The young lady smiled. "Ah, I am too old for that!" she said, shaking her head. "But I expect you could dig for a whole morning with pleasure."
"Yes," said Nellie; "I believe I could. Come along, Dolly, and let us begin."
The tide had been going down for some hours, and a nice flat strip of sand was left dry. Simmons volunteered to push Tom a little way along this, and Mary joined her with the baby.
Left thus together, as it were, Mrs. Arundel turned to the young lady, as if to finish the sentence which had been interrupted. "We never talk of him before him," she said, following the perambulator with her eyes. "He is very quick, and thinks too much about himself already; I mean his thoughts are too much centred on his affliction."
"It must be a great trial," said the young lady sympathisingly.
"Yes," said his mother, still looking after him, "yes; but we do know from whom it comes."
"Ah! That is the only comfort."
"You know that comfort too, then?"
"Yes," she answered in her turn. But it was a very reserved word, and Mrs. Arundel could not ask any more just then.
"Was it an accident?" asked the young lady presently.