"Good gracious, Marigold! Do you mean to tell me you haven't been digging in the sand, or paddling?" she cried.
"Don't you think Marigold is too old for either of those amusements?" Miss Pamela asked, with a tone of reproof in her voice.
"She is no older than I am," Muriel responded quickly, by no means abashed. "There is nothing I enjoy more than wading in the water. I mean to have a net and go shrimping! Oh, Miss Holcroft, you don't intend to prevent Marigold's joining me, do you?"
Thus appealed to, Miss Holcroft looked helplessly at her sister. Marigold was listening anxiously to the conversation; and Muriel now turned her attention once more to her friend.
"Of course you have a spade and a bucket?" she said. "No! What a pity!"
"They sell them at the village shop," Miss Holcroft put in hastily, as she drew out her purse. "Do you wish to dig in the sand with Muriel, my dear? If so, take this money, and run and purchase what you want."
"Oh, thank you so much, Aunt Mary! Will you come with me, Muriel?"
"I think I'll stay where I am till you come back. If you hurry you won't be away many minutes."
Marigold scrambled to her feet, and reaching the flight of steps cut in the sea-wall, was soon lost to sight.
"How did you leave your father, my dear?" Miss Holcroft inquired politely.