"All right," said Susie.

She was filled with light-hearted joy, and nurse's praise warmed her
heart; nurse so seldom praised her. She helped Alick's wilful legs to the
foot of the steps and watched him out of sight.

"I am so very glad I have made up my mind to be good," she said to
herself; "it is _perfectly easy_ if you make up your mind. I wish the
twins would come and want me to leave Dick, or go on the rocks, or do
something naughty. I would just stand here and look at them with my large
innocent eyes and my gentle smile, and I would say, '_Never_, twins!
Nurse has trusted him to me, and I have turned over a new leaf. I would
not touch the rocks with my bare feet, not for a king's ransom.'"

"Susie," cried Dick.

"Yes," said Susie impatiently.

"Come here, Susie," he said again--"quick, I'm so wet!"

"Oh, bother," said Susie.

She turned slowly, still inspired by her own eloquence; and there,
straight before her, as if they had walked out of the sunset, stood the
twins, with black hair waving, and bare, wet legs.

"Come on!" they shouted breathlessly. "It's a perfectly heavenly
afternoon for the rocks, but it's awfully late; you've kept us waiting an
hour whilst your nurse simply _clacked_."