o
took her away from William Street. Besides, Sister Agatha seemed more
like an ordinary person, only nicer and kinder than any one Mary had
ever known, but Evangeline was not an ordinary person at all.

The Maypole stood before the door with a crown of flowers at the top,
and a lot of prettily dressed children around it. Each child held a
coloured ribbon in one hand, and they all sang as they danced round the
Maypole winding and unwinding the ribbons. Mary thought it was all very
nice, only she would have liked to hold one of the ribbons too, though
it was true she did not know much about dancing, even if her foot had
been quite well.

But the most delightful thing Mary had ever seen was the sea. It had
been surprising when she looked at it from the window, but when Sister
Agatha took her on to the beach, and her feet sank into the soft sand,
and there were so many nice wet things to pick up, Mary began to laugh
and to clap her hands for joy.

She liked to see the waves curling towards her, then to watch whilst
they changed from green to the purest white, and just when she thought
they were going to wet her shoes, they ran away again with a noise that
made Mary think they were laughing at her, as if they were only playing
and quite enjoying the game.

'There's another ship!' cried Mary. 'I wonder where it's going to?' she
said, looking up into Sister Agatha's face.

'A long, long way,' was the answer. 'To a place where the people are
different from us. They are all black, and they don't wear clothes.'

'What do they do when it's cold?' asked Mary.

'It's never cold in those countries,' said Sister Agatha. 'It is always
very hot--far hotter than it is here.'

'Oh, then that's fairy-land, too!' Mary exclaimed.

'Yes, every place is full of wonders, you know,' answered Sister Agatha.

'All except William Street,' said Mary, and Sister Agatha took her hand
and they walked slowly back to the house. The next day happened to be
wet, and during the afternoon Evangeline came to see Mary for the first
time since she left London. But when Mary had made up her mind for a
nice chat, or perhaps for a story, Sister Agatha gave her a picture-book
and told her to sit down.

'We have very serious matters to discuss,' she said, 'so you must keep
still and not speak a word.'

Mary opened the book, but her attention soon turned from the pictures to
Evangeline, who was sitting at a round table with a pencil in her hand
making