the lively scene.

"It reminds me of pictures I've seen of colonies of seals basking about
on the rocks," she declared. "Now, Patty, put yourself in a picturesque
attitude. I wish I dare ask Miss Rowe to let down her lovely hair, I'm
sure it would look so nice."

"Violet Chambers is swimming on her back," said Enid. "I'm so glad to
have the opportunity of watching her. I heard she could do it, but we
never get a chance to see the Second Class girls in the bath."

"And Mabel Morgan is trying to make a wheel," said Winnie. "Oh, look at
her! Isn't she clever? There! She's come to grief over it. I expected
she would."

"I haven't any accomplishments," said Avis. "I can only paddle round and
round the pool and float. I wish I were in the channel over there, and
could swim for a couple of miles."

"I heard Miss Lincoln tell Miss Latimer she was very glad the tide was
low, because it was absolutely safe here, and if we were in the real
sea, she should not know a moment's freedom from anxiety until she saw
us all out again."

"Miss Lincoln is quite ridiculous! What harm could happen to us? Of
course the pool is better fun than the swimming bath at The Priory, but
it's nothing to feeling yourself on big waves."

"We're going to Devonshire for our summer holiday, and I shall be able
to have some glorious swimming there, I expect," said May Firth.

"You'll have to mind not to get into a current," said Ella Johnson. "We
were staying in Cornwall last year, and my brother was nearly carried
out to sea by one. He declared it must have been the Gulf Stream; it was
so tremendously strong, it whirled him along, and he felt quite
helpless. All he could do was to float and to call, hoping somebody
might hear him. No one did for a long time, and he had drifted ever so
far from land, when at last a boat was passing, and some fishermen
picked him up. They told him it was very dangerous to swim there, when
he didn't know the coast."

"It's all right if you don't get cramp," said Avis. "That must be
dreadful. Once when we spent our holidays at Whitby we had such an
adventure. We were walking along the shore, and we saw a young lady
swimming a little distance out. Suddenly she flung up her arms and
shrieked, and went down into the water. My father threw off his coat and
his boots, and swam to the spot where she came up. He managed to catch
hold of her by her hair, and get her back to land. She was quite
insensible, and I thought she