y're gone," said Penelope. "I knew the sea would cure 'em. I am quite
perfect well. I am going to be quite perfect well while I am here. I love
the sea; don't you?"

"Come, wash and be clean," whispered the sea to Pauline.

She was silent. Verena said, however, that she greatly liked the sea.
They went back to the house. Penelope was escorted upstairs. Pauline
helped her to undress, and presently she was tucked into her little bed.

"It seems a'most as if I wor still a nursery child," she said to her
elder sister.

"Why so?" asked Pauline.

"Being sent to bed afore you and Renny. I am quite as old as you and
Renny--in my mind, I mean."

"Don't talk nonsense," said Pauline almost crossly.

"Paulie," said Penelope, taking hold of her hand and pulling her towards
her, "I went to see Nancy King t'other day."

"Why did you do that?" asked Pauline.

"Because I wanted to come to the sea, and there was no other way. Vinegar
wouldn't do it, nor tum-aches, but I thought Nancy might."

"I don't know what you mean," said Pauline. "In what possible way could
Nancy King have brought you here?"

"Only that I got so desperate after seeing her that I wrote that funny,
funny letter, and nursey helped me; and now I'm here, and I think I can
do what I like. You had best be friends with me now, for I can do just
what I like."

Pauline felt just a little afraid. She knelt down by Pen.

"Tell me why you went," she said. "You know you disobeyed Aunt Sophy when
you went."

"Yes; but what's one more in a family doing disobeying things?" answered
Pen in her glib fashion. "But now listen. I will tell you."

She related her adventures with much glee--her walk through the woods,
her arrival, the terrible way in which Lurcher had treated her, the
kindness of the farmer, the proposed dinner, Nancy's manners. She was
working up to the grand climax, to the moment when she should speak about
the thimble.

"What do you think?" she said suddenly. "Nancy put me on a sofa, and I
slept. I slept sound, and when I woke up I saw Nancy sitting by the
window sewing. She wor making a blue scarf, and her thimble went flashing
in and out; and what do you think, Paulie? What _do_ you think?"

"Well?" said Pauline.

"Pauline, dear, are you ready?" called a voice from below.

"I must go," said Pauline; "but tell me at once, Pen, what you mean."

"It was the thimble--the lost one," said Penelope--"the one with the
dark-blue top and the light-blue