"Oh! oh!" interrupted Nellie, her voice shrill with surprise and excitement, "how simply lovely of her! I'll go and get ready at once!"
The little girl never forgot the delights of that first motor drive she took with Miss Perry. She sat very still with an expression of intense contentment on her face. The sun did not seem too hot now, and a breeze fanned her cheeks—there had been none in the yard at home. When, at length, after more than an hour's drive, she was set down before her own door in Ladysmith Terrace, how feeble her thanks sounded in return for the pleasure she had been given!
"I will take you with me another day," Miss Perry told her, smilingly, "and perhaps we may be able to persuade your Mother to come, too."
"Oh, yes!" cried Nellie; "thank you!—oh, thank you!"
She entered the house light-heartedly. She was not to go to Broadstairs till next month, she reflected, and, perhaps, before then, something might happen to prevent her going at all.
But nothing happened to prevent it. The remaining days of August passed all too quickly, Miss Perry's car was frequently seen now before the Burfords' house, and Tom was spending a great deal of his time with Peter Perry, whilst Tim and Bounce had evidently decided that the only course open to two reasonable dogs, whose masters had become friends, was to follow their example and be friends, too.
"It's the last day of August," Nellie remarked mournfully at breakfast one morning; "another week, and then—" She stopped with a choking lump in her throat.
"You'll like it at Broadstairs, I shouldn't wonder," Tom said hastily. "I'll promise to write to you," he went on, "and tell you everything you'll care to know."
This was very good of Tom, for he hated letter-writing. Nellie, aware of that fact, looked at him gratefully, and answered: "Yes, do! And never mind the spelling! That won't matter a bit!"
A fine, sunny morning, a week later, found the whole Burford family, Tim included, at the railway station. Mrs. Burford was to take Nellie to Broadstairs, remain there the night, and return on the morrow.