eak to her brother, as they were leaving the hotel, about
returning at once, as she did not wish to be late; but Walter replied in
an impatient tone that there was plenty of time, and they might as well
have a little bit of fun first. So, with trembling heart she took his
arm as they emerged on to the esplanade, resolved that, at any rate,
come what might, she would keep close to her brother, and be as much a
check upon him as possible.

The four now made their way to the sands. As they did so, they observed
a considerable number of the visitors making their way in a body towards
a spot where a crowd had evidently assembled. "What's up now?" cried
Gregson. "Let us go and see." They all joined the stream of walkers,
and at last reached a spot where a large company of listeners were
gathered round a group of men, some of whom were distributing tracts
among the people, while one with a grave but pleasing countenance,
standing on a stout oak stool which was firmly planted among the
shingles, was giving out a verse of a popular hymn preparatory to
addressing the spectators.

"Ain't this capital?" said Gregson to Walter and Saunders in a loud
whisper. "Won't we just have a rare bit of fun!" He then spoke in a
low voice in Saunders's ear, and the young man stole round to the
opposite side of the crowd. When the hymn had been sung, and the
speaker was in the very act of commencing his discourse, a loud mew from
Gregson, who was affecting to look very solemn, made the good man pause.
He made a second attempt; but now a noise as of two cats fighting
violently came from the opposite side of the concourse. The poor
preacher looked sadly disconcerted; but when the pretended mewing and
wrangling were continued, the sense of the ludicrous seemed to prevail
in the crowd over everything else, and there was one general outburst of
laughter, in which no one joined more heartily than Walter. The crowd
began to surge backwards and forwards, and many to move off. But the
preacher still maintained his stand. "Come here! come here!" cried
Gregson in an undertone to Walter. Julia felt her brother suddenly
disengage his arm from hers, and then he was lost in the crowd. A few
minutes later, and there was a movement among the audience--if it could
now be called an audience--in the rear of the speaker; and during the
confusion, Julia, who was gazing intently on the spot where the preacher
stood, saw two faces crouching down for a mom