impudent air, emboldened by
his companion's merriment, half frightened at what I might say. He said
in a low clear voice, "Mama, I ate it!"

_Mother._--"Ate it, child!"

_Felix._--"Yes, Mama, I ate it every bit."

Madame sat down in triumph; the young ones made the air sound with their
laughter; Jenny looked appealingly to me. Schillie said, "What a nasty
boy." I exclaimed in horror and wonder, "Good heavens! suppose it
disagrees with him." This frightful notion spread; Jenny took to
tears--Madame was quite affected--Schillie recommended an
emetic--Hargrave rushed to put it in force--and Felix was overwhelmed
with questions as to what he felt; had he a pain?--where was his
pain?--did he feel odd?--was he sure he felt nothing?--and it was nearly
an hour ere he was suffered to go to bed, with no other remedy than a
good fright, and the next day he appeared as pert as ever, recommending
those that did not like certain lesson books to eat them up, for, after
all, he added, "books are not so nasty to eat as to learn."

CHAPTER XVII.

The time passed, to use Gatty's phrase, "fatally fast," in fact, we
heard distant murmurs and fears expressed lest our dear old captain
should return too soon. There was something so novel and unrestrained in
our present life, and we all seemed to feel we never should again have
such an opportunity of imitating the gipsies, and we were so happy and
merry, that, excepting Madame, we were none of us willing to be restored
too soon to civilized life.

Was our future fate a punishment or not, for thus presuming to decide
our own destiny? A fortnight passed. On whose heart fell first the dread
thought that something was pending over us, too horrible to be put into
words? In the dead of night, I whispered low in Schillie's ear, "Do you
think anything can have happened to the ship?" "Nonsense, who but you
would think anything so ridiculous. Do you know I think I have
discovered what these trees are. I am sure they are a species of
Banyan." "Yes," said I absently. "Yes," said she, "yes, did you say?
Then why did you not tell me before. I have never been able to sleep a
wink when I first came to bed for wondering what they could be. Just
like you." So she sulkily went off to sleep.

Another fortnight passed. No word yet was spoken, no voice had even
uttered where was the Captain, Smart, La Luna? But the Mother's face was
pale. She spent her days on the cliffs, looking out until her eyes