The Island School — page 394: what you’re looking at

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

ey AAV id fit a Hogan) i Oy Ta me signi “beer uke iY eutey t ie ee was now ¢ on the borders of a fever. This was imparted A “to Jim about an hour after his decisive treatment of es | fy Mr. Farrell. i ig 4 “ You must not be hard on him,” pleaded Mrs. q a be Farrell, “I am sure you won't. _ At the best of times he is foolish and weak. Now he is so utterly broken “ that he is little more than a child.” “T have no desire,” replied Jim, “to be hard upon him. But you will admit, Mrs. Farrell, that the old state of things has passed away.” “ Assuredly Ido. The school as it was can never be restored.” | pyaae e pe Never, and it will be better so. Mr. Farrell, - by-and-by, when he is strong enough, will have a proposition from me, which he will, if he is wise, —aecede to. Af as they are.” } F _ «Heaven knows, Gordon,” said Mrs. Farrell, with _ tears in her eyes, “that both Eveline and myself are o ose conscious of all we owe you. But at the back g of everything there is the duty of a wife and a daughter.” - -—«Jim bowed by way of assent. ' ne “Tf Mr. Farrell were your father you would not ~ eondemn him.” “No. It would not be right for me to do so.” ps anette: Gordon, you will understand our - position.” “I understand it thoroughly, Mrs. Farrell,” said Jim; “but recent events have almost made a man of me, and J understand mine. While wishing to do what, is right and just, I can never place myself under the ruling of Mr. Farrell again.” “You would: be foolish if you did,” returned Mrs. Farrell. “But what can you Bows do? There is _ nothing for it but for you all to return home.” Jim smiled quietly, but said nothing by way He assent or dissent to this suggestion. | _ How is Senorita di Valo progressing 2” he inquired. “Much better than we could hope for, seeing how ‘seriously injured she was. The bullet seems to have glanced off one of her ribs, and passed out of her side. 1 cannot tell if the rib is broken. In her opinion it is not, which is little less than a miracle.” “She is mending, then F” “In a way, Gordon, but altering in another respect. Sheisstrangely quiet and subdued—broken, I suppose, is the exact word.” “One can hardly marvel at it,” mused Jim. - so much, and to lose all. a. me ?” “ Always in praise of you.” 41 was not thinking of her speaking in that way. ts talk of going back to her home Bue . as gh. pes on will never return.” an \ | ali r sii ; ai ie i 9 “To risk I believe she has spoken of a) ih vf it pit wat put j ’ ue for the present things must go on Se ee Lilet a e &, Fy | i, r mM we ) We sai 7 ae i PANE Ha es ‘ ‘ bl . -allthe metal utensils. “ “And chat will she do, then?” asked Ji im, surprised. “She does not say. Eveline has acquired ; a strong “ai tanee over her.” ‘*¢ Kindness could do no less.” | Sf Not kindness alone would have done it. awakened to the knowledge of having made a terrible 4 : Be mistake. But what it is I cannot tell, save that all she has done was in error.” . 3 “T think I know,” said Jim. “Now, Mrs. Farrell, — I must leave you. I wish that, when talking with Mr. Re . Farrell, you will get at his ideas of the future. Pro-— an bably he will wish to return to England.” ; ae “T do not think so,” replied Mrs. Farrell. ‘“ But as ea i soon as possible I will endeavour to make some ne * arrangement that will suit you both.” i : Jim knew what he required, and what he meant to : a we have, but said nothing more just then. On leaving me of Mrs. Farrell he went round to the back of the castle, By. | where Morse with his assistants was engaged in piling - Re up the wrecked stonework into orderly heaps. Mi | “ You want to get at the kitchen ?” said Jim, inte om rogatively. | Nt es | “That is the first idea,” replied Morse. “ Of course, si Me ; most of the things have suffered, but I hope to save Hu | Phoxe that are battered we taint can put shipshape again.” au a | “You are taking special pains with the stones.” ag ae Py) “Yes, Jim; they will be wanted again.” es iy oe | Harac and ‘Meragello were engaged in chipping off i” i the mortar and cement from the stones, using a piece i be 3 -of strong iron hooping for the purpose. Jim looked. ie ie at them cone usy 3 “Jim,” said Morse, “can’t you guess what L am thinking of ?” ; aad if 6c No. ” KY a i “You are getting dull in your old age. Now ru ie know you intend to remain for some time upon the island.” | “T told you so.” ‘ah “ And so do I, and most, if not all, of us. Now, although we shall wander a bit, in parties anv ayn z | we must have some sort of ee and the castle is— — well, it isn’t quite so nice as it was at the start.” Gi “Tt is not.” 4 “Then it comes to this, Jim. We must pail a) “9 uA home, and I propose to do it with this material for we walls. Sleery knows how to do the woodwork, the — windows, doors, and roof, and surely we shall be able A to make a snug barracks for us all,” 3 xh , fs | ‘‘ Including the Farrells ?” “Se “No. If they remain upon the island they must have a home of their own. Why, Jim, thersyit material enough here to build what we require, and & dozen houses.” sé Where i is the mortar to come ) from By Pa | i) wily ) nied ely jst Hea is i i , fi ‘ hain ; Ca ih ak a ee i ia ~ comick ae rae i 4 ; dai habe Abit Yi pai vy , ‘>