thew's own father had been a captain in the Royal Navy and she had
had one brother, a midshipman, who was drowned in trying to save the
life of his friend. By all accounts the Carthews must have lived in as
wonderful a house as was ever known. From the windows it was possible to
look down into the very sea itself, and from the front door, all
wreathed in roses, ran a winding path edged with white stones down to
the foot of the cliff. Day and night great ships used to sail from the
harbour, some outward bound with the crew singing in the cool airs of a
summer morning, some homeward bound, battered by storms. Miss Carthew,
when a little girl, had been the intimate friend of many coastguards,
had been allowed to peep through their long telescopes, had actually
seen a cannon fired at close quarters. Before her own eyes the lifeboat
had plunged forth to rescue ships and with her own hands she had caught
fish on quiet sunny mornings and on windless nights under the moon. Her
most valuable possession, however, must have been that father who could
sit for hours and never tell the same tale twice, but hold all who heard
him entranced with a narrative of hostile Indians, of Chinese junks, of
cannibals and wrecks and mutinies and bombardments. It was sad to hear
that Captain Carthew was now dead: Michael would have been glad to make
his acquaintance. It was sad to hear that the Carthews no longer lived
in the West within the sound of waves and winds; but it was consoling to
learn that they still lived in the depth of the country and that some
time, perhaps during this very next summer, Michael should certainly pay
Mrs. Carthew a visit. He would meet other Miss Carthews, one of whom was
only fourteen and could obviously without ceremony be hailed immediately
as Nancy. Of Joan and May, who were older, Michael spoke in terms of the
familiar Christian name with embarrassment, and he was much perplexed in
his own mind how he should address them, when actually they met.

"I wish you were going to take us away for our holidays to the seaside,"
Michael said.

"Perhaps I will another time," Miss Carthew replied. "But this year you
and Stella are going with Nurse, because Stella isn't going to begin
lessons with me till you go to school."

"Am I really going to school?"

"Yes, to St. James' Preparatory School," Miss Carthew assured him.

In consideration of Michael's swiftly approaching adventure, he was
allowed to take in the Boy's Own