Her energy began to ebb. She did not care to
move about much, but would sit silently sewing by the hour together,
outwardly calm, inwardly all an ache to go back to the sea. She used
to wonder whether the tide was coming in or going out; wonder if the
fish were biting, how the sands looked, and who was on the pier. She
devoured every scrap of news that came from home in the hope of
finding something to satisfy her longing. Bernadine wrote her an
elaborate letter in large hand, which Beth thought very wonderful;
Harriet sent her a letter also, chiefly composed of moral sentiments
copied from the _Family Herald_, with a view to producing a favourable
impression on Miss Victoria; and Mrs. Caldwell wrote regularly once a
week, a formal duty-letter, but a joy to Beth, to whom letters of any
kind were a new and surprising experience. She had never expected that
any one would write to her; and in the first flush of her gratitude
she responded with enthusiasm, sending her mother, in particular, long
descriptions of her life and surroundings, which Mrs. Caldwell thought
so good she showed them to everybody. In replying to Beth, however,
she expressed no approval or pleasure; on the contrary, she put Beth
to shame by the way she dwelt on her mistakes in spelling, which
effectually checked the outpourings, and shut Beth up in herself
again, so that she mourned the more. During the day she kept up pretty
well, but towards twilight, always her time of trial, the yearning for
home, for mamma, for Harriet, for Bernadine, began again; the most
gloomy fears of what might be happening to them in her absence
possessed her, and she had great difficulty in keeping back her tears.
Aunt Victoria noticed her depression, but mistook it for fatigue, and
sent her to bed early, which Beth was glad of, because she wanted to
be alone and cry. But one evening, when she was looking particularly
sad, the old lady asked if she did not feel well.

"Yes, I feel quite well, thank you, Aunt Victoria," Beth answered with
a great sigh; "but I know now what you meant about home-ties. They do
pull strong."

"Ah!" said Aunt Victoria, enlightened; "you are homesick, are you?"

And from that day forward, when she saw Beth moping, she took her out
of herself by making her discuss the subject, and so relieved her; but
Beth continued to suffer, although less acutely, until her return.

CHAPTER XXIII

Rainharbour was not yet deserted by summer visitors, a