by L. T. Meade
at once."
"What train are you going by?" asked Nesta, whose cheeks were verybright.
"We're leaving Newcastle by the 12:15. There'll be a crowd of people,because so many go away from Saturday to Monday, and just now it isholiday time, and the crowd will be worse than ever. We are goingthird-class, of course; you won't mind that, will you?"
"Not a bit."
"Well, father will have taken four tickets--one for himself, one formother, one for me and one for you, and all you have to do is to hideyourself as much as possible behind me. But what about your box?Whatever will you do about getting it there?"
"I could come with quite a small box. Could not you put some of mythings in with yours? I could get them to you to-morrow evening. Iknow I could."
"That's a good idea; I'll ask mother to give me a larger trunk than Ireally want for myself, and I'll put your best things on the top. I'lltell mother that you haven't a great lot of trunks at home, and that Iam helping you by packing some of your things. That will do; only besure you don't come in too shabby a frock, Nesta. We must be at least alittle smart at Scarborough. Mother is making me a blue gingham frock,and a red gingham, and a bright blue voille for Sunday. I wonder howmany nice dresses you have?"
"I don't care--I've got something, and I'll rummage the other girls'drawers for ribbons and a pair of gloves. I'll manage somehow. I cantake just a little box, that can be easily managed."
"You had best be going back now," said Flossie.
"Oh, I can go home with you to tea, Marcia said I could if you liked."
"Well, that's all right--I'm very glad, because if you meet father youcan tell your own tarradiddle. I'd much rather keep my own conscienceclear. I have never told a downright absolute lie in my life."
"Very well," said Nesta. She wondered what was the matter with her; whyshe cared less and less to be good, and why she felt so reckless andindifferent to all that most girls would have considered sacred. Shewas puzzled about herself, and yet at the same time she did not care.
She went back with Flossie to the home of the latter and enjoyed theexcellent meal, and when, in the course of it, Mr Griffiths appeared,she ran up to him and clapped her hands.
"I'm going, it's all right," she said. "Isn't it prime!"
"I'm as pleased as anything," he said, his honest face beaming all over."So your father don't mind. I thought perhaps Aldworth would be tooproud--I mistook him, didn't I?"
"Father?" said Nesta; "oh, father's all right, and I'm going; it'ssplendid. And what do you think?" she added. "Flossie is going to takesome of my things in her trunk. You don't mind that, do you, MrsGriffiths?"
"For goodness' sake," cried Mr Griffiths, "don't bring too much finery,girls, too much toggery and all that sort of thing. The place will bechock full, and we haven't taken expensive rooms. Mother and me, wedidn't see the sense of it. You are heartily welcome to come with us,Nesta, and if we can give you a good time--why, we will. It'll be abouta week or ten days you'll be staying, won't it?"
"Yes, that will be nice," said Nesta.
"And you don't mind, dear, sharing the same room with Flossie," saidMrs Griffiths.
"I don't mind a bit," said Nesta.
"Of course, she doesn't, wife. We always pack up like herrings in abarrel at the seaside, don't we?"
"That's true enough," said Mrs Griffiths, "and I must own sometimes Ifind it a bit stuffy--that is, when I'm indoors."
"But you don't when you're on the seashore, wife, when you're looking atthe merry-go-rounds and listening to the bands, and watching the niggersdancing, and seeing the Punch and Judy shows."
Mrs Griffiths smiled and her face relaxed.
"We'll wade and we'll bathe and we'll go out in boats, and we'll have noend of fun!" said Flossie. "Oh, it will be prime."
She and Nesta wandered away by themselves when the meal came to an end.
"I didn't even tell him a lie. Didn't I manage splendidly?" said Nesta.
Flossie replied that she did.
"Now, I must really be going home. I'll have to be as good as gold;butter won't melt in my mouth between now and Saturday," said Nesta.
She flew home. In the garden she met Molly and Ethel, who were walkingup and down, having a rather dull time, poor girls, and were anythingbut contented. When they saw Nesta they pounced upon her.
"Now, Nesta, it's all arranged. Marcia has been planning everything.She goes to the St Justs on Saturday."
"On Saturday?" said Nesta, starting and colouring very deeply.
"Yes, I thought you knew."
"I knew she was going, but I didn't know the day. You needn't look atme as though you wanted to eat me."
"You're so horribly disagreeable, Nesta, ever since you got that bedroomto yourself," said Ethel. "I hope you've put out of your mind, once andfor ever, that selfish plan of yours of going away to the seaside withFlossie Griffiths."
"Am I likely to think much more about it after the way you snubbed methis morning?" replied Nesta.
"Well, that's all the better, for you will be kept very much occupied.Marcia is a martinet, I will say. Mule Selfish is no word for her. Theway she has planned everything--all our time taken up--Molly is tohouse-keep, and I am to look after the house linen, and Nurse Davenantis to superintend every scrap that mother eats, and mother is to haveall her time planned so that she is to be as cheerful as possible, andMarcia will come to see her once a week, and if there is any change forthe worse, Marcia will come right back, and won't we have a time of it,if that happens?"
"I do think," said Nesta, "that if we ever made a mistake in our lives,it was that time when we begged and implored father and Horace to bringMarcia back."
"Well, there's more to come. Father and Horace are also going away onSaturday."
Nesta's face very perceptibly brightened. If Marcia was away, as wellas her father, and also her brother, why, there would be nobody to makemuch fuss about her having absented herself. When she was atScarborough, she would be allowed to stay there, for there would be noone to force her back. How delightful.
"I'm glad they're going to have a holiday," she said. "I really am; andthey're going on Saturday?"
"Yes, by the 12:15 train. They're going through Scarborough right onto--why, how pale you are."
"It's so horribly hot," said Nesta, sinking into a chair.
"Well, that's about it; they're going by the 12:15 train, but they'renot going to stop at Scarborough, they're going to a little place abouttwenty miles further on. They're going to have a lot of fishing andyachting. Father says that he doesn't want to be too far away frommother in her present state, and, of course, Horace loves his fishing.There, Nesta, you do look white. Hadn't you better go into the house?"
"No, I'm all right; don't bother me," said Nesta.
CHAPTER TWENTY.
THE MISSING SOVEREIGN.
It was Saturday morning; the Carters were going to Whitby, the Griffithsto Scarborough, Mr Aldworth and his son to a place called Anchorville,on the coast, a remote little fishing hamlet, far away from railways, orany direct communication. Nevertheless a telegram could bring MrAldworth back to his wife if necessity arose, within six or seven hours.
The whole place seemed to be redolent of paper and string and trunks andlabels and all the rest of it, thought Penelope Carter. Penelope waswatching eagerly for the post, and that letter from Jim, which nevercame. She was really working herself into a fever, and when Saturdayarrived and the sun shone brilliantly, and the whole world--or at least,all their world--was full of confusion, she could scarcely eat herbreakfast. At each sound she started, and Clara came to the conclusionthat the child was not well. In reality, Pen, having given up all hopeof Jim's coming to the rescue, was struggling to make up her mind. If,by any chance, her father did not miss the sovereign, she would nottell, but if he missed it, and if he began to suspect any one of havingstolen it; why, tell him she must.
She ran up to Jim's room; shut the door and fell on her
knees by Jim'sbedside.
"Give me strength," she murmured. "Give me strength. I am awfullyfrightened. Please, God, give me strength. I won't let any one else besuspected."
Just then Clara's voice was heard calling her.
"Come along, Pen, what are you hiding for? And in Jim's room of allplaces! We want every hand that we can get; we'll