The Spanish Chest Part 32

"How did the island itself get its name?" inquired Mrs. Aldrich.

"The derivation of these charming old English names is a fascinating study."

"It was the old Roman Caesarea," said Win. "Jersey is a corruption of that. The ruined hermitage of St. Elericus is still over near Elizabeth, at least they call it that, though it's a kind of combination of a watch-tower and a cave. But the castle, as it stands, was built when Edward VI was king of England. There's a story to the effect that all the bells in the island except one for each of the twelve churches were seized by royal authority and ordered sold to help pay for building the castle. They were s.h.i.+pped to St. Malo and expected to bring a high price, but the vessel went down on the way and all the good church people thought it was because of sacrilege in taking those bells."

"What is the castle used for now?" inquired Mrs. Aldrich.

"Barracks," replied Roger. "The place is full of soldiers. It's no good now as a fortification, because Fort Regent up above St.

Helier's--over there on the cliffs--could knock Castle Elizabeth and all those wars.h.i.+ps into fits in no time. Nothing can enter the bay if the Fort Regent guns don't approve. And that heap of rocks where Elizabeth stands is 'most a mile around,--it is, honest.

Fran and Edith and I walked it."

"They say," said Win, "that the s.p.a.ce between the castle and the town was once a meadow. For that matter, they also say that the whole channel between here and France was once so narrow that the Bishop of Coutances used to cross to Jersey on a plank."

"Tell that to the marines," protested Roger. "You do find the weirdest yarns in those books you're always grubbing in."

"Oh, I can tell a bigger one than that," said Win laughing, "but perhaps you'll swallow it because your friend Bill told it to me.

He said that some time in the sixteenth century there was an abnormally low tide, lower than any one had ever known. Some fishermen who happened to be out between Orgueil and the coast of France came in and reported that they had distinctly seen down in the channel the towers and streets and houses of an old town, forty feet or more under water."

"There are stories like that in Brittany," said Mrs. Aldrich. "The fishermen declare that they can hear the tolling of the submerged church bells. Now, when legends like that exist on both sides of a channel, it stands to reason that there is likely some foundation in truth."

"Then why don't they send divers down to find out?" demanded Roger bluntly. "Any enterprising country would."

"We'll import a few Americans to do the investigating," laughed Mrs. Aldrich. "Is this Frances coming? Who is with her?"

"Edith," replied Win. "Miss Estelle's sister."

"Bless me!" murmured Mrs. Aldrich. "The other was startling enough but this resemblance is even stronger."

Win smiled. It was great fun to look on, knowing what he did of his mother's innocent little conspiracy, all the more fun because the other young people were unsuspecting.

At luncheon, where Estelle appeared with a pretty dignity, Win was supplied with still more secret amus.e.m.e.nt. Mrs. Aldrich talked a good deal, rather inconsequently at times, but continually looked from one sister to the other in a way that would have aroused suspicion had either the slightest idea that any plot was on foot.

As it was, Win saw Estelle occasionally glancing at their guest in a puzzled manner as though trying to account for something she found unexpected. After the meal he waylaid his mother.

"What is Mrs. Aldrich going to do?" he asked laughingly. "I had hard work not to give myself away during luncheon. You looked so unnatural, Mother, that if you hadn't been seasick, Fran and Roger would have caught on. As it was, they thought you weren't quite rested."

"I don't know what she is going to do," replied his mother, "but it is working as we hoped. She is strongly attracted to the girls, and Estelle confided to me that our guest in some unaccountable way, reminded her of her mother. We have done our part in bringing Carrie here; it is for her to take the next step. I rather imagine that she won't be able to hold in very much longer, though I think she is enjoying the situation."

It was not until dinner of her third day in St. Aubin's, that Mrs.

Aldrich made herself known. To please Win, who had ascertained that she chanced to have the old chain with her, she wore it when she entered the dining-room.

Win watched Estelle intently, disappointed that she did not immediately notice the ornament. Indeed, they were finis.h.i.+ng dessert before anything happened. Perhaps purposely, Mrs. Aldrich looked at her watch and Fran in all innocence touched the match that fired the explosion.

"Why, how odd!" she exclaimed. "Miss Estelle has a chain just like that one, Mrs. Aldrich."

Win and his mother exchanged a glance; the others naturally looked at the chain.

"It's precisely like it, Sister," said Edith, who sat near Mrs.

Aldrich. "Isn't that queer?"

"It's an old keepsake," said Mrs. Aldrich with deliberation. "It belonged to my mother. See, here are her initials on the slide, E.

A. for Emma Avery."

Edith looked with interest but Estelle turned pale. Thoughtful Win pushed a gla.s.s of water within reach.

"Star's has initials too," Edith remarked innocently. "A. A., I think they are. Anyway, it was Grandmother's chain."

Mrs. Aldrich turned to Estelle, who perfectly colorless, was staring at her. "Child," she said rather peremptorily, "come up to my room and let us compare these old trinkets."

Still speechless, Estelle mechanically arose. Amid dead silence the two left the dining-room. Fran turned to her mother, amazed at the look of excited pleasure on her face. "What _does_ it all mean?" she demanded. "Is it a secret?"

"Just a mild little conspiracy," replied Mrs. Thayne. "What it means, is that Mrs. Aldrich was your mother's first cousin, Edith, so she is your and Estelle's second cousin. Just by chance I guessed from Estelle's unusual chain that the one Carrie Aldrich wears came from the same source. When Estelle told me that her great-grandfather gave one to each of his two daughters, the whole thing flashed on me."

"But that," said Edith, with her sweet childish faith, "is a miracle."

"Perhaps," smiled Mrs. Thayne. "I only know that we shall leave St. Aubin's happier because you and Mrs. Aldrich have found each other out."

A shower of eager questions fell from Frances and Roger but a long time pa.s.sed before anything was seen of Estelle and Mrs. Aldrich.

When they reappeared to the group awaiting them in the drawing- room, Estelle had plainly been crying and Mrs. Aldrich's eyes looked suspiciously red.

"Come and kiss me, Edith," she said. "I want to be Cousin Carrie from now on. Yes, Estelle, she does look more like the Averys than you, though I saw the resemblance in your face also."

"Isn't the whole thing just like a story?" Frances confided to her mother at bed-time. "What do you think will happen now?"

"I don't know," admitted Mrs. Thayne. "Estelle is so very proud that it will be hard for her to accept help from any one, but Carrie will arrange things if it can be done. I know that Estelle has been dreadfully worried because some of the little money her father left her has been lost through an imprudent investment and that she has not felt sure she could manage to keep the house through another season. And yet she must find some way of supporting herself and Edith. Things will work themselves out, for Carrie is perfectly capable of inventing some very necessary work for Estelle to do, which will preserve her self-respect and let Carrie have her way. I think Carrie usually has some young person acting as secretary and Estelle could do that easily. I am not at all worried about the future since Estelle fortunately saw the resemblance to her own mother in Mrs. Aldrich. I imagine that will make it easier for her to consider whatever plan is proposed."

"Wasn't it lucky that we came here!" sighed Frances. "And doesn't it seem odd that we did come, just because Roger and I wanted to take that little train the first day and chanced to find Rose Villa? If it hadn't been for that, we might not have looked for lodgings in St. Aubin's at all, nor known Miss Estelle and Edith.

Why, Mother!" she went on, with intenser surprise in her voice.

"It's just like the House that Jack built. If we hadn't come here, we wouldn't have met the beach dog, nor known Miss Connie, nor visited the Manor, nor be hunting for the Spanish chest!"

Fran stopped, looking so comically aghast that Mrs. Thayne laughed as she kissed her.

"So much depended upon a pa.s.sing wish to take that little train!

It is remarkable on looking back, to realize how often life turns upon some apparently trivial incident, some insignificant choice."

"It's time though, that we went home, Mother," said Frances merrily. "While you were in London, Miss Estelle wanted change for half a crown, so I tipped the money out of my purse. One piece rolled on the floor and Roger picked it up, and said: 'Why, this isn't a s.h.i.+lling! What is it?' So I took it, and, Mother, both of us looked at it hard for several seconds before we realized that it was a United States quarter-dollar! Don't you think it is time that we went home?"

CHAPTER XXII

THE CHEST ITSELF

Mrs. Aldrich's stay did not exceed her limit of a week, but she left for London with Estelle's willing promise to come to her when the Thaynes returned to Boston and leaving behind her two girls with gladdened hearts. After her departure Win's interest was again concentrated on the coming of the Manor family and the search for the Spanish chest.

Twice as he came or went from his visits to the library, he saw Pierre in the distance, once actually disappearing over the cliff edge, but Easter was close at hand when Yvonne, bringing the usual lunch, volunteered the information that the Colonel, Miss Connie and Mr. Max were expected on Sat.u.r.day's steamer.

Win reported this news with joy and when the day arrived the young people began to watch for the Granville boat hours before she could possibly arrive, hoping to distinguish familiar figures on the deck. To their disappointment, when the steamer was finally detected in the distance, dusk was at hand.