Lorraine ran away at last, and pelted up the hill to the Castletons' house, meeting Morland, Claudia, and Landry in the lane, whither they had fled to avoid a contingent of younger ones. They were laden with a cargo of miscellaneous articles—a kettle, a pan, some plates, and various tins.
"It's like a young removal," said Claudia.
"Or emigrating to the wilds of Canada," laughed Lorraine. "I've brought an enamelled mug, because it doesn't break like a teacup, and a little old Britannia metal teapot that I prigged from the attic. It was only going to be sent to a rummage sale, so we may just as well have it."
"Do mermaids drink tea, please?"
"No doubt they do when they can get it. Perhaps the smugglers taught them how."
Morland had intended to give the girls a surprise, and when they entered the grotto their amazement quite came up to his expectations. The cave seemed truly transformed into a sea-nymphs' palace. Landry had worked untiringly all the week picking up shells, and these were arranged in patterns, with long pieces of sea-weed draped artistically here and there. Fragments of wreckage had been neatly sawn and nailed together to form a cupboard, a table, and some seats, and just inside the entrance, in white pebbles, was the word "Welcome".
Landry, in his own way as pleased as his brother, stood beaming. Morland, though inwardly proud, affected nonchalance.
"Couldn't make it look much, of course," he apologized.
"Much? Why, it's topping!"
"It's like a fairy-tale! However did you find time to do all this?"