In another flash she saw the fat, comfortable person of her mother, standing at the door of Ferndale, abusing the cook. Again her eyes roamed round the sinister reality of the schooner. She suddenly felt sick to death of it all: tired, beyond words tired. Why must she be chained for ever to this awful life? Could she never escape, never get back to the ordinary life little girls lead, with their papas and mamas and ... birthday cakes? Otto called her. She went to him obediently: though with a presentiment that it was to her execution. He turned, and called Margaret too. She was in a more attentive mood than she had been the other night with the captain, Heaven knows! But Otto was too preoccupied to notice how frightened her eyes were. Jonsen had no easy task on the steamer: but Otto did not greatly relish his own. He did not know how to begin--and everything depended on his success. ‘See here,’ he burst out. ‘You’re going to England.’ Emily shot him a quick glance. ‘Yes?’ she said at last: her voice showing merely a polite interest. ‘The captain has gone onto that steamboat to arrange about it.’ ‘Aren’t we staying with you any longer, then?’ ‘No,’ said Otto: ‘you’re going home on that steamboat.’ ‘Shan’t we see you any more, then?’ Emily pursued. ‘No,’ said Otto: ‘--Well, some day, perhaps.’ ‘Are they all going, or only us two?’ ‘Why, all of you, of course!’ ‘Oh. I didn’t know.’ There was an awkward silence, while Otto wondered how to tackle the real problem. ‘Had we better go and get ready?’ asked Margaret. ‘Now listen!’ Otto interrupted her. ‘When you get on board, they’ll ask you all about everything. They’ll want to know how you got here.’ ‘Are we to tell them?’ Otto was astonished she took his point so readily. ‘No,’ he said. ‘The captain and me don’t want you to. We want you to keep it a secret, do you see?’ ‘What _are_ we to say, then?’ Emily asked. ‘Tell them ... you were captured by pirates, and then ... they put you ashore at a little port in Cuba----’ ‘--Where the Fat Woman was?’ ‘--Yes. And then we came along, and took you on board our schooner, which was going to America, to save you from the pirates.’ ‘I see,’ said Emily. ‘You’ll say that, and keep the ... other a secret?’ Otto asked anxiously. Emily gave him her peculiar, gentle stare. ‘Of course!’ she said. Well, he had done his best: but Otto felt heavy at heart. That little cherub! He didn’t believe she could keep a secret for ten seconds. ‘Now: do you think you can make the little ones understand?’ ‘Oh yes, I’ll tell them,’ said Emily easily. She considered for a moment: ‘I don’t suppose they remember much anyway. Is that all?’ ‘That’s all,’ said Otto: and they walked away. ‘What was he saying?’ Margaret asked. ‘What was it all about?’ ‘Oh shut up!’ said Emily rudely. ‘It’s nothing to do with you!’