“Oh mother! one word first,” said Nora.
“It must be a very brief word, then, Nora, or I shall miss my train”——
“We met the Asprays on the beach, mother.”
“The Asprays, dear? I don’t understand.”
“If you please, mum,” said the parlour-maid at this moment, “Harris says that unless you come at once you won’t catch your train.”
“I am quite ready,” said Mrs. Richmond. “Come, Merton, you cannot waste any more time over the packages.—Darlings, the Asprays, whoever they are, must keep. Good-bye, my pets—good-bye.”
In two minutes more the carriage was bowling down the avenue, Mrs. Richmond was gone, and the four girls looked at each other.
“It is most provoking,” said Nora. “She never told us anything about the Asprays. What are we to do?”
“To do!” said Augusta. “To take all the fun we can out of them. What else could we do?”
“All the same, I don’t think they are a bit the sort of girls that mother would like,” said Kitty. “But there! it doesn’t matter, for when Uncle Peter comes he will know what we ought or ought not to do.”