She had quarreled with Max.
She was always either vexed with him or just making up, and no one could ever guess which had happened, because Gwen looked quite as cheerful after a disagreement, as when the friendship had been renewed.
She hurried along the beach, rushing past a group of small girls whom she often played with, because she meant surely to find Rose before she might leave "The Cliffs" to go over to Princess Polly's house.
She knew that the walk would be a long one, yet it seemed farther than she thought.
The sun was hot, and the sand seemed burning under the thin soles of her dainty shoes.
"How long it takes me to get there!" she said impatiently. "I couldn't run all the way."
She reached the low gate a few minutes later, however, and opening it, swung it wide between the two stone posts, and ran up the path, laughing when the gate swung to with a clang of its iron latch.
Mrs. Wilton, the housekeeper, opened the door, believing that some important person had arrived, for the bell had rung as if the opening of the door were imperative.
She was not pleased to see the small girl standing there.
"No, Rose is not here," she said in answer to Gwen's question. "She is to stay with Polly while her Uncle John is away. She went over there this morning."