what is it?" she cried. "How did it happen?"

"It was Tom's fault," said Susie, whimpering. "He sent Dick out to sea in
the uniform case, and it has a hole in it, and it went down."

"Oh, run upstairs and change; Dick has a cough."

"He didn't drown," said Tom, "because we had tied a rope to it, and a
fisherman pulled it up."

"And where is Dickie?"

"I told him to go up on the roof and dry--he's on the leads by now. It's
awfully nice there; we went this morning."

"_On the roof!_--Susie, tell him to come down, whilst I get their
clothes.--Tom, how can you do such things?"

"Why, you never told us not to," said Tom, with innocent eyes.

Susie crept upstairs, very white and quiet. She had been really
frightened, and she had an uncomfortable feeling at the back of her mind
that somehow it was her fault. She found Dick scrambling on to the roof,
and hauled him in with unnecessary vigour. When she got downstairs she
was sulky because her mother had not time to listen to her eager excuses,
but put her hastily on one side.

"Never mind now, Susie. The first thing is to slip off your wet clothes
and get dry, and then help me with the others. Give me the big towel, and
untie Amy's frock."

"But, mother," argued Susie, "I couldn't guess he was going to be so
naughty, could I?"

"You didn't try to guess," said Tom resentfully; "and now you are trying
to make mother think you are better than me. You wouldn't hem our sails
or dig with us. We had to do something."

"And now you want me to quarrel," said Susie.--"Mother, I want to
explain."

"Hush, Susie! there is no time to explain now; you must tell me
by-and-by."

Susie flung the towel on to the floor, and felt a great lump in her
throat. Dick had to be dried and warmed, in order to stop that horrid
little croaking cough; and no one cared for her excuses or explanations.

With angry tears blinding her she ran across to the nursery, and stood
looking out at the silver line of sea and the bobbing ships. Alick was
stretching in his cradle, and it creaked under his weight. She could see
his curly head and his outstretched fat legs. He was so accustomed to
having his legs admired that he always pulled up his petticoats solemnly
to exhibit them, as though pathetically hoping to get it over and have
done with it.

Susie's ill-temper evaporated like smoke. She flung herself beside the
cradle, and hugged Alick in her arms, leaning so closely over him that
nurse, in hu