eally, for I
don't know more than you do,' she added, as she saw both children were
about to ply her with questions.

Meantime, Alan, having caught the spirit of the game over which the
others were interested, took up the largest stones he could find, and
came to join the party. It was more than likely that Thomas would
imagine he had been helping with the castle the whole time.

'Well?' said Marjorie, looking up, and at the same time pointing to
where she desired the stones to be placed.

They all began to help in arranging them while Alan spoke in low tones
of his adventure.

'It is really true, Marjorie, that something is up. I don't understand
it yet, and even if I did this is no place to tell you about what I
heard. Just keep quiet about my climb, all of you. Do you hear,
Georgie?' For his little brother was not good at keeping secrets, and
Alan thought this a serious matter.

'Of course I do. I am not deaf.'

'Well, you are not to say a word to anybody, not even to Mother.'

'How did you get down?' asked Estelle, in a whisper.

'On my feet, having no wings,' he laughed. 'How have you all got on?
This is a splendid castle. Let us fill the moat with water.'

Marjorie looked up in surprise. A look in Alan's eyes made her glance
round, and she saw that Thomas was coming towards them over the sands,
to tell them it was time to be going. She saw, too, that Alan did not
wish to speak of his climb up the cliff in Thomas's presence.

Estelle and Georgie were the only talkative ones on their return to the
boat. Marjorie was fully occupied with the difficulties of steering, and
Alan and Thomas in pulling against the incoming tide. Georgie had
crammed his pockets with shells, and now brought them out to show
Estelle that there were real, live creatures in some of the closed ones.
The idea horrified her, and she tried to get him to throw them into the
sea.

'No, certainly not!' cried Georgie, with a teasing laugh. 'I shall ask
Miss Leigh if we can't have them for tea.'

'To eat?' cried Estelle, shrinking with horror, and springing away from
the dirty-looking black shells.

Her violent jump made the boat give a heavy lurch, and she nearly fell
overboard.

'Hullo!' cried Alan, while Marjorie pulled her back to her seat, begging
her to keep still.

'What's the matter? asked Georgie with a laugh, his eyes dancing with
delight at having startled her. 'Why, they are only mussels. Lots of
people eat them, and peri