'leave me alone—i want to cry;

it's no use trying to be good.'—anon.

six weeks or so later—christmas and new year's day were past; it was the middle of january by this time—a little group of children might have been seen standing on the shore about half a mile from seacove.

though midwinter, it was not very cold. there is a theory that it never is very cold at the seaside. i cannot say that i have always found this the case, but it was so at seacove. it lay in a sheltered position, out of the way of the east wind, and this was one reason why mr. vane had decided to make it for a time the home of himself and his family.

these were his children—the group on the sea[19]shore. rumour had exaggerated a little in saying he had 'several.' there were but three of them, and of these three two were girls. so celestina fairchild's thoughts about them had some foundation after all.

'it looks just a little, a very little dreary,' said the eldest of the three, a girl of thirteen or so, slight and rather tall for her age, with a pretty graceful figure and pretty delicate features; 'but then of course it's the middle of winter. not that spring or summer would make much difference here; there are so very few trees.'

she glanced round her as she spoke. it was a bare, almost desolate-looking stretch of country, down to the sea, which was still and gray-looking this morning. yet there was a strange charm about it too—the land, though by no means hilly, was undulating. not far from where the children stood there was a grand run of sand-hills, with coarse, strong grass and a few hardy thistles, and, in its season, bindweed with its white and pinky flowers, growing along their summit. farther off was a sort of skeleton-like erection, looking not unlike the gaunt remains of a deserted sail-less ship: this was a landmark or beacon, placed there to point out a sudden [20]turn in the coastline. and out at sea, a mile or so distant, stood a lighthouse with a revolving lantern; three times in each minute the bright light was to be seen as soon as night fell. a kind of natural breakwater ran out in a straight line to the lighthouse, so that in low tides—and the tides are sometimes very low at seacove—it was difficult to believe but that you could get on foot all the way to the lighthouse rock.

but all these interesting particulars were not as yet known to mr. vane's children. they had arrived at seacove rectory only the night before.

the boy—he was next in age to his elder sister rosalys—followed the direction of her glance.

'no,' he said, 'there's very few trees, certainly. but i think it's going to be very jolly all the same. when i get my pony i'll be all right any way; and on saturdays, or odd half-holidays—there always are odd half-holidays at every school, you know—i'll take you girls out a drive in that funny little donkey-chaise, or whatever it is, that's standing in the coach-house.'

'i don't fancy there are many places to drive to,' rosalys replied. 'papa said there would be no use in having any sort of proper carriage. the only [21]good road is the one to your school, rough, and you'll have enough of that morning and evening.'

'papa said seacove was a—i can't remember the word—something french—cool—cul——'

'cul-de-sac,' said rosalys; 'leading to nowhere, that means.'

'except to the sea, i suppose,' added the little girl who had stumbled at the french word. 'it would be nice to have a ship of our own instead of a carriage. don't you think we might ask papa to get us one?'

'a ship, biddy—i suppose you mean a boat,' said rosalys, in a rather 'superior' tone. 'no; i don't fancy papa would trust us to go about in a boat. mamma would be frightened out of her wits about us.'

'the sea looks so quiet,' said bridget, gazing out at it. 'i don't think it could ever be tossy and soapy here like it used to be at rockcliffe.'

'couldn't it just?' said randolph. 'wait a bit, bride. it may look quiet on a day like this, and inside the shelter of the bay, but i can tell you there's jolly rough work outside there sometimes. i was talking to an old sailor this morning when i ran out before breakfast.'[22]

'i'd like to see a shipwreck—i mean,' as she caught sight of a shocked expression on her sister's face—'i mean of course one that nobody would be drowned in.'

'but how could any one be sure of that? you should be more careful what you say, bride; you are so heedless.'

bridget's face puckered up. it was rather given to puckering up, funny little face that it was. she was eight years old, short and rather stout, with thick, dark hair and a freckled complexion. her nose turned up and her mouth was not small. but she was not ugly; she had merry gray eyes and very white teeth. somehow, thorough little english girl though she was, she reminded one of the small savoyard boys one sees with a box of marmots slung in front of them, or a barrel organ and a monkey.

'i didn't mean to say anything naughty, alie,' she began, in a plaintive tone. 'i'm always——'

'oh, come now, biddy, stop that, do,' said her brother; 'don't spoil the first morning by going off into a howl for nothing. no one supposes you wanted to drown a lot of people for the sake of watching a shipwreck, only, as alie says, you should be more careful. strangers might think you a [23]very queer little girl if they heard you say such a thing.'

bridget still looked melancholy, but she did not venture to complain any more. she was a good deal in awe of rough, who was twelve and a big boy for his age. he had been at school for two years, and now he was going as a day-scholar to a large and very excellent public school, which was only about two miles from seacove, quite in the country. mr. vane had bought a pony for him to ride backwards and forwards, so randolph was in capital spirits. but he was not an unkind or selfish boy, and though his pet name 'rough' suited him sometimes as regarded his manners, his heart was gentle. and indeed the name had been given to him at first on account of his thick shaggy hair, as a very little boy.

'it's rather cold standing about,' said rosalys. 'don't you think we'd better walk on or take a run?'

'let's have a race,' said rough. 'the sand's nice and firm about here. i'll give you a good start, alie, and biddy can run on in front and wait till we call to her that we're off.'

bridget trotted off as she was told, obediently. she did not care much for running. her legs were [24]short and she was rather fat, but she did not like to complain. she ran on, though slowly, till at last randolph shouted to her to stop. then she stood still waiting till he called to her again, for he and rosalys took some time to settle how much of a start alie was to have—from where she stood, biddy heard them talking and measuring.

'i wish they wouldn't run races,' thought the little girl. 'they're so big compared with me—they've such much longer legs. i shan't like seacove if they're going always to run races. in london they couldn't in the streets; it was only when we went in the gardens, and that wasn't every day, it was too far to go. i wish i had a brother or a sister littler than me; it's too much difference between alie and me, thirteen and eight. i wish——'

but here came a whoop from behind.

'off, biddy; look sharp—one, two, three.'

poor biddy—off she set as fast as she could go, which is not saying much. she puffed and panted, for she was not without a spirit of her own and did not want to be overtaken too soon. and for a time rough's cries of encouragement, 'gee-up, old woman,' 'famous, biddy,' 'you'll win yet,' and so on, spurred her to fresh exertions. but not for long; she felt her [25]powers flagging, and as first alie and then rough, both apparently as fresh as ever, passed her at full speed, she gave in.

'it's no use. i can't run races. i wish you wouldn't make me,' she said, as in a minute or two the two others came flying back again to where she stood, a convenient goal for their return race.

'but you ran splendidly for a bit,' said randolph; 'and i'll tell you what, biddy, it would be a very good thing for you to run a good deal more than you do. it'll make you grow and stop you getting too fat.'

'i'm not fatter than you were when you were as little as me, roughie. nurse says so—you were a regular roundabout till you had the measles; mamma says so too,' replied bridget philosophically.

'i'm quite hot,' said rosalys; 'fancy being hot in january! but we'd better not stand still or we'll get a chill. isn't it nice to come out alone? i'd like to walk to seacove—i want to see what it's like, but of course we mustn't go so far. mamma said we must stay on the shore.'

'if it was summer we might dig and make sand-castles,' said biddy regretfully. digging in the sand was an amusement much more to her taste than running races.[26]

'i think that's stupid—it's such baby play,' rosalys replied. 'but come on, do. i'm going to climb up to the top of that bank—that's the sand-hills papa was speaking about.'

it was more tiring work than she had expected. before they got to the top of the bank alie had decided that they would have done better to remain where they were, on the smooth firm sand down below, but once at the top she changed again. what fun can be more delightful than playing in sand-hills, jumping from a miniature summit to the valley beneath with no fear of hurting one's self even if one comes to grief and rolls ignominiously as far as one can go! how helplessly one wades in the shifting, unstable footing—tumbling over with a touch, like a house built of cards! the children's laughter sounded merrily in the clear cold air; bridget plunged about like a little porpoise in the water, and rosalys quite forgot that she had attained the dignity of her teens.

but a bell ringing suddenly some little way off caught their ears.

'that's papa ringing,' said randolph. 'he said he'd have the big dinner-bell rung when it was time for me to go in. i'm going to walk to the town or the [27]village, or whatever it is, with him. good-bye, girls. it's only three o'clock—you can stay another half-hour,' and off he ran.

'let's go down to the shore again,' said alie. 'mamma said perhaps she'd come out a little, and she'd never see us up here.'

bridget hung back a little.

'i daresay she won't come out,' she said. 'do stay up here, alie. if mamma comes out she'll only talk to you and i'll be all alone. i don't want her.'

'oh, bride, that's not nice. i'm sure mamma likes to talk to you too, only you see i'm older, and there's often things you wouldn't understand about perhaps, and——'

'i know—it's always the same. i'm too little to be any use. i know you're older and sensibler, and i don't mean that mamma's not kind. but families should be settled better—and—oh, alie, i have so torn my frock, and it's my afternoon one—my new merino.'

rosalys looked much concerned.

'what a pity!' she exclaimed. 'i wish we hadn't played in the sand. but really, biddy, you are very unlucky. i've been jumping just as much as you, and i've got no harm.'[28]

'you never do—i don't know how it is that i always get torn,' said bride dolefully. 'and oh, alie, there is mamma'—they were down on the shore by this time, coming down being a much speedier affair than climbing up,—'she will be so vexed, for i've got this frock new, extra to yours, you know, because of the stain on the other the day i spilt my tea all down it. i am so sorry, alie. could you pin it up?'

rosalys stooped to examine the damage. it was not very great, still under the circumstances of its being a new frock, it was vexing enough.

'you've got it so sandy, too—that makes it look worse,' said the elder sister, giving the unlucky skirt a shake as she spoke.

'i wish mamma hadn't come out,' said bridget. 'then i could have got it brushed and mended before i told her, but perhaps it's best to tell at once,' and she gave a little sigh.

'much best,' her sister agreed, and they went on to meet their mother. suddenly bride gave a little cry of satisfaction.

'oh, smut's with mamma,' she exclaimed. 'i'm so glad. you can walk with mamma alone then, alie, and smut and i will come after you. i'm always [29]quite happy with smuttie—i wish he was my very own.'

it was rather unlucky that just as they got up to mrs. vane, bridget was so occupied in calling to smut, who came careering forward to meet the girls, that the dilapidated frock went quite out of her mind. at the first moment her mother did not notice it.

'well, dears, here i am!' she began brightly. 'i got my letters finished more quickly than i expected. what a quantity of things there are to order when one first comes to a new house! and i do so miss m'creagh! did you see me coming, alie darling?'

'yes, mamma—not very far off though. we were up on the sand-hills when papa rang for rough, and——'

but mrs. vane interrupted her.

'oh, bridget,' she exclaimed in a tone of vexation, 'what have you been doing to yourself? do you see, alie? her skirt is torn from top to bottom—the stuff torn, not the seam. and so dirty. your new frock too—really, child, you are too provoking.'

biddy's round rosy face grew longer and redder, and her eyes filled with tears. she opened her mouth to speak, but rosalys came before her.

'it isn't so very bad, dear mamma,' she said [30]eagerly. 'i've been looking at it. it looks worse because of the sand, but it isn't really dirty; it will brush off. she rolled down one of the sand-hills. i'm afraid it was my fault. it was my idea to play about there.'

mrs. vane glanced at alie's own garments.

'your frock is none the worse,' she said. 'i do not see that bride need have hurt hers if she had been the least careful. but you are so incorrigibly heedless, bridget, and so thoughtless. why, you were dancing and jumping and calling to smut when i met you as if there was nothing the matter! i suppose you had forgotten all about your frock already.'

mrs. vane's voice was rather sharp as she spoke thus to the little girl. it sounded quite differently from the bright sweet tone in which she had greeted them. and it did not seem to suit her to speak sharply. she was very pretty and sweet-looking, and she seemed young to be tall alie's mother; indeed, people often said they looked more like sisters: stout, sturdy little bridget was quite unlike them both.

rosalys looked up at her mother anxiously. she could not bear her to be troubled, and though she [31]was sorry for bridget, she was vexed with her too. she slipped her arm inside mrs. vane's and drew her on.

'it's too cold to stand still, mamma dear,' she said. 'let us walk on to that beautiful smooth piece of sand—it's rather stony just here. biddy, take care of smut.'

that meant, 'you may stay behind and keep out of the way a little.' biddy had no objection to do so.

'come, smuttie, stay by me,' she said coaxingly to the little shaggy black dog. smut was very fond of bridget, who had a very big heart for all dumb animals. he wagged his tail and looked up in her face with inquiring sympathy, for he saw quite well that biddy was in trouble. this was nothing new; many and many a time had the little girl buried her tearful face in his rough coat and sobbed out her sorrows to him. they were never very big sorrows really, but they were big to her, and rendered bigger by the knowledge in her honest little heart that they were generally and mostly, if not entirely, brought about by her own fault.

she could not stoop down to cry on smut's back now; it would have risked considerable more dirtying [32]of her poor frock. but she stayed some way behind her mother and sister, so that she might talk without being overheard by any one save her four-legged companion.

'smuttie,' she said, 'i'm very unhappy. this is only the second day at seacove and i've vexed mamma already. i made good resol—— never mind; you know what i mean, smut—to begin new here, and it's all gone. i don't know what to do, smuttie, i truly don't. alie means to be kind, but it's quite easy for her to be good, i think. and it's no good me trying. it really isn't, so i think i'll just leave off and be comfortable.'

smut looked up and wagged his tail. he was quite ready to agree with anything biddy proposed, so long as she spoke cheerfully and did not cry.

'good little smuttie, kind little smut,' said the child; 'you're so nice and understanding always.'

but smut seemed restless; he fidgeted about in front of bride, first running a step or two, then stopping to wag his tail and look back appealingly at her in an insinuating doggy way of his own. biddy pretended not to know what he meant, but she could not long keep up this feint.

'i do know what you want,' she said at last with [33]a sigh. 'it's a scamper, and i hate running, and i'm sure you know i do. but i suppose i must do it to please you. you won't roar after me like rough, anyway.'

and off she set, her short legs exerting themselves valiantly for smuttie's sake. he of course could have run much faster, but he was far too much of a gentleman to do so, and he stayed beside her, contenting himself every now and then by stopping short to look up at her, with a quick cheery bark of satisfaction and encouragement.