replied eagerly. 'Even old Mrs. Bunton does--I've often seen her. And
there's no other shop for books and stationery at Seacove.'

Mr. Fairchild smiled at the pride with which she said this.

'It would be a bad job for me if there were,' he said, 'for as it is
there's barely custom for a shop of the kind,' and an anxious look came
over his face. But Mrs. Fairchild reminded him that if they did not
finish the chapter of _Little Arthur_ quickly, it would be Celestina's
bedtime, so the talk changed to the Black Prince and his exploits.




CHAPTER II

THOSE YOUNG LADIES

'Leave me alone--I want to cry;
It's no use trying to be good.'--ANON.


Six weeks or so later--Christmas and New Year's day were past; it was
the middle of January by this time--a little group of children might
have been seen standing on the shore about half a mile from Seacove.

Though midwinter, it was not very cold. There is a theory that it never
is very cold at the seaside. I cannot say that I have always found this
the case, but it was so at Seacove. It lay in a sheltered position, out
of the way of the east wind, and this was one reason why Mr. Vane had