"Oh, go if you like!" Mrs. Berryman broke in; "you'd better find out what time you are to start on Monday—I forgot to inquire."
Mrs. Jones was laying the cloth for supper when Melina knocked at the back door, and, from the kitchen window, she beckoned to the child to come in.
"Oh, Mrs. Jones," the little girl began, as she entered the kitchen, "I don't know how to thank you—I don't indeed! Gran has just told me that I'm to go to Hawmouth with you, and oh, it seems almost too wonderful to be true! How good of you to think of it! I've never been to the seaside in my life!"
"Then I'm very glad you're going with us on Monday," Mrs. Jones replied, a smile on her comely face; "you must be ready to start by half-past seven, for the train leaves at a quarter to eight and it will take us more than ten minutes to walk to the station."
"I'll be in good time, never fear!" Melina assured her.
"On second thoughts I think you'd better be ready before that, though, and come in here to breakfast. Yes, that will be best. Breakfast at seven sharp, mind."
"Oh, how nice! Oh, thank you, Mrs. Jones!" Melina's face was beaming with delight, but it clouded slightly as she continued in a more subdued tone: "Gran says Mr. Jones is going to pay for me on Monday. I—I don't think that is quite right—"
"Oh yes, it is," Mrs. Jones broke in quickly; "don't worry your head about that. We shouldn't have thought of inviting you to join us on Monday if we hadn't meant to pay all expenses."
"Oh, how kind you are!" Melina breathed softly, her dark eyes shining with a grateful light through a mist of happy tears.
Soon after that she took her departure, whilst Mrs. Jones proceeded with her interrupted task of preparing for supper, her conscience reproaching her because she had never thought of giving her little neighbour a pleasure before.