‘Of course,’ agreed Sally in haste, ‘so would I. But perhaps some day Father will buy a ship for me, too.’
The rain had ceased. A watery sun was shining and patches of blue sky were showing here and there.
As they stepped out of the Captain’s shop they could hear the noise of the sea rushing up among the rocks at the back of the Captain’s house. ‘Let us go home along the shore, Mother,’ begged Sally. ‘Alice came only yesterday and she hasn’t seen the ocean yet at all.’
So Mother and Sally and Alice, carrying Jack Tar, walked home along the rocky shore. The sea breeze blew their hair about their ears. The waves thundered up among the rocks and broke into creamy foam. The boats in the harbor danced up and down and bobbed about on the tossing gray water.
Then, suddenly, the sun shone out, warm and golden, and turned the whole world into blue and white. Blue sky, blue waves, white boats, and great white clouds!
‘Oh, look, look!’ cried Alice, standing quite still in pleasure at the beautiful sight.
‘When the tide goes out and we can climb down among the rocks, we find all sorts of things in the little pools, don’t we, Mother? Seaweed, and periwinkles, and little crabs, and jellyfish. Sometimes we go to the beach, and play in the water and dig in the sand and find shells, pink and lavender and blue. Oh, I am so glad that you have come to stay!’
And Sally squeezed Alice’s arm so violently in her gladness that Jack Tar was only just saved from a tumble to the street.
Once home, Mother went over the way to call on Miss Neppy and to meet Alice’s mother, she said.
So Sally with Nancy Lee, and Alice with Jack Tar walked up and down and up and down the street.