The Island School — page 131: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

108 Romeo grinned. “Him not alone,” he said; ‘you go to sleep on dat and hab peace, missy. Me not ‘lowed to say more, being bound by de mose frightful oafs to say nuffin’.” “Tf he is not alone,” said Eveline, “I shail not be anxious about him.” She bade Romeo good-night, and glided away. The negro hastened to the kitchen, where he found his relatives anxiously awaiting him. They gave him a hearty welcome, and what was more to the point, & good supper. Macbeth men- tioned the spirits as having been on his mind during the evening, and he especially expressed his personal satisfaction at the coming home of Romeo as the great circumventor of their evil tricks. “You ress easy,” said Romeo, confidently ; “dey not come to you wif me bout de place.” After supper he had a pipe of herbs—his favourite smoke—and then, with his father and Macbeth, retired. They took with them the two sticks, which Romeo carefully crossed just outside the door. This done, they got to bed with all speed. As a day’s work in the house was pretty stiff for them, they invariably, with their minds at rest, fell asleep without delay. On this occasion they were sound in slumber in a few moments. But Romeo had not long been unconscious when a hand was laid upon his shoulder, and he was rudely awakened. His first emotion, on seeing a figure bending over him, was that of alarm: He feared that the spirits he had pretended to circumvent, and whom he had spoken of scoflingly, had come to avenge a long series of thwartings and insults. But, by the light of a Jamp the night visitor car- ried, he saw that it was Mr. Groby, and was awake and alert in a moment. “YT want to know where you have been to-night,” demanded the master. | ‘Out fishin’,” replied Romeo. “What have you caught P” “Nufiin’.” ‘Don’t he to me!’ -said Mr. Groby, fiercely. It was a fact that Romeo, previous to his going to the castle, had laid out a few night-lines off the shore by the boats, and he repeated his assertion. “ Me lay out de lines,” he said, “and de fish come when dey choose, any time afore mornin’.” ‘“ Have you seen Gordon ?” asked the master. “Yes, massa.” “Where ?” “ Jess as he was comin’ out ob de pose-ofiice. He say him repole am ober, and he go juss where he like, and be jiggered to you.” . The last part of the sentence was fiction, conceived VHE ISLAND SCHOOL. and executed by Romeo from a sincere desire to aggravate his interlocutor. Mr. Groby bit his lip. “Is that all he said ?” “He went away immediately dem words pass him ~ lips.” “Which way did he go ?” Romeo hesitated. Mr. Groby impatiently shook him again. “Did he go towards the path leading to ‘the castle P” ‘He might hab done so,” answered Romeo. ‘Me didn’t see him go de oder way.” * “You can tell me no more than that 2” “‘ Nothin’ more, massa.” Mr. Groby, who was attired in a dressing-gown, and looked very tall and weird by the light of the small lamp he carried, left the room, closing the door with a bang behind him. “Goodness! what dat?” cried Macbeth, waking up with a start. “Hush,” said Romeo, “it all right now. One of de spirits not see de cross-sticks and come in, but de moment me mention to him de fack dat dey was dere, de beggar clare out wif a rush. Dere not de lease chance ob him comin’ back agen.” “What a mercy it was you come home to-night, Romeo !” breathed the old nigger. “It was,” assented the veracious Romeo; “ you be tankful, and go to sleep agen.” Macbeth was thankful, and, in accordance with a sound constitution, was soon asleep once more. Early in the morning Mr. Groby was up. He was before the three negroes, and Romeo, on his way to the kitchen, encountered him. The master had the key of the class-room in his hand. ‘Fine mornin’, sir,” said Romeo. “It is always a fine morning here, you fool,’ was the ungracious reply. “Fool yourself,’ muttered Romeo, hurrying away,’ ‘as you soon find out.” Mr. Groby unlocked the class-room door and looked in. The first aparment was quite bare. He hurried into the second one, and that was empty also. The window at the back stood open, and the bar that was lying on the floor explained everything. “Gone to join Am,” he muttered ; “ but the beds could never have been brought here. Let me think for a moment: it was Hamlet, I believe, who pro- fessed to place them here.” He hastened out, and sought the two elder negroes in the kitchen. Hearing from Romeo that it was a little early for them to be up, he looked for them m their chamber. They were dressing as he unceremoniously entered. “Which of you put the bedding in the class-room last night ?” he demanded. nN ‘s.co (Se 0) Cc 900 mn . ~~ 2