“Shells,” said Tania quickly.
Captain Jules shook his head. “You’re warm, little girl,” he replied, “but you haven’t guessed right yet.”
Lillian sighed. “I never could guess anything,” she remarked sadly. “Please do tell us what it is.”
The captain relented and drew out of his pocket a handful of what seemed to be either oyster or mussel shells.
“You’ve brought some oysters for our luncheon, haven’t you?” guessed Eleanor. “You must stay and eat them with us.”
Captain Jules chuckled. “Oysters are out of season, child, and these are never good to eat.”
But Madge had clapped her hands together suddenly, her eyes shining. “You have been down to the bottom of the bay, haven’t you, Captain Jules? And you’ve found some pearls!”
Captain Jules shook his head. “I wouldn’t call them pearls, exactly. They’re too little and too poor. But come, now; maybe they are seed pearls. I went down under the water with the men who were looking over the oyster beds yesterday. Pearl oysters are not found in beds, like the edible oysters, so I wandered around on the bottom of the bay a bit and picked up these.” The captain extended his great hand. Five pairs of eager eyes peered into it. There lay four nearly round, thick shells, horny and rough with tiny little pearls embedded in them.
“‘Pearls are angel’s tears’,” quoted Phil softly.
Captain Jules seemed worried. “I searched about everywhere in the bay, but I could only find these four tiny pearls, and pretty lucky I was to find them!” the sailor continued. “They aren’t of much value, but I wanted to give them to five girls, and that’s just the difficulty.” The captain looked at the houseboat party, which now included Tania, as though he did not know just what he should make up his mind to do.