"All our nice times are over," said Beryl solemnly; "We shall never be able to play alone again, or to go on the beach or anywhere without some one to look after us, or to do anything that we like. The governess is really coming at last, Coral!"
"Is that all?" replied Coral, in a tone of relief; for her imagination had been conjuring up all kinds of dire possibilities, so that the governess's coming seemed, in comparison, a slight evil.
"All! I should think it was enough!" said Beryl sharply. "Why, Coral, you don't think how horrid it will be! I am sure she will be a nasty, cross thing, and I shall hate her;—or, at least, dislike her very much," she added, feeling that hate was too strong a word to use.
"Did your papa say she was cross?" asked Coral simply.
"Oh no, of course not; he said she was a nice young lady, the daughter of a clergyman; but I know she will be cross—all governesses are," pronounced Beryl, who had an opinion of her own upon most subjects, and never allowed the narrow range of her experience to limit her conclusions. "I expect she will be just such another as Aunt Cecilia; only I dare say she will know more, for between you and me, Coral, I don't think that aunt knows very much. You see, it is so long since she was a little girl and went to school, that she must have forgotten all she learned there."
"When will the governess come?" asked Coral, who was now looking as troubled as Beryl.
"The day after to-morrow," replied Beryl; "is it not dreadfully soon? I wish I had known before. Fancy, we have only one more day to ourselves."
"We must make the most of it," said Coral, with a sigh.
"There is another thing I must tell you," said Beryl, echoing the sigh. "Papa has made me promise to have no more Sunday schools on the beach. He laughed when I told him about it, Coral, as if it were something quite ridiculous. He said it was like the blind leading the blind, and I had better learn more myself before I tried to teach others."
"Oh, Beryl! What a pity to have to give it up!" exclaimed Coral. "And just as we are getting on so nicely, and they are beginning to understand about the pictures, and to sing 'When mothers of Salem' so well."