“It is a dreadful thing to fall into the Seine,” replied Pauline, who never could resist the chance to make a pun.
“No, he was not hurt,” said Molly. “Only in his little feelings, because I can’t let him go in bathing, Miss Edith. We haven’t his bathing-suit here, and if we had, I don’t believe mamma would dare let him go into the sea.”
“Wouldn’t she allow him to take off his shoes and stockings and wade in the shallow water?” asked kind Miss Edith, wishing to see the grieving child happy.
“Mamma would, mamma would,” piped Donald, taking it upon himself to answer the question.
“Do you think so, little sailor?”
Miss Edith caressingly touched the embroidered anchor upon the collar of his navy-blue jacket, and turning to Molly said,—
“Because I know of a nice, shallow pool where little ones often wade. It is over there between those two rocks near the foot of the chalk cliffs.”
“Thank you, Miss Edith, you’re very kind to tell us about it,” replied Molly, wiping Donald’s eyes, again beginning to twinkle. “You are sure it is perfectly safe?”
“Oh, yes, it’s so far from the sea that the waves never wash into it except at high tide.”
This was all true; and thinking she had done a kindness to the young Americans, Miss Edith gave them a pleasant nod and followed her sisters to the bath-house lower down the beach, to prepare for a plunge into the ocean.