"Really, Master Bertie, you are becoming quite a philosopher as well as a capitalist and man of business. Now then, youngsters, gather up your parcels; we shall be in Brighton in about five minutes, and then for a glimpse of the glorious sea."
"Why, Uncle Harry, I've never seen it!" Bertie exclaimed, as if he were very much surprised at not having given the matter a thought before. "All the way down I never seemed to think we were going to the sea-side: I was so glad to get away from London. Will you let us have a boat, Uncle Harry?"
"That depends, Bertie; if the weather keeps fine we may go for a sail some day."
"Bertie fancies we could pull about in a little punt on the ocean as we did on the river at home," Eddie said, rather scornfully. "He has no idea what the sea is like."
"Well, well, he will know better presently, for here we are," Uncle Harry said gently; and in a few minutes more they were all in a shabby, shaky, but roomy old carriage, driving along the Parade.
"Oh!" Agnes whispered, catching Aunt Amy's hand. "Oh, how beautiful! I feel as if I can't breathe, auntie."
"It is jolly!" Bertie cried, in his hearty, downright way. "What a place for a swim, Eddie!"
"The idea of thinking the sea only a place for swimming!" Eddie replied contemptuously. "I——"
"You can't swim a bit: that's the reason you don't care about it," Bertie cried merrily. "But Eddie can pull better than I can, Uncle Harry, so you will hear him say presently, 'What a lovely place for a row!' and I do believe it's not a bit rougher than our little river."
"It's very calm to-day, but sometimes it wears a very different aspect, Bertie."