Then they named the places they had seen. The reef Helen had discovered
off the northwest coast they called "White Water Island," because of the
breakers. Then came "Seal Bay," "Palm-tree Point," "Mount Lookout" (this
was the hill due south of where they lived). They called the cane-brake
"Wild Duck Swamp," and the spot where they lunched "Cochineal Clearing."
The mountain was named "Mount Cavity."
"But what shall we call the capital of the kingdom--this hut?" said Miss
Rolleston, as she leaned over him and pointed to the spot.
"Saint Helen's," said Hazel, looking up; and he wrote it down ere she
could object.
Then there was a little awkward pause, while he was busily occupied in
filling up some topographical details. She turned it off gayly.
"What are those caterpillars that you have drawn there, sprawling over my
kingdom?" she asked.
"Caterpillars! you are complimentary, Miss Rolleston. Those are
mountains."
"Oh, indeed; and those lines you are now drawing are rivers, I presume."
"Yes; let us call this branch of our solitary estuary, which runs
westward, the river Lea, and this, to the east, the river Medway. Is such
your majesty's pleasure?"
_"La Reine le veut,"_ replied Helen, smiling. "But, Master Geographer, it
seems to me that you are putting in mountains and rivers which you have
never explored. How do you know that these turns and twists in the stream
exist as you represent them? and those spurs, which look so real, have
you not added them only to disguise the caterpillar character of your
range of hills!"
Hazel laughed as he confessed to drawing on his fancy for some little
details. But pleaded that all geographers, when they drew maps, were
licensed to fill in a few such touches, where discovery had failed to
supply particulars.
Helen had always believed religiously in maps, and was amused when she
reflected on her former credulity.
CHAPTER XXXIII.
HELEN'S strength was coming back to her but slowly; she complained of
great lassitude and want of appetite. But, the following day having
cleared up, the sun shone out with great power and brilliancy. She gladly
welcomed the return of the fine weather, but Hazel shook his head; ten
days' rain was not their portion--the bad weather would return, and
complete the month or six weeks' winter to which Nature was entitled. The
next evening the appearance of the sky confirmed his opinion. The sun set
like a crimson shield; gory, and double its usual size. It entered into a
thick bank of dark violet cloud that lay on the horizon, and seemed to
split the vapor into rays, but of a dusky kind; immediately above this
crimson the clouds were of a brilliant gold, but higher they were the
color of rubies, and went gradually off to gray.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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