The Stolen Lake by Joan Aiken Page A

directly. Be a good child now, miss!" he said to Dido.
    "What about when they're through measuring me?" said Dido. "Can I go out to see the sights?"
    "We shall be wanting you all afternoon, missie," said Mrs. Vavasour. "For trying and fitting."
    "What? Don't I get to see the sights, not at all?"
    Both sempstresses shook their heads.
    "The streets of Tenby ain't safe for little misses," said Mrs. Morgan. "Little gels has got lost and never come home to their own kitchings."
    "Even in their gardings they ain't safe."
    "You'd do best to stay with us, dearie!" Mrs. Morgan shook her head warningly.
    "Do as they say, child," said Captain Hughes. Then he was gone.
    Dido felt much aggrieved. Captain Hughes had not offered
her
a nuncheon! And she was decidedly hungry. Furthermore, she was by no means enthusiastic about the sound of her court apparel. White mull embroidered with cattails—I shall look a right Charley in it, she thought glumly. And what possible use would it be on board ship?
    Might as well get it over with, however.
    "Ain't you a-going to measure me?" she demanded of the two women, who were indeed looking at her measuringly, but who made no move to take out their tape measures.
    "In a twinkling, dearie. Just a-waiting for the wampum."
    "Wampum?"
    "The mish, the ready, spondulicks, mint sauce! Us don't work on credit, lovie."
    What a havey-cavey pair, thought Dido. I wouldn't trust them as far as I could toss an eighteen-pounder.
    "Going to see the queen, is she? There's a lucky young lady," said Mrs. Morgan, grinning.
    "Indeed to goodness,
yes!
" agreed her daughter.
    "Many young ladies'd give their eyes—wouldn't they, Nynevie?"
    "The eyes out of their heads!"
    At this moment Mr. Windward entered the room, bearing the captain's sharkskin money bag, from which he carefully proceeded to count out a hundred gold bezants. The two women stopped laughing and watched him with close and avaricious attention; their eyes wistfully followed the bag when, having passed over the ten little heaps of ten coins, he tightened the strings, knotted them again, and took himself off.
    "Hey—Mr. Windward!" called Dido, as he was about to leave the room.
    "Well, young 'un?"
    "Is Mr. Holystone downstairs? Is he busy?"
    "He is supervising the captain's repast. Do you wish me to give him a message?"
    "Jist—when he's free—I'd be obliged if he'd get someone to fetch me a bite of prog. I'm nibblish sharp-set," Dido said disconsolately.
    Mr. Windward's long, serious face broke into a sympathetic grin as he looked at the two dressmakers waiting to start operations on Dido. He said, "Very good, young 'un, I'll tell him to have a bite sent up to you." The door clapped to behind him.
    "Well, now! Listen to Miss Throw Her Weight Around!" said Mrs. Morgan, with strong disapproval.
    "Acts as if she were Lady Ettarde herself!"
    "Little gels oughter be seen and not heard!"
    "Us had best waste no time."
    "Not a blessed minute."
    "Just you step thisaway, dearie."
    Drawing their tape measures from their belts, both women urged Dido toward the window.
    "Come here where the light's better," cooed old Mrs. Morgan, and Mrs. Vavasour said, "See that pincushion, sweetheart? See all those pins in it? Can you make out what's writ there?"
    A quantity of brass-headed pins were stuck into the fat cushion; they spelled out some word with a large number of
x
's in it. Dido, no great reader at best, shook her head.
    "Study it a mite closer, dearie—see if you can't make it out."
    Both women had her by the shoulders now; they were forcing her head down on to the pincushion. As it came closer to her face, she discovered that it had a strong, sweet, musky odor, somewhat resembling camphor, but much more powerful.
    "Hey! Lemme go!" she said, struggling; but already her head was swimming, her voice seemed to come not out of her throat, but faintly, and from a long way off.
    "
That
's the dandy! Now then, us'll jist oping this lid..."
    With immense indignation, Dido