Consequences
"Ah, well—I'll let you off this time. But you'll promise faithful never to do it again, now, won't you?"
"We faithfully won't ever," said both children, earnestly.
"Then off you go to your beds, and I'll dry the things when your Ma's out. I'll press 'em tomorrow morning while I'm waiting for the boys to come in."
"You are an angel," said Mavis, embracing her.
"More than you are then, you young limbs," said Mrs. Pearce, returning the embrace. "Now off you go, and get what sleep you can.
It was with a feeling that Fate had not, after all, been unduly harsh with them that Mavis and Francis came down to a very late breakfast.
"Your Ma and Pa's gone off on their bikes," said Mrs. Pearce, bringing in the eggs and bacon, "won't be back till dinner. So I let you have your sleep out. The little 'uns had theirs three hours ago and out on the sands. I told them to let you sleep, though I know they wanted to hear how many shrimps you caught. I lay they expected a barrowful, same as what you did."
"How did you know they knew we'd been out?" Francis asked.
"Oh, the way they was being secret in corners, and looking the old barrow all over was enough to make a cat laugh. Hurry up, now. I've got the washing-up to do—and your things is well-nigh dry."
"You are a darling," said Mavis. "Suppose you'd been different, whatever would have become of us?"
"You'd a got your desserts—bed and bread and water, instead of this nice egg and bacon and the sands to play on. So now you know," said Mrs. Pearce.
•••••
On the sands they found Kathleen and Bernard, and it really
65
