'How kind you are!' and then ran away to dress. 'Not ready, Baby Bud! how is that?' asked Edmund, as the carriage stood at the door, and he came in to carry her to it.

If Violet had been like some little children, she would have answered

'Because Jessie is so cross and selfish, and she wants to go herself instead of me.' But Baby Bud only said—

'I want you to take me on the sands, Eddy dear. Will you?'

'Would you rather?' asked Edmund.

'Yes, to-day,' said Violet.

'I'll go and see after your chariot at once, then,' said Edmund. He ran off, and presently returned with the donkey-carriage, and they went down to the sands together.

Violet was no sooner placed in her favourite corner under the rock, than she saw the little Flappys coming towards her. This time they did not come shyly; they ran, May swinging a little bag to and fro, and Gerty carrying a beautiful wax doll. Their nurse Lettice was behind; she seated herself under the rock a little way off, and took out her work.

'Here are your Flappers, as you call them,' said Edmund. I shall go and see if I can find some more anemones for your bowl, Baby Bud.'

'Do try and get me a white one,' said Violet.

'All right,' answered Edmund.

May had picked out all the prettiest and rarest of her shells, and put them in her bag, to offer to the 'poor little sick child,' whose pale face moved her heart.

'Auntie said I might give them to you,' she whispered, as she poured them out into Violet's lap.'

'This is a whelk, and this is a razor shell, and this is a cowrie, and these are periwinkles,' said Gerty, who was a little proud of knowing all the names. 'And these dinky ones we call the little babies, and the cockles are the nurses, who have to carry them.' May went on, And we make stories about naughty little boys and girls and little fairies, with them.'

'Do you?' said Violet. 'That is just what I do! I make stories about my anemones too. It is so funny how they open and shut, and swell themselves out. When they puff out their skins I say they are in a bad temper.'

May laughed.

Gerty.

'How many have you?' asked

6

'Seven,' said Violet. They have all got names.' 'Tell us their names,' said May.

'Well, first, Sunny, because he has rays and a sort of face, as you see the sun drawn in pictures; and Pouter, because he swells out his skin so often-he's the naughtiest of them all. Buffy is another-she's a dear little gentle one, all buff colour, and her horns

are like feathers. Then there's Mossy, because she's green; and Bogie, big and greedy; and Rose, she has rose-coloured tips; and then there's Squirt-he's a very lively one. We called him Squirt because when he was taken off the rock he actually squirted water up out of his horns into Eddy's face!'

Gerty and May laughed very much at this. 'Is Eddy your brother?' asked Gerty.

'Yes, and Punny and Ferky too,' said Violet. 'We have a little brother,' said May, 'but we've never seen him.'

'Never seen him!' exclaimed Violet. 'Why?' 'Because he's in India,' said Gerty; and our papa and mamma are there too.'

'What is his name?' asked Violet.

'Totty,' said May. 'He's such a dear.'

'We've got a picture of him on a rocking-horse, which papa sent us. And we have a little sister there too. Some day they 'll come home to us.'

'O dear! I wish that day would come!' said Gerty.

'Well,' said Violet gaily, 'you see we're equal. I've got a papa and mamma to live with me, but I'm always ill; and you're well and strong, but you've no papa and mamma to live with you.'

'I don't think we are equal,' said Gerty thoughtfully. We're very happy with Aunt Emmie; now you can't be happy to be always ill.'

'Yes I can,' said Violet. Sometimes I feel very sorry

that I can't run about, just for a little; but that is only when I forget.'

'Forget what?' asked May.

'That God wishes me to be as I am,' replied Violet, 'or else it wouldn't be. Mamma says so.'

The little girls were silent, and looked grave.

'Yes,' said May. 'Aunt Emmie says that when we are ill, it is because God loves us. When I had the scarlatina she said it,' said May. 'I used to get so tired, I could do nothing but cry. And then auntie used to come and cuddle me up in her lap, and tell me nice little comforty stories.'

'Nothing is such a comfort as a story, I think!' said Violet.

W

CHAPTER XI.

THE DESERT ISLAND.

HERE are Master Punny and Master Ferky?' asked nurse, putting her head in at the door, just before the children's dinner-time.

'I thought they came in a little while ago,' said Mrs. Douglas.

'I heard them up-stairs, I am sure,' said Violet. 'And they seemed to be making a great rummage about a quarter of an hour ago.'

'I've been looking high and low for them, ma'am,' said nurse; and they are nowhere to be found. They are at some of their tricks again.'

'They ought not to play you such tricks as these,' said Mrs. Douglas. I really must speak to them severely.'

'I shall be very glad if you will, indeed, ma'am,' said nurse; for they have led me such a life with their freaks since we came here: what with tumbling