seems little enough, while all the bad feelings we had, and sharp words
we spoke, come up to condemn us."

By this time they had reached the fisherman's cottage; it was prettily
situated, as houses on the south coast often are, under the shadow of a
fine over-hanging cliff. Masses of rock, clad with emerald green, were
scattered here and there, and the thriving plants in the little garden,
gave evidence of the mildness of the air in those parts, though close
upon the sea. The cottage was very low, but white and cheerful looking
outside, and as clean and trim within as a notable and stirring woman
could make it. Joe's daughter-in-law, the same described by Joe the
other evening as the woman of a high spirit, was to-day absent on an
errand to the town; and Edith, who loved children, stopped at the
threshold to notice two or three little curly-headed prattlers, who were
playing together at grotto making, an amusement which cost grandfather
many a half-penny. Some dispute seemed to have arisen at the moment of
their entrance between the young builders, for a good-humoured,
plain-looking girl, of twelve, the nursemaid of the baby, and the
care-taker of four other little ones, was trying to pacify the
aggrieved. In vain--little Susy was in a great passion, and with her
tiny foot kicked over the grotto, the result of several hours' labour;
first, in searching on the shore for shells and pebbles, and secondly,
in its erection. Then arose such a shriek and tumult amongst the
children, as those only can conceive who know what a noise disappointed
little creatures, from three to seven years old, can make. They all set
upon Susy, "naughty, mischievous, tiresome," were among the words. The
quiet looking girl, who had been trying to settle the dispute, now
interfered again. She led Susy away gently, but firmly, into another
part of the garden, where spying her grandfather, she took the unwilling
and ashamed little girl for him to deal with, and ran hack to the crying