th her sums.--And to Laura this
was the most knockdown blow of all.

One day it came to an open quarrel between them.

They were lying on the beach after bathing, trying to protect their
bare and blistered legs from the sandflies. Laura, flat on her back,
had spread a towel over hers; Pin sat Turk--fashion with her legs
beneath her and fought the flies with her hands. Having vainly
endeavoured to draw from the reticent Laura some of those school-tales
of which, in former holidays, she had been so prodigal, Pin was now
chattering to her heart's content, about the small doings of home.
Laura listened to her with the impatient toleration of one who has seen
the world: she really could not be expected to interest herself in such
trifles; and she laughed in her sleeve at Pin's simpleness. When,
however, her little sister began to enlarge anew on some wonderful
orders Mother had lately had, she could not refrain from saying
crossly: "You've told me that a dozen times already. And you needn't
bawl it out for everyone to hear."

"Oh, Laura! there isn't anyone anywhere near us ... and even if there
were--why, I thought you'd be so pleased. Mother's going to give you an
extra shilling pocket-money, 'cause of it."

"Of course I'm pleased. Don't be so silly, Pin."

"I'm not ALWAYS silly, Laura," protested Pin. "And I don't believe you
ARE glad, a bit. Old Anne was, though. She said: 'Bless her dear
heart!'"

"Old Anne? Well, I just wonder what next! It's none of her dashed
business."

"Oh, Laura!" began Pin, growing tearful both at words and tone. "Why,
Laura, you're not ashamed of it, are you?--that mother does
sewing?"--and Pin opened her lobelia-blue eyes to their widest, showing
what very big eyes they would be, were they not so often swollen with
crying.

"Of course not," said Laura tartly. "But I'm blessed if I can see what
it's got to do with old Anne."

"But she asked me ... what mother was working at--and if she'd got any
new customers. She just loves mother."

"Like her cheek!" snapped Laura. "Poking her ugly old nose into what
doesn't concern her. You should just have said you didn't know."

"But that would have been a story, Laura!" cried Pin, horrified "I did
know--quite well."

"Goodness gracious, Pin, you----"

"I've never told a story in my life," said Pin hotly. "And I'm not
going to either, for you or anyone. I think you ought to be ashamed of
yourself."

"Hold your silly tongue!"

"I shan't,