The morning dawned as fresh and beautiful a September morn as any one could desire. The early breeze was cool and bracing; but by the middle of the day, the sun had gained great power, and all agreed that the weather was perfection, being neither too hot nor too cold.
Beryl and Coral were in the garden, ready to receive their guests, a full half-hour before the time appointed; but they had not long to wait, for scarcely one child arrived late, and many, in their eagerness to come, were unpunctual on the safe side.
The young guests made rather a formidable crowd as they gathered on the lawn. There were no less than eighty children of all ages, ranging from four to fifteen. For the first few minutes there was much shyness and constraint manifested by the young visitors; but Beryl, with Miss Burton's help, soon put an end to that. Parties were formed for croquet, hide-and-seek, and other games. The swing proved a great attraction, and was never once empty the whole afternoon. When Mr. Hollys and Andrew wheeled Percy on to the lawn, an hour later, the garden was echoing with the shouts of merry voices, and every one seemed thoroughly happy.
Delightfully engaged though she was, Beryl yet managed to slip out of the game in order to run and greet Percy, and enquire if he were comfortable on his couch under the walnut tree. The attention pleased him, though he would not let her stay more than a minute by his side, but sent her back to her guests.
The scene changed at five o'clock. By that time, the tables under the trees had been loaded with ample supplies of bread, cakes, tarts, ripe fruit, and rich Cornish cream. The servants brought large urns of hot tea and milk, and the young people, small and great, having been comfortably placed, began to enjoy the good things set before them.
Beryl presided at one table, Coral at another, and Miss Burton at the third. Mr. Hollys passed to and fro, and saw that every one was cared for. Miss Hollys also came to look on.
It was indeed a pleasant sight to watch the children's honest enjoyment of the feast. They came from their active games in the open air with hearty appetites. But though hungry, they showed no greediness.
Poor and untaught though they were, they were not ill-mannered. The honest Cornish race of which they came, though blunt in speech, and rough in deed, has a certain innate refinement of its own. Mr. Hollys was charmed with the behaviour of Beryl's guests.
"I have seen children of the upper classes whose breeding would be put to shame by the manners of these youngsters," he remarked to Miss Burton. She was too busy at the moment to do more than assent to his words; but she noted the remark, and hoped to turn it to good account at some other time.
It was not at tea-time that the children's enjoyment reached its highest point. That was gained later in the evening, when daylight faded and the stars looked out from the pale sky.