The boy nodded understandingly. "What are you going to do on Monday?" he inquired.
"Nothing particular."
"Mother and father and I are going for an excursion to the seaside; we generally do on the Easter bank holiday."
"How nice!"
"This year we're going to Hawmouth. If the weather's fine, and it promises to be, we shall have a rare good time, I expect. We shall take our dinner with us and have it on the beach, and our tea we shall have at a tea-shop, and get home to supper."
This seemed a delightful programme to Melina. "I've never been to the seaside," she said, with a faint regretful sigh.
"Never been to the seaside!" her companion echoed, in deepest amazement. "And Hawstock is only twelve miles from Hawmouth too!—only about a quarter of an hour's journey by train!"
"I know. I've often wondered if I could walk as far as that and back again in a day, but I'm afraid I couldn't."
"No, of course you couldn't; you mustn't think of trying."
"I don't now; but you can't imagine how I long for a sight of the sea. I've seen pictures of it in the picture shops in the town, and oh, it must be grand!"