xpedition with the lightest possible
hearts, prepared for enjoyment.

Aunt Hannah was to take them to meet Monsieur and Mademoiselle at the
place where the omnibus started for Pegwell Bay, and when they got
within a short distance they could see that their punctual guests were
already there waiting. They were both in the most cheerful spirits, and
had attired themselves in a manner suitable to "le voyage." Monsieur,
in particular, had cast aside his ordinary garments, and had now quite a
marine and holiday air. He wore a white waistcoat and trousers rather
shrunk, a sailor hat, and a short blue coat; slung round him by a bright
new leather strap he carried a telescope in a neat case, with which to
survey distant shipping, and in his hand a cane with a tassel.
Mademoiselle on her side had not forgotten to do honour to the occasion
by a freshly-trimmed bonnet, and a small bouquet of spring flowers in
the front of her black dress.

After some delay--partly caused by Monsieur, who had many polite
speeches to make, and stepped about in front of Aunt Hannah with
repeated bows, and partly by Mademoiselle's extreme reluctance to
getting on to the top of the omnibus--the start was really made. Susan
drew a deep breath of delight, and thought it was the most beautiful
drive she had ever had.

Their way, after they had rattled through the streets of the town, lay
for some distance along a sandy road with woods on each side of it. The
sea was hidden, but there were the fresh green buds on the trees to look
at, and the blue sky overhead flecked with little white clouds, and the
larks to listen to singing high up in the air over distant cornfields.
By and by the road came out on the cliff again, and soon made a sudden
dip so that the sea was now quite close to them, and on the other side
another sea of freshly-springing wheat stretched away inland for miles.
It was such a steep and stony hill that Mademoiselle began to be seized
with panics of terror in case the horses should slip, so that she often
clung tightly to Adolphe and cried, "Ciel!" This enlivened the journey
a good deal, and she joined in laughing at herself with much
good-nature, though it was really with a sigh of relief that she
exclaimed, "Nous voici!" when the omnibus stopped at the door of the
inn. It stood about half-way down the road leading to the shore, high
enough to have a broad view over the sea, which was now at low tide. In
the distance you could