ever resented her glance, and seemed to be
more pleased to be with Penelope than with anybody else.

The nice landau which Miss Tredgold had purchased met the travellers at
Lyndhurst Road, and the first piece of news which Briar, who had come to
meet them, announced was that the ponies had arrived.

"Peas-blossom and Lavender are so sweet!" she said. "They came yesterday.
We are quite longing to ride them. As to Peas-blossom, he is quite the
dearest pony I ever looked at in my life."

"Peas-blossom will be Pauline's special pony," said Miss Tredgold
suddenly. "Do you happen to know if the sidesaddles have arrived?"

"Oh, yes, they have; and the habits, too," said Briar. "It is
delicious--delicious!"

"Then, Pauline, my dear, you shall have a ride to-morrow morning."

Pauline scarcely replied. She did not negative the idea of the ride, but
neither did she accept it with any enthusiasm.

There was a wild moment when the entire family were reassembled. All the
girls surrounded Pauline, and kissed her and hugged her as though she had
come back from the dead.

"You quite forget," said Penelope, "that I was nearly drownded, too. I
was very nearly shutting up of my eyes, and closing of my lips, and
stretching myself out and lying drownded and still on the top of the
waves. I was in as big a danger as Pauline, every bit."

"But you didn't get ill afterwards, as Paulie did," said the other girls.

They kissed Pen, for, being their sister, they had to love her after a
fashion; but their real adoration and deepest sympathy were centred round
Pauline.

Meanwhile Pen, who never cared to find herself neglected, ran off to
discover nurse.

"Well," she said when she saw that worthy, "here I am. I'm not pale now.
I am rosy. The seaside suits me. The salty waves and the sands, they all
agrees with me. How are you, nursey?"

"Very well," replied nurse, "and glad to see you again."

"And how is Marjorie? Kiss me, Marjorie."

She snatched up her little sister somewhat roughly.

"Don't make the darling cry," said nurse.

"All right," replied Pen. "Sit down, baby; I have no time to 'tend you.
Nursey, when I was at the sea I was a very 'portant person."

"Were you indeed. Miss Pen? But you always think yourself that. And how
is Miss Pauline?"

"Paulie?" said Penelope. "She's bad."

"Bad!" echoed nurse.

"Yes, all-round bad," said Penelope.

As she spoke she formed her mouth into a round O, and looked with big
eyes a