m ten times more tired this
minute than I was before you told me so."

"Very well, Phillis; but you must let me pour out the tea." And then
Phillis subsided. But she had started the fun, and Dulce soon took it
up and set the ball rolling. And Dorothy, working hard with her
dust-pan and brushes, heard the merriment, and her old face lighted
up.

"Bless their sweet faces!--pretending to be happy, just to cheer up
the mistress, and make believe it is only a game they are having!"
muttered the old woman, as she paused to listen. "But, if I am not
mistaken, Miss Phillis, poor dear, is just ready to drop with fatigue.
Only to hear her, one would think she was as perky as possible."

When the evening meal was over, Mrs. Challoner leaned back in her
chair and made a little speech to her daughters:

"Thank you, my dears. You have done me so much good. Now, if you want
to please me, you will all three put on your hats and take a nice long
walk together."

The girls looked at each other, and every pair of eyes said, as
plainly as possible, "What a delicious idea! But only two can go, and
I intend to be the filial victim." But Mrs. Challoner was too quick
for them. "I said all three," she remarked, very decidedly. "If one
offers to stay with me, I shall just put myself to bed and lock the
door; but if you will be good, and enjoy this lovely evening, I will
take my book in the garden and be quite happy until you come back to
me." And when they saw that she meant it, and would only be worried by
a fuss, they went off as obediently as possible.

They walked very sedately down the Braidwood Road, and past the White
House; but when they got into the town, Phillis hurried them on a
little: "I don't want people. It is air and exercise and freedom for
which I am pining." And she walked so fast that they had some trouble
to keep up with her.

But when they had left every trace of human habitation behind them,
and were strolling down the rough, uneven beach, towards a narrow
strip of sand, that would soon be covered by the advancing tide,
Phillis said, in an odd, breathless way, "Nan, just look round and see
if there be any one in sight, before, behind, or around us;" and Nan,
though in some little surprise, did at once as she was bidden, in the
most thorough manner. For she looked up at the sky first, as though
she were afraid of balloons or possible angels; and then at the sea,
which she scanned narrowly, so that not even a fish c