she and her sister would have been infinitely more comfortable
together without their troublesome countess--above all when they had
no governess to relieve them of her. The going out of town was sad
enough to them, for they had always paid a long visit at Caergwent
Castle, which had felt like their home through the lifetime of their
brother and nephew; but now it was shut up, and their grief for their
young nephew came back all the more freshly at the time of year when
they were used to be kindly entertained by him in their native home.

But as they could not go there, they went to Bournemouth and the
first run Kate took upon the sands took away all the giddiness from
her head, and put an end to the tired feeling in her limbs! It
really was a run! Aunt Barbara gave her leave to go out with
Josephine; and though Josephine said it was very sombre and savage,
between the pine-woods and the sea, Kate had not felt her heart leap
with such fulness of enjoyment since she had made snow-balls last
winter at home. She ran down to the waves, and watched them sweep in
and curl over and break, as if she could never have enough of them;
and she gazed at the grey outline of the Isle of Wight opposite,
feeling as if there was something very great in really seeing an
island.

When she came in, there was so much glow on her brown check, and her
eyelids looked so much less heavy, that both the aunts gazed at her
with pleasure, smiled to one another, and Lady Jane kissed her, while
Lady Barbara said, "This was the right thing."

She was to be out as much as possible, so her aunt made a set of new
rules for the day. There was to be a walk before breakfast; then
breakfast; then Lady Barbara heard her read her chapter in the Bible,