afterwards, and how uncomfortable her conscience was at night.

"I really won't go again," she said to herself time after time; and yet
the first sight of the twins splashing round the rocks scattered all her
good resolutions to the winds.

"I am glad I can trust you," her mother often said. "You are a comfort to
me."

"Troublesome comforts I should call them," nurse said; and, like many of
nurse's wise sayings, it was remembered by Susie, and left a little sting
in her memory.

This afternoon she came to the beach quite resolved to withstand
temptation, and to play demurely with the little ones. It had rained all
morning, and now Tom had gone to the town with his mother to buy some new
sand-shoes. For some time Susie was perfectly happy building castles of
sand and letting the rising tide flow into her moat. Nurse was indulgent
enough to waste a few of her valuable minutes in making a scarlet flag
and mounting it on a wooden knitting-pin, whilst Dick and Amy busily
ornamented its base with fan shells. Dick was the king, with Alick for
his knight--rather a top-heavy knight, with wayward legs--and Susie and
Amy were the besieging army, fighting with desperate courage as long as
they had breath.

Susie flung herself panting on the sand. "Isn't it funny, nurse," she
said, "that all the bad men were good kings, and all the good men had to
be beheaded?"

"I don't know much about any king, Miss Susie," said nurse, "except King