“Yes, certainly, dear. Take one of your own—something you think a boy would like.”
Loveday thought for a moment. “I fink I’ll take him the big monkey. It is very ugly, but boys like ugly things;” and off she ran again, and this time really reached the nursery, where Mrs. Peters and her family were frantically clawing at the basket in their longing to get outside it.
Loveday untied the lid and let them all out. “You are not to go after all,” she said. “I hope you won’t be dis’pointed, but mother finks Prissy may want you, and, after all, the fish at Porthcallis isn’t better than any other, and there’s a dreadful lot of water.”
Whether Mrs. Peters understood the change of plan or not, who can say? But it is a fact that she lay down purring with happiness, and, drawing all her children about her, talked to them for a long time.
Three days later, about noon, Loveday and Mrs. Carlyon started. It was not a very long journey by train—an engine soon covers fifteen miles; and the afternoon sun was still shining bright and hot when they stepped out on the platform of the little bare country station, which was not very far from Mrs. Lobb’s cottage. Though one could not actually see the sea from the platform, one felt that it was close by, for one could smell it in the air, and on stormy days one could hear it; and, though I don’t know how it came there, there certainly was sea-sand all about the platform, which made it look and feel as though the sea certainly must reach that far sometimes.
It was all very open and breezy, and there seemed to be an endless amount of air and space, and sea and sand, and sky and everything. Loveday almost wished there was not quite so much; it made her feel so small, and rather forlorn. But she had not much time to think about it, for things kept on happening. There were no omnibuses or cabs or anything to take them anywhere.
“How are we going to get my box to Bessie’s house?” she asked anxiously.
A man with a wheelbarrow had come up, and was standing by them.
“I’ll take the box, little lady,” he said, touching his hat and smiling at her. “For the rest, hereabouts, we mostly goes on Shanks’s mare.”
“Oh, thank you,” said Loveday.