World of Bo

e door from the outside, lifted the child to his shoulders, and turned his face towards the south. When he passed through Laxey the sun stood high, and the dust of the roads was being driven in their faces. It was long past noon when he came to Douglas, and at a little shop by the harbor-bridge he bought a penny worth of barley cake, gave half to Su

covered with dust. The child on his shoulder was begrimed and dirty, his little face smeared in streaks, his wavy hair loaded and unkempt. A footman in red and buff, powdered, starched, gartered and dainty, opened the door. Stephen Orry asked for the Governor. The footman looked out with surprise at the bedraggled man with th

y through he had been patient and cheerful, the brave little man, never once crying aloud at the pains of his long ride, never once whimpering at the dust that blinded him, or the hea

e a silvery peal of child's laughter came from within the house, and little Sunlocks dropped the barley cake from his mouth to

live in a house like t

th my f

d the footman, with a taper in his hand,

re still?

o see the Governor,"

nd a child were sitting in the porch, talking some foreign lingo

in," said

ouds. His wife, Ruth, had drawn her chair aside that she might kn

n, your Excellency

hen Orry," sai

that word of welcome. The foot

ll come to have give you something,"

elf laid down his pipe and held out his hand towards Sunloc

ll have got to

it?" sa

and passed little Sunlocks

ed to him. And then with a moistened eye and a glance at Sunlocks, and in a lowered tone as if fearing the child might hear, he spoke of what he meant to do now-of how he would go back to the herrings, and maybe to sea, or perhaps down into the mines, but never

d often, 'The Governor is a good man and kind to me lon

as he spoke, and being now finished he

erself up, took a long breath, looked first at Stephen, the

oul ever hear the like

mean, poor Stephen looked back at her, in

" she said, and gave a lit

orked its way through Stephen's slow wit, an

ll I hav

harply, "but we might have every

, his parted lips quivered, and again he

ma'am, more nor

she answered, hotly; and after that

, never more to be cheered by his sunny face and merry tongue, never again to be wakened by him in the morning, never to listen for his gentle breathing in the night, never to

hung down and the great lumps surging hot in his throat, and then,

mming eyes, and now he drew little Sunlocks y

faggots will burn better than one, and this sw

hildren enough of your own, but y

should have been better pleased, so they had all been as strong and hearty; and

House by way of Lague, and while Stephen had spoken Adam had remembered the story, and thinking of it he had

ter with the merry-begot of any ragabash that c

are going to keep the little one," and at t

door and from the door to Adam, as much as to say that if his coming had brought strife he was ready to go. But the Governor waved his hand, as though following h

ephen Orry; "but I

a good name too. A

r ye

rnor; and setting the child on his feet he rang

ps and sparkling brown eyes, came racing into the room. She was in her nightg

or, and he brought the children face to

its course, and then Sunlocks, never heeding his dusty pinafore, or the little maiden's white nightgown, but glancing down at her bare feet, and seeming to remember that when his own were shoeless someone carried him, stepped up to her, put his arms about her, and with lordly, masc

olding out her doll in a sidelong way in his direction, as much as to say he might look at it if he liked, only he must not think that she

a slate with a pencil and sponge tied to it by a string, a picture-book whereof the binding hung loose, some bits of ribbon, red and blue, and finally three tiny cups and saucers with all the accompanying wonder of cream jug and teapot. In three minutes more two little bodies were sitting on their haunche

in some way that he could not follow there had come to him at that sweet sight the same deep yearning that had pained him

ime for me t

m, unnoticed of the bu

eship, and had then nestled down his sunny head on the pillow where little Greeba's curly poll also lay, with the doll between him and her, and some marbles in his hand to comfort h

Fairbrother was newly returned from Barbary, and his adventures abroad were the common gossip and speculation. But Adam had disappointed her ambition at the outset by dropping into the ruts of a homely life. Only once had she lifted him out of them, and that was after twenty years, when the whim and wisdom of the Duke had led him to visit Lague; and then her impatience, her importunity, her fuss and flurry, and appeals in the name of their children, had made him Governor. Meantime, she had borne him six sons in rapid succession during the first ten years of marriage, and after an interval of ten other years she had borne a d

it breathes, and Sunlocks had not been too young to feel the grimy cold of the atmosphere in which he had been born. But now he had opened like a rose to the sun, and his cheeks were ruddy and his eyes were bright. He had become plump and round and sturdy, and his hair had curled around his head and grown yet warmer of hue, like the plume

th their little whims, their little ways, their little tiffs, and with the little sorrows that overcast existence. And Sunlocks picked up his English words

evealing already their little differences of character, and showing what they were to be in days to come-the little ma

ht as the sunlight that glistened on her head, her cheeks all pink and white, her eyes sparkling under her dark lashes, her brown hair rippling behind her, her frock tucked up in fishwife fashion, her legs bare, and her white linen sunbonnet swinging in her hand, was chasing a butterfly amid the yellow-tipped gorse that grew by the roadside. That vision of beauty and health

so much younger than her brothers, was like an only child in the family, and that she was in any case an only daughter. But Adam's wife, thinking she saw her opportunity, found many reasons why Greeba should be allowed to go. For would it be right to cross the wish of so great a lady?-and one, too,

ften yielded before. "But I'll sadly miss my little lassie," he

looked troubled, the little maid he

lly like to go to

ladies on horseback, and the shops, and

, my ven,

O

plendor of her new bow and feather, and her dark

, you know, Greeba ven; n

life had no real sorrow for one with such a hat and such a prospect,

away, Gree

d bounded off in chase of Michael Sunlocks, that she might tell him the great new

his wavy yellow hair rough and tangled, Michael Sunlocks was now seated bareback on this donkey, tugging the rope that served it for curb and snaffle, and persuading it, by help of a blackthorn stick, to cross the river to the meadow opposite. And it was just

and Michael Sunlocks, pausing from his labors, sat on his docile

e ladies on horseback, and the ships,

king her eye down as she spoke at her reflection in the smooth river, for it

ften and lots of goodies and things; and-and didn't

g of, you silly?" sa

, and you are not; and I'll have gir

more. His eyes overflowed, but

you like," and then down came his stick w

rider into the water. Michael Sunlocks scrambled to his feet, all dripping wet, but with eyes aflame and his little lips set hard, and then laid ho

od trembling with clasped hands on the bridge, and, when all was over, the little man tu

ned, you silly? Why don't

help the little maiden to withstand indiffer

say so, if you ar

Not that I say I'm not, neither," he adde

uld have cried," and then, to save herself from bursting

another thwack on the donkey, and away he sped across the meadow. But before he had r

is little voice broke, but

gain, more loudly, bu

with all his streng

umming in the gold of the gorse, and the fireflies were buzzing about th

ron gates of Government House, and the little maiden seated in it by t

unlocks! Lit

ng for Greeba, the girl's absence from home led Adam to do the more for Michael Sunlocks. Deprived of his immediate object of affection, his own little maiden, Adam lavished his love on the stranger whom chance had brought to

face. Year followed year, his school days came and went, he became more and yet more the Governor's quick right hand, his pen and his memory, even his judgment, and the staff he leaned on. It was "Michael Sunlocks" here, and "Michael Sunlocks" there, and "Michael Sunlocks will see to that," and "You may safely leave it to Michael S

an unnatural preference of a father for a stranger before his own children; and foremost among those who took th

econd son, and Stean, the third, both cruel and hot-blooded men, reproached Asher with not objecting from the first, for "Och," they would say, "one of these fine days the ship will be wrecked and scuttled before yer very eyes, and not a pound of cargo left at her; and all along of that cursed young imp that's after sniffin' and sniffin' abaft of the ould man,"-a figure of speech which meant that Adam would will his belongings to Michael Sunlocks. And at that conjecture, Thurstan, the fourth so

ch by crime, and, maybe, by blood. The evil rumors made no impression on old Adam, but they produced a powerful effect where no effect had been expected. Bit by it, as his heart went out to the Governor, there grew upon Michael Sunlocks a deep loathing of the very name and thought of his father. The memory of his father was now a thing of the mind, not the

preservation. His story, intended for Michael's ear alone, was that Stephen Orry, flying from the officers of the revenue cutters, was on the point of leaving the island forever, and must see his son be

lad, in fear of his father, fell into the trap, and was taken prisoner on suspicion in a gig making for the ship. He confessed all to the Governor, and Nary Crowe was arrested. To save his own c

e island would ever remember it against him, his placid spirit forsook him and his wrath knew no bounds. But the evil was not ended there, for Mrs. Fairb

epths. The taunt passed him by,

many years of life together, with seven children that should be

to go with her sons, and never a

id Adam, "and have holpen me through many troubles, and w

rother was not

for sake of peace he asks it-yet to show you that I mean no wrong by my own flesh and blood, this is what I will do: I have my few hundreds for my

nd Mrs. Fairbrother went away to Lague, leaving

r him, often turned yearningly towards thoughts of his daughter Greeba, so that at length he said, speaking of

r house in London, and a few days

at sunrise to make the last stage of his journey to Castletown. He was riding Goldie, the Governor's little roan; the season was spring, and the morning, fresh from its long draught of dew, was sweet and beautiful. But Michael Sunlocks rode heavily along, for he was troubled by many misgivings. He was asking himself for the hundredth time whether it was right of him, and a true man's part, to suffer him

ut knowing what he did, or why he did it, but taking himself at his first impulse, he drew rein, and Goldie came to a stand on the mossgrown pathway. Then he knew that two were talking together a little in front of him, but partly hidden by a turn of the path and the thick trammo

fine English tongue at him, and clever extraordinary. Him and me's same as brothers, and he was mortal

was said next Michael Sunlocks did not catch, but only heard the voice that a

ong; and as for a face, maybe there's not a man in the island to hold a candle to him. Och, no, nor a woman neither-savin

e that there was a flutter in front of him, and a soft tread on the silent moss, and before he could catch back the lost consciousness of that moment, a

face luminous, with the dark eyes softened and the dimpled cheeks smoothed out. She was bareheaded, and the dark fall of her hair was broken over her ears by eddies of wav

lt his cheeks burn red. But her eyes were shy of his, and nothing she saw but the shadow of Michael's tall form above her and a glint of the uncovered shower of fair hair that had made him Sunlocks. She turned her eyes aside a moment, then quickly recovered

Chalse A'Killey's heavy feet going off, and, the

t away-are you sorry that

urned towards the stable. In the cowhouse the kine were lowing, over the half-door a calf held out his red and white head and munched and munched, on the wall a pe

this may be the end of all partings between them and me." That chanced to be the day before Good Fri

age, rough of dress, bearded, tanned, of long flaxen hair, an ungainly but colossal creature. Whe

Adam, in a voice that trembled and broke. "

is arms as if to embrace him. But a pitiful look of shame crossed his face at that moment, and his arms fell again. At the

away into his own country

en years after Stephen Or