"Come, little girl, I've got another dose for you. I fancy you won'ttake it as well as you did the last, but you will like it better after awhile," said Dr. Alec, about a week after the grand surprise.
Rose was sitting in her pretty room, where she would gladly havespent all her time if it had been allowed; but she looked up with asmile, for she had ceased to fear her uncle's remedies, and wasalways ready to try a new one. The last had been a set of lightgardening tools, with which she had helped him put theflower-beds in order, learning all sorts of new and pleasant thingsabout the plants as she worked, for, though she had studied botanyat school, it seemed very dry stuff compared with Uncle Alec'slively lesson.
"What is it now?" she asked, shutting her work-box without amurmur.
"Salt-water.""How must I take it?""Put on the new suit Miss Hemming sent home yesterday, andcome down to the beach; then I'll show you.""Yes, sir," answered Rose obediently, adding to herself, with ashiver, as he went off: "It is too early for bathing, so I know it issomething to do with a dreadful boat."Putting on the new suit of blue flannel, prettily trimmed withwhite, and the little sailor-hat with long streamers, diverted hermind from the approaching trial, till a shrill whistle reminded herthat her uncle was waiting. Away she ran through the garden,down the sandy path, out upon the strip of beach that belonged tothe house, and here she found Dr. Alec busy with a slender red andwhite boat that lay rocking on the rising tide.
"That is a dear little boat; and 'Bonnie Belle' is a pretty name," shesaid, trying not to show how nervous she felt.
"It is for you; so sit in the stern and learn to steer, till you are readyto learn to row.""Do all boats wiggle about in that way?" she asked, lingering as ifto tie her hat more firmly.
"Oh, yes, pitch about like nutshells when the sea is a bit rough,"answered her sailor uncle, never guessing her secret woe.
"Is it rough to-day?""Not very; it looks a trifle squally to the eastward, but we are allright till the wind changes. Come.""Can you swim, uncle?" asked Rose, clutching at his arm as hetook her hand.
"Like a fish. Now then.""Oh, please hold me very tight till I get there! Why do you have thestern so far away?" and, stifling several squeaks of alarm in herpassage, Rose crept to the distant seat, and sat there holding onwith both hands and looking as if she expected every wave to bringa sudden shipwreck.
Uncle Alec took no notice of her fear, but patiently instructed herin the art of steering, till she was so absorbed in rememberingwhich was starboard and which larboard, that she forgot to say"OW!" every time a big wave slapped against the boat.
"Now where shall we go?" she asked, as the wind blew freshly inher face, and a few, long swift strokes sent them half across thelittle bay.
"Suppose we go to China?""Isn't that rather a long voyage?""Not as I go. Steer round the Point into the harbour, and I'll giveyou a glimpse of China in twenty minutes or so.""I should like that!" and Rose sat wondering what he meant, whileshe enjoyed the new sights all about her.
Behind them the green Aunt-hill sloped gently upward to the groveat the top, and all along the seaward side stood familiar houses,stately, cosy, or picturesque. As they rounded the Point, the greatbay opened before them full of shipping, and the city lay beyond,its spires rising above the tall masts with their gay streamers.
"Are we going there?" she asked, for she had never seen this aspectof the rich and busy old city before.
"Yes. Uncle Mac has a ship just in from Hong Kong, and I thoughtyou would like to go and see it.""Oh, I should. I love dearly to go poking about in the warehouseswith Uncle Mac; everything is so curious and new to me; and I'mspecially interested in China because you have been there.""I'll show you two genuine Chinamen who have just arrived. Youwill like to welcome Whang Lo and Fun See, I'm sure.""Don't ask me to speak to them, uncle; I shall be sure to laugh atthe odd names and the pig-tails and the slanting eyes. Please let mejust trot round after you; I like that best.""Very well; now steer toward the wharf where the big ship with thequeer flag is. That's the 'Rajah,' and we will go aboard if we can."In among the ships they went, by the wharves where the water wasgreen and still, and queer barnacles grew on the slippery piles. Oddsmells saluted her nose, and odd sights met her eyes, but Roseliked it all, and played she was really landing in Hong Kong whenthey glided up to the steps in the shadow of the tall "Rajah." Boxesand bales were rising out of the hold and being carried into thewarehouse by stout porters, who tugged and bawled and clatteredabout with small trucks, or worked cranes with iron claws thatcame down and clutched heavy weights, whisking them aloft towhere wide doors like mouths swallowed them up.
Dr. Alec took her aboard the ship, and she had the satisfaction ofpoking her inquisitive little nose into every available corner, at therisk of being crushed, lost, or drowned.
"Well, child, how would you like to take a voyage round the worldwith me in a jolly old craft like this?" asked her uncle, as theyrested a minute in the captain's cabin.
"I should like to see the world, but not in such a small, untidy,smelly place as this. We would go in a yacht all clean andcomfortable; Charlie says that is the proper way," answered Rose,surveying the close quarters with little favour.
"You are not a true Campbell if you don't like the smell of tar andsalt-water, nor Charlie either, with his luxurious yacht. Now comeashore and chin-chin with the Celestials."After a delightful progress through the great warehouse, peepingand picking as they went, they found Uncle Mac and the yellowgentlemen in his private room, where samples, gifts, curiosities,and newly arrived treasures of all sorts were piled up in pleasingpro-fusion and con-fusion.
As soon as possible Rose retired to a corner, with a porcelain godon one side, a green dragon on the other, and, what was still moreembarrassing, Fun See sat on a tea-chest in front, and stared at herwith his beady black eyes till she did not know where to look.
Mr. Whang Lo was an elderly gentleman in American costume,with his pig-tail neatly wound round his head. He spoke English,and was talking busily with Uncle Mac in the most commonplaceway so Rose considered him a failure. But Fun See wasdelightfully Chinese from his junk-like shoes to the button on hispagoda hat; for he had got himself up in style, and was a mass ofsilk jackets and slouchy trousers. He was short and fat, andwaddled comically; his eyes were very "slanting," as Rose said; hisqueue was long, so were his nails; his yellow face was plump andshiny, and he was altogether a highly satisfactory Chinaman.
Uncle Alec told her that Fun See had come out to be educated andcould only speak a little pigeon English; so she must be kind to thepoor fellow, for he was only a lad, though he looked nearly as oldas Mr. Whang Lo. Rose said she would be kind; but had not theleast idea how to entertain the queer guest, who looked as if he hadwalked out of one of the rice-paper landscapes on the wall, and satnodding at her so like a toy Mandarin that she could hardly keepsober.
In the midst of her polite perplexity, Uncle Mac saw the two youngpeople gazing wistfully at one another, and seemed to enjoy thejoke of this making acquaintance under difficulties. Taking a boxfrom his table, he gave it to Fun See, with an order that............