Susie felt a little excited next morning when she remembered the twins,
and all the time she was digging moats and piling up sand castles she had
one eye fixed on the active figures of her new friends, who, with bare
legs and shrill voices, attracted a good deal of attention. Once she
tried timidly to "draw" nurse on the subject, but nurse was not
responsive.
"Those are rather splendid children," she said wistfully.
"Where?" said nurse, lifting a calculating eye from the heel of the
stocking she was knitting, and looking vaguely round the horizon.
"There--on the rock," said Susie eagerly. "Tom and I want to go on the
rocks so much, and those children could help us; they are so very--so
very _reckless_."
"So very rude," said nurse dispassionately.
The very words Amy had used. The angry blood flew into Susie's face.
"I don't know what you mean by rude," she said obstinately. "It's very
dull sitting here and making castles with babies; and Tom and I want to
go on the rocks."
"Well, your mamma will take you some day, when she feels better," said
nurse. "She's had a wearing time since she came. No doubt it's a trial to
see other children, with no decent nurse to look after them, running wild
and shouting like wild Indians; but I have my duty to you and your mamma,
and you must just bear it as best you can. You should take example by
Miss Amy and be contented, and be glad to think you have Master Dick back
with you again."
"Mother always makes a fuss about Dick," said Susie.
"Well," said nurse, rising with difficulty and shaking the sand from her
dress, "I'm going to take the little ones in, Miss Amy and all. She can
play with Master Dick whilst I get baby to sleep. Perhaps you will help
me, Miss Susie?"
Of course Susie would help; her face lightened at the thought! All the
jealous lines disappeared as if by magic. Alick's little hands felt like
rose leaves on her face. She forgot the twins, forgot to be cross, as she
folded her arms tightly round him. She had half a mind to go in with them
and have a nice nursery game; but when she hesitated and looked back, she
saw Tom waving impatiently, and it was difficult to say no.
She handed Alick to nurse, and stood staring after him as he leant his
round red face over her shoulder and waved his chubby hands. When they
all disappeared on to the parade at the top of the cliff she turned and
flew over the sands.
"Take off your shoes and stockings," shouted the twins; "us both always
do." And Susie, without a thought, unlaced her boots, and flung them
hither and thither, never stopping to look behind her or to be sure that
they were safe. The water was quite warm and the sea was sapphire blue.
It was a very low tide, and the rocks stretched away to a long, low
island, crowned with grass, where a few nimble goats perched on unlikely
crags. From rock to rock flew Susie's active feet, but Dot was always
ahead; and so, slipping, splashing, torn by the rocks, drenched with the
warm spray, Susie revelled in a long hour of liberty. She was wild with
excitement, eager to come again, full of reckless promises.
"We'll go as far as the island another day," said Dot, "but we have to
choose a low tide. Aren't you glad now that you didn't go home and play
like a baby?"
Susie was hastily rubbing the sand out of her toes and hunting for her
stockings. Her feet were very cold, and her fingers seemed thumbs. She
did not answer Dot. She did not feel quite sure what to say; things
always looked so different before and after, and what nurse had said
about a _wearing time_ stuck in her mind.
"Well, aren't you?" said Dot impatiently.
"No," said Susie bluntly.
She stopped to lace Tom's boots, and then looked up with a face that had
grown suddenly red.
"I can't help it," she said desperately, "but I never _am_ glad
afterwards."
She went on lacing laboriously, whilst Tom lay on his face kicking and
plunging about. Dot looked at her curiously.
"But you wanted to come on the rocks?" she said.
"Oh yes," said Susie. "I shall always want to come, but I shall be sorry
afterwards. I think I ought to warn you because I am like that. I can't
help it. It is silly of nurse," she went on, as she tied the lace in a
draggled knot. "Why shouldn't we play with you? I feel _perfectly
certain_--" She seemed to remember using those words before on an
unfortunate occasion, so she hastily changed them. "I am _quite sure_
that you are a very good companion. Me and Tom couldn't learn any
harm from you."
She was persuading herself, not the twins, but it was a twin who
answered.
"We can have lots of fun," said Dot, "and no one will know. The first
chance we will cut over the rocks to the town and buy some sweets."
"Generally I have to look after the little ones," said Susie.
"Well, no one would eat them if they stayed here alone till you came
back, would they, stupid?"
"No," said Susie, rather shortly.
She was not quite sure that she liked being called "stupid."
* * * * *
"I can't think how all this sand has got into your stockings," said
nurse. "I should hope you didn't paddle after I left you, against my
orders!"
There was silence, and in another moment Susie would have told the truth,
but before the words came faltering out nurse spoke again.
"But there! I can trust you, with all your troublesome ways," she said.
And this time Susie _could not_ speak.