"To our Most Gracious Mother and Aunt.
"Please, dear darling Mama and Auntie--please let us go to the beach
this afternoon, because it will be low tide, and perhaps we shall be
able to catch some little crabs. We love playing on the rocks, and do
want to go so much.
"Your loving and humble children,
"HELENA MARY GRAHAM.
"MILLICENT GRACE GRAHAM.
"LUCY CAROLINE GRAHAM.
"_P.S._--We don't want anybody to go with us, and we will be very good.
"OUR PETITION."
These last two words were written in very large letters at the bottom of
the page. They had an idea that it ought to be written somewhere, so
that there would be no mistake as to the nature of the document.
When this was all done, they surveyed their work with great pride. Then
Milly ran in for an envelope, and the petition was folded up and put in,
and the address written--
"Mrs. GRAHAM,
"Miss SOMERVILLE."
Going into the house, they gave it to Emma the servant. Taking her into
their confidence, they easily obtained her promise to ring the hall-door
bell, and bring it into the dining-room on a salver.
"What time would you like it brought in?" she asked with a smile, quite
entering into the spirit of the fun.
"Soon," said Milly, "or Lucy will let it all out."
"She had better not," began Lena.
"When I have handed round the plates I will get master to ring the bell,
and then I will go out and bring it in."
That was a delightful arrangement, and now all they had to do was to
impress upon Lucy the necessity of silence.
As they were still pointing out to her the dreadful consequences that
would follow, if she mentioned a word about what they had been doing,
Hester was heard calling them in to get ready for their dinner.
That something was exciting the children, was very quickly seen by both
Mama and Auntie, from the frequent and meaning looks they exchanged, and
from the state of suppressed excitement they were all in.
The hall-door bell was heard to ring.
"There it is!" exclaimed Lucy, eagerly.
"Hush!" came immediately from the other two.
Then Emma went out and returned with a letter, which she handed to Mrs.
Graham, who on reading the address had great difficulty in suppressing a
smile.
Opening the letter, she read it through carefully; then handing it to
Miss Somerville, said, "It will require serious consideration before we
give an answer."
"Oh, please, don't say that, Mama; we want an answer at once."
"Your Aunt has not even read it yet. After dinner my humble little
children can come to me in the drawing-room, and then I hope to give
them a gracious answer."
With this they had to be content, for not a word more would Mrs. Graham
say on the subject until after dinner. Lucy was carried off for an
hour's sleep; and Mama, seating herself on the sofa, drew Lena to her
side, while Milly installed herself on the other side; then Mrs. Graham
said--
"You are longing for an answer to your petition, I know, dears. First I
must tell you that Auntie and I graciously assent to it."
"That means we are to go, Mama?" asked Milly.
"Thank you, thank you," exclaimed Lena; "I told you, Milly, if we coaxed
them."
"No, Lena dear," interrupted her mother, "that was the very thing that
nearly lost it to you. I could not promise when you asked me before,
because I never like to break a promise, and I was not sure whether it
would be safe for you three children to go alone."
"I could have told you it would," said Lena, reproachfully.
"But I preferred Aunt Mary's opinion," was her mother's answer, given
with a smile.
"She thinks it safe, doesn't she, Mama?"
"Yes, but what I want to say to you now, is particularly to you, Lena.
I saw my little girl thought I was very unkind in not consenting to her
wishes at once, and now you think I have given leave because you begged
and coaxed."
Lena blushed furiously at this, but nodded her head, as much as to say,
"Yes, that is true."
"What I want you both, my children, to do, is to trust me. I think it
gives me more pain to refuse you a pleasure, than you to be refused; and
when I say No, try, darlings, and believe that Mama has some good reason
for it."
"Yes, we will," they both exclaimed at once. Then Lena went on to say,
"But, Mama, why didn't you tell us that you were not sure, and the
reason, and then I could have told you it was quite safe to go alone?"
"In fact, dear, why did I not ask your advice, you mean?"
"No, I didn't mean that; only if you had said"----
"And what about obedience, Lena?"
Not receiving any answer, Mrs. Graham continued. "Perfect obedience,
dear, is what Papa and I both expect from all our children; and by and
by, when you know us better, you will find out that it is not only your
duty but your happiness to give it. I think Milly knows that already."
"Yes, Mama, and I know how good you are, and always try to do what we
like."
"And I hope Lena will soon think so too."
"You talk as if Milly loved you better than I do," said Lena jealously,
"and I am sure she does not."
"No, darling, I did not mean that, for I am sure you both love me
dearly. What I meant was that Milly knows me best, and understands my
ways."
"And Lena will soon," said Milly, stooping across her mother to smile at
her sister, "for we are going to be the greatest friends, aren't we,
Lena? We have settled that a long time."
Then, after a loving kiss from Mama, the two girls went off together to
get ready for their walk; and by the time buckets and spades had been
hunted out, and they were both ready, Lucy had had her sleep, and was
waiting for them in the hall.
"Be sure and come in by half-past five or six at latest. Auntie won't
mind putting off Lucy's tea till then, I am sure."
No. Auntie was quite ready to do anything she was asked; and after many
promises of being very good and careful, they started, Lena calling
back, as they shut the gate, "You can trust them to me; I will look
after them."
*CHAPTER IV.*
*ON THE ROCKS.*
The three girls started off hand in hand; Lucy between the two elder
ones, holding a hand of each. As it was all down-hill, they went at such
a quick pace that it was almost a run, and brought them very quickly to
the esplanade. Here they stopped and took a look round.
As they had told their mother, it was very nearly low tide, and a long
stretch of beach and rocks lay temptingly before them. Not a cloud was
to be seen in the sky; and the waves broke so softly and gently on the
shore, that it was hard to associate the thoughts of storms and raging
winds with that sparkling, lake-like sea.
On either side of them stretched, as far as the children could see, the
broad, handsome esplanade, now quite a gay sight with the many people
who had been tempted out by the warm sun, either to sit or walk up and
down, while enjoying the beauty and freshness of the day. In the
distance a band was playing, the soft strains of which were heard by the
children as they stood gazing about them.
"A band!" cried Lucy. "O Milly, do let us go and hear it closer--do
come;" and she pulled her sisters in the direction from which the sound
came.
"Mama might not like us to go; and besides, Lucy, there are such lots of
people there," said Milly.
Lena did not at all approve of this speech of Lucy's. It was not
Milly's permission she ought to have asked, but hers. _She_ was the
eldest, and had already said that she would take care of them, or, as
she would have expressed it, "had promised Mama to take care of them."
And besides, she knew the place, and was at home here, which Millicent
certainly was not.