William stared at Ready, and for a moment could not speak, his excitement was so great. "Oh, Ready, how grateful I am! I trust that we may he taken away, for you have no idea how my poor father suffers in silence - and so does my mother." "I know it, William, I know it, and it is natural; they do their best to control their yearnings, and they can do no more. But now we must be quick, and at work before breakfast. But stop, I will show you the vessel." Ready caught the vessel in the field of the telescope, which he leant against the trunk of a cocoa-nut, and William put his eye to the glass. "Do you see her?" "Oh yes, Ready, and she is coming this way." "Yes, she is steering right for the island. I will put the telescope down here, and we will go about our work." William and Ready went to the storehouse for the axe. Ready selected a very slight cocoa-nut tree nearest to the beach, which he cut down, and as soon as the top was taken off with the assistance of William he carried it down to the point. "Now, William, go for a shovel and dig a hole here, that we may fix it up as a flag-staff. When all is ready, I will go for a small block and some rope for halyards to hoist up the flags as soon as the vessel is likely to see them. At breakfast-time, I shall propose that you and I get the boat out of the sand and examine her, and give Mr. Seagrave some work indoors." "But the flags, Ready; they are round my mother's bed. How shall we get them?" "Suppose I say that it is time that the house should be well cleaned, and that the canvas hangings of the beds should he taken out to be aired this fine day. Ask your father to take the direction of the work while we dig out the boat; that will employ them all inside the house." "Yes, that will do, Ready." During breakfast-time, Ready observed that he intended to get the boat out of the sand, and that William should assist him. "And what am I to do, Ready?" said Mr. Seagrave. "Why, sir, I think, now that the rains are over, it would not be a bad thing if we were to air bedding, as they say at sea; it is a fine, warm day; and if all the bedding was taken out of the house and well shaken, and then left out to air, it would be a very good job over; for you see, sir, I have thought more than once that the house does smell a little close." "It will be a very good thing, Ready," observed Mrs. Seagrave; "and, at the same time, Juno and I will give the house a thorough cleaning and sweeping." "Had we not better have the canvas screens down, and air them too?" "Yes," replied Ready; "we had better air everything. We will assist in taking down the screens and flags, and spread them out to air, and then, if Mr. Seagrave has no objection, we will leave him to superintend and assist Madam and Juno." "With all my heart," replied Mr. Seagrave. "We have done breakfast, and will begin as soon as you please."