ce? Auntie told us to ask."

"I don't mind," said Mamma, "they are sure to taste good any way, now
that they are flavoured with Lancey's and Dick's brotherly love."

[Illustration]

A REMARKABLE WATCH.

[Illustration]

"May we bathe this morning, Mamma?" said the children, putting their
heads in at the door of the drawing-room.

Mamma glanced at the time-piece.

"It is rather late," she said doubtfully. "You would have to be very
quick. Which of the big ones are going with you?"

"None of them," answered Joan, the smallest of the small party. "They've
all gone for a walk except Lilly, and she's drawing in the garden, but
I'm sure she'd come if we asked her. Lilly's always so kind--if only
you'd say we might."

"It _is_ so fine and sunny, and the tide won't suit again for ever so
many days," added two or three imploring voices.

"Very well, then if Lilly will go you may bathe, but you _must_ be
quick. I can't have luncheon kept waiting again," said Mamma.

In another moment loud eager cries from the garden reached her through
the open window. "Lilly, Lilly, where are you? Mamma says if you will
come--" and then the voices faded away in the distance.

"Poor Lilly," thought Mamma, with a smile. "I wonder if it's a shame of
me to let those wild children torment her. I dare say she was counting
on a quiet morning."

But whether Lilly was disappointed or not, no sign of anything but
content and pleasure appeared on her pretty, bright face when the little
group of bathers, all brushed up and tidy again, took their places round
the luncheon-table.

"That's right," said Mamma. "You really have been very expeditious this
morning. Whom am I to praise?"

She knew before it came what the answer would be.

"Oh, Lilly. Lilly, of course," said Joan, always ready to be
spokeswoman. "Lilly made us promise to do exactly as she told us before
we went."

"She timed us," said Bill.

[Illustration]

"Yes," Joan went on, "wasn't it a good plan? Lilly put her watch on a
rock and gave us five minutes to undress in, and a quarter of an hour
to stay in the sea, and ten minutes to dress in. Bill and Humphrey were
in the gentlemen's dressing-room, of course--that's what we call the
other little bay--and Lilly had to roar out to them, 'one minute more
only,'--'two minutes more,' just like a railway man at a station. It
_was_ such fun, and--"

[Illustration]

"My dear Joan, you will never eat your dinner if you cha