"Yes—
she's a dear, isn't she? Well— all right— I'll tell you how Kirrin Castle belongs to me.
Come and sit down here in this corner where nobody can hear us."
They all sat down in a sandy corner of the beach. George looked across at the little island in the bay.
"It's like this," she said. "Years ago my mother's people owned nearly all the land around here. Then they got poor, and had to sell most of it. But they could never sell that little island, because nobody thought it worth anything, especially as the castle has been ruined for years."
"Fancy nobody wanting to buy a dear little island like that!" said Dick. "I'd buy it at once if I had the money."
"All that's left of what Mother's family owned is our own house, Kirrin Cottage, and a farm a little way off— and Kirrin Island," said George. "Mother says when I'm grown-up it will be mine. She says she doesn't want it now, either, so she's sort of given it to me. It belongs to me. It's my own private island, and I don't let anyone go there unless they get my permission."
The three children stared at her. They believed every word George said, for it was quite plain that the girl was speaking the truth. Fancy having an island of your very own!
They thought she was very lucky indeed.
"Oh Georgina— I mean George!" said Dick. "I do think you're lucky. It looks such a nice island. I hope you'll be friends with us and take us there one day soon. You simply can't imagine how we'd love it."
"Well— I might," said George, pleased at the interest she had caused. "I'll see. I never have taken anyone there yet, though some of the boys and girls round here have begged me to. But I don't like them, so I haven't."
There was a little silence as the four children looked out over the bay to where the island lay in the distance. The tide was going out. It almost looked as if they could wade over to the island. Dick asked if it was possible.
"No," said George. "I told you— it's only possible to get to it by boat. It's farther out than it looks—and the water is very, very deep. There are rocks all about too— you have to know exactly where to row a boat, or you bump into them. It's a dangerous bit of coast here. There are a lot of wrecks about."
"Wrecks!" cried Julian, his eyes shining, "I say! I've never seen an old wreck. Are there any to see?"
"Not now," said George. "They've all been cleared up. Except one, and that's the other side of the island. It's deep down in the water. You can just see the broken mast if you row over it on a calm day and look down into the water. That wreck really belongs to me too."
This time the children really could hardly believe George. But she nodded her head firmly.
"Yes," she said, "it was a ship belonging to one of my great-great-great-grandfathers, or someone like that. He was bringing gold— big bars of gold— back in his ship—and it got wrecked off Kirrin Island."
"Oooh— what happened to the gold?" asked Anne, her eyes round and big.
"Nobody knows," said George. "I expect it was stolen out of the ship. Divers have been down to see, of course, but they couldn't find any gold."
"Golly— this does sound exciting," said Julian. "I wish I could see the wreck."
"Well— we might perhaps go this afternoon when the tide is right down," said George. "The water is so calm and clear today. We could see a bit of it."
"Oh, how wonderful!" said Anne. "I do so want to see a real live wreck!"
The others laughed. "Well, it won't be very alive," said Dick. "I say, George— what about a bathe?"
"I must go and get Timothy first," said George. She got up.
"Who's Timothy?" said Dick.
"Can you keep a secret?" asked George. "Nobody must know at home."
"Well, go on, what's the secret?" asked Julian. "You can tell us. We're not sneaks."
"Timothy is my very greatest friend," said George. "I couldn't do without him. But Mother and Father don't like him, so I have to keep him in secret. I'll go and fetch him."
She ran off up the
she's a dear, isn't she? Well— all right— I'll tell you how Kirrin Castle belongs to me.
Come and sit down here in this corner where nobody can hear us."
They all sat down in a sandy corner of the beach. George looked across at the little island in the bay.
"It's like this," she said. "Years ago my mother's people owned nearly all the land around here. Then they got poor, and had to sell most of it. But they could never sell that little island, because nobody thought it worth anything, especially as the castle has been ruined for years."
"Fancy nobody wanting to buy a dear little island like that!" said Dick. "I'd buy it at once if I had the money."
"All that's left of what Mother's family owned is our own house, Kirrin Cottage, and a farm a little way off— and Kirrin Island," said George. "Mother says when I'm grown-up it will be mine. She says she doesn't want it now, either, so she's sort of given it to me. It belongs to me. It's my own private island, and I don't let anyone go there unless they get my permission."
The three children stared at her. They believed every word George said, for it was quite plain that the girl was speaking the truth. Fancy having an island of your very own!
They thought she was very lucky indeed.
"Oh Georgina— I mean George!" said Dick. "I do think you're lucky. It looks such a nice island. I hope you'll be friends with us and take us there one day soon. You simply can't imagine how we'd love it."
"Well— I might," said George, pleased at the interest she had caused. "I'll see. I never have taken anyone there yet, though some of the boys and girls round here have begged me to. But I don't like them, so I haven't."
There was a little silence as the four children looked out over the bay to where the island lay in the distance. The tide was going out. It almost looked as if they could wade over to the island. Dick asked if it was possible.
"No," said George. "I told you— it's only possible to get to it by boat. It's farther out than it looks—and the water is very, very deep. There are rocks all about too— you have to know exactly where to row a boat, or you bump into them. It's a dangerous bit of coast here. There are a lot of wrecks about."
"Wrecks!" cried Julian, his eyes shining, "I say! I've never seen an old wreck. Are there any to see?"
"Not now," said George. "They've all been cleared up. Except one, and that's the other side of the island. It's deep down in the water. You can just see the broken mast if you row over it on a calm day and look down into the water. That wreck really belongs to me too."
This time the children really could hardly believe George. But she nodded her head firmly.
"Yes," she said, "it was a ship belonging to one of my great-great-great-grandfathers, or someone like that. He was bringing gold— big bars of gold— back in his ship—and it got wrecked off Kirrin Island."
"Oooh— what happened to the gold?" asked Anne, her eyes round and big.
"Nobody knows," said George. "I expect it was stolen out of the ship. Divers have been down to see, of course, but they couldn't find any gold."
"Golly— this does sound exciting," said Julian. "I wish I could see the wreck."
"Well— we might perhaps go this afternoon when the tide is right down," said George. "The water is so calm and clear today. We could see a bit of it."
"Oh, how wonderful!" said Anne. "I do so want to see a real live wreck!"
The others laughed. "Well, it won't be very alive," said Dick. "I say, George— what about a bathe?"
"I must go and get Timothy first," said George. She got up.
"Who's Timothy?" said Dick.
"Can you keep a secret?" asked George. "Nobody must know at home."
"Well, go on, what's the secret?" asked Julian. "You can tell us. We're not sneaks."
"Timothy is my very greatest friend," said George. "I couldn't do without him. But Mother and Father don't like him, so I have to keep him in secret. I'll go and fetch him."
She ran off up the
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