take to you? Would they be likely TO want
| you to stay?'
"Oh. We get on all right. should think they
would be glad Of any one in this stupid old place
| q IL,
! the whole. Penelope Is some FUN
L think Il IS charming-so peaceful. 80 beauu-
ful" poor Lady Ainslie sighed. She had not
known three such quiet comfortable days Tor
| long Her husband and son taken off her hands
! Cor m" time being. and pursuing the proper aVo-
cation ~ mankind I'm ~ proper time ana place
Alice sketching and rambling about with two
nice young people OF her own age and rank; her
self free To- recline In an easy chair. ana ply
lazy tatting shuttle or occupy the corner seat
II a handsome barouche. behind a good pair OF
| horses for the daily drive-it was all luxury To
the poor woman. How invigorating were the sea
brecZcs! How appctlZinB the DELICIOUS game anu
! fruit At meals,
And Alice was getting sea-bathing-the very
thing Alice needed.
There had been no sea-bathing for any one be-
fore the Alnslies came. but Penelope had seized
| on the idea suggested by her new companion.
and the weather being warm and the sports
men on the mountain heights. Lady Carnouste
was graciously pleased To- consider that there
would be no harm in the two girls taking their
maids. equipped with suitable appliances ana
I
| the shore where they could unobseryed dsport
Themselves In the waves.
This WAS indeed the sort OF thing that Lacy
Carnoustle approved. When Penelope In hot
haste. and closely followed by her now friend.
burst into the room 10 prefer their request she
had at first been little inclined 10 draw IN her
chin and think that the eager intruiers mad Tor
gotten that all-important place which II was
her mission in life to incucate but no
sooner did she comprehend the nature OF the de-
mand than her brow relaxed.
II was such a simple. natural. child-llke peti-
ton. and. above all things she desired her chill
drcn to be simple. natural. and chtd-.ke.
| Louisa and Joanna had never cared FOR sea-
bathing and she had been Obliged 10 order them
into the water and insist upon their not crying
and being all the better for the dip arerward-
I'm spit ~ blue lips and shivering Not until the
family doctor had interviewed. consequent on a
cough on Joanna's part which could not BE- got
rid of-nnd which together with Louisa's chill
blains argued. he explained lack Of circulation
for which bathing, at any rate bathing of the
shore. not desrabe-was the ordeal aban-
doned And not without considerable reluctance
and vexaton did Lady Carnouste consent to
perceive that 1t might be as well never TO make
a trial in Minas Nina had measles about
the time her bathing should have been attended
| to. The following year she had whooping cough;
and the next saw her a delicate. growing girl.
| and Dr. NJ Whnnock pcremptory put down his
| foot upon the project IF you wish ID Kill your
daughter you can do II, my Lady, he had ex-
| claimed with the bluntness OF a physician and II
favorite: and Lady Carnoust!e. 10 do her justice.
had never thought a pin the worse Of him for II.
She always showed at her best when thus
| bearded.
| But Penelope was now emphatic In her as
surancc OF having the best circulation in the
world; Of having bathed at Folkestone and at
Eastborne. and at Hundreds of places" she
I could not remember where besides which Alice
! Ainsllc had been used her daily dip at
Roberts Tower. and was simply longing to get
| into the sea again.
Her mother also vouched for 1t that invigorat-
! Ing air. and above all sea-bathing had been
| recommended by the faculty.
Accordingly, each glorious summer morning
| a b. tufA cptf
| the distance they had 10 walk. and one thing
and another. it was luncheon time and some
! times past it they rcapppearcd
This might have been msdemeanOr but
| Lady Carnoustie had taken the bathing under
her wing. She was the person to whom the
/ laughing mermaids flew for sympathy and con-
graduation In the adventure: to her de-
tailed the description Of the enchanting little
! creek discovered among the rocks. and Of the
! crystal POOLS which the flowing tide had filed on
! every side: she was assured that the water wa3
warm. dciicious-so warm that they could hardly
come cut of it-and in the end she actually
! called upon To know at what time the tide would
BE- favorable on the following day.
AZ! Of this was So much choice fattery, most
unconsciously administered Penelope really
felt that her elderly relative had interest in
the proceeding and some perceptions of its de-
! lights; while Alice Anslie followed her lead. and
meeting with more response from the dlgnihed
matron than from her obviously antagonstlc off
! spring. perceived quickly how the land lay.
! Louisa and Joanna could scarcely hear the name
| Of bathing without a shudder; while Nina con-
fessed the idea had for her no kind Of attraction;
| but Lady Carnoustie on the other hand. expert
enced vague sense of having at last had her
| opinion OF Il wholesome exercise Endorsed and
justified
About the tide? Well. really she thought the
! gardeners the fishermen had better be con,
suited She could not take 1t upon herself To
say but OF course the tide did alter every day.
and she believed II Usually later one day
| than another. Penelope. with a queer look, in
| formed her that II was an hour later penelope
had never rested until she had made herself
mistress Of every fact concerning Its ebb and
| flow. from those best qualified to impart such
| knowledge. and the point was how should they
manage about luncheon.
| 1t was only at high tide the creek was avail
able. and the creek was much the best place
To be had and The speaker paused and looked
tuEEestivelY at her hostess