rmed. As for Bmfkgth,
that excellent dog was quite frantic with excitement, and his green hair
stood on end, causing him to present a truly remarkable appearance. In
another minute, however, we saw the two brown heads emerge from the
water; Nibble clambered up the rock, and pulled his sister up after him;
then breathless and dripping, they jumped and climbed back over the long
line of rocks, till they reached the shore. They sat down on the beach
and looked at each other in silence for a few minutes. Then Nibble said,
"I say, Brighteyes, ain't you just glad that Mrs. Posset isn't here?
look at your frock, now!" "Oh! I don't want to look at it!" said
Brighteyes; "and besides your knickerbockers are just as bad. But we
have lost our hats, Nibble, and they were our best ones. We ought to
have taken them off when we took off our shoes and--but, goodness me!
where _are_ our shoes and stockings? Nibble, where is the fort? I don't
see it anywhere."

Indeed, it would have been strange if they had seen it, for the rising
tide had completely covered it some fifteen minutes before. As for the
shoes and stockings--"Look, Bright!" said Nibble, grasping his sister's
arm, and pointing to the water. Yes, sure enough, there they were. Far
out of reach, floating serenely along, the boots nodding a graceful
farewell to their former owners as the little waves bore them off on
their voyage of discovery, while the stockings, less courageous, had
yielded to despair, and floated limp and piteous, stretching out their
scarlet length in a vain appeal for rescue.

This last blow completely sobered the bold spirits of my two mice, and
as the loud ringing of a bell proclaimed that dinner-time was come, they
turned silently and mournfully towards the house.

[Illustration]

A bee came tumbling into my ear,

And what do you think he remarked, my dear?

He said that two tens made up a score,

And really and truly, I knew that before.

CHAPTER XIV.

STORIES AGAIN.

[Illustration]

POOR little Puff! she certainly was very ill. All day long she tossed
and moaned in feverish pain, to the great distress of her good uncle,
and the faithful Mrs. Posset. They were very, very anxious about her;
but the doctor, who came every day, said that there was no immediate
danger, as long as the child slept so well at night. All night long she
slept quietly, sometimes smiling in her sleep, and always looking