ry
stones, and splashing of fresh white dresses! Then, too, the long-
checked pangs of hunger asserted themselves, and would no longer be
restrained, and the men were hardly allowed time to fasten the boat, go
imperiously were they hurried on shore with the precious freight of
hampers.

Lunch was spread beneath the tree, and was no sooner finished than
Mellicent inquired, "When's tea?" a request which the hearers felt bound
to deride, though in reality it found an echo in every heart.
Astonishing as it may appear, a picnic lunch invariably seems to create
a longing for the cup which cheers, and on this occasion the sea air had
a sleepifying influence which increased that desire.

"I re-ally think we had better have it soon. I can hardly keep from y-
awning all the time!" cried Mrs Bryce, suiting the action to the word,
and such was the result of infection that two pairs of hands went up to
as many mouths even as she spoke.

"Very well, then, say four o'clock. Can't possibly have it before
then," said Arthur, struggling vainly to keep his jaws together. "Oh,
this will never do. Come down to the rocks, all of you, and get a good
blow to freshen you up. I never saw such a company of sleepers!"

Eunice and Mellicent followed obediently enough, while the lovers seated
themselves in a quiet corner, and Rob lay down on the sand beside one of
the little pools, to watch the movements of the crawling insects. His
trained glance was quick to understand the purport of what would have
seemed aimless fittings to and fro to an ordinary observer, and soon out
came notebook and pencil, and he was hard at work chronicling a dozen
interesting discoveries. Peggy lingered behind to offer her help to
Mrs Bryce, but that good lady, being secretly anxious to indulge in
forty winks, seconded Hector Darcy's protest in so emphatic a manner
that she had no loophole for delay. She strolled with him down to the
shore, following Arthur and his companions, but not so closely that
there was not a distance of several yards between the two big stones
which had been selected as resting-places. So far as privacy of
conversation was concerned, the yards might have been miles, for the
waves dashed up with a continual murmur, and the breeze seemed to carry
the sound of the voices far out to sea. Peggy clasped her hands on her
knee, and gazed before her with dreamy eyes. Her little face looked
very sweet and thoughtful, and Hector Darcy watched