okes, the sweetmeat man;
and Miss Powter, who kept the toy-shop. There was also a certain
wrinkled, old Cap'en Jemmy, who walked up and down the parade with a
telescope under his arm and said, "A boat yer honour!" to passers-by.

The children had made these acquaintances in their daily walks, and were
on friendly terms with them all; so that Susan was not satisfied till
she had found each of them and gone through the same form of farewell.

"Good morning!" she said. "I've come to say good-bye, because I'm going
home to-morrow."

None of them seemed so much surprised and interested to hear this as she
had hoped. They took it with a calm cheerfulness, which was rather
disappointing, for it seemed that her departure would not make much
difference to anyone in Ramsgate. It was a little depressing. There
were now only two more good-byes to be said, and they were to Monsieur
and Mademoiselle De La Roche, who arrived in the afternoon and stayed
some time receiving congratulations, and talking over the wonderful
change in their fortunes with Aunt Hannah. Compared to this, Susan's
going away seemed a very insignificant thing, and though they were both
kind, and Mademoiselle invited her to stay some day with her in Paris,
she did not feel that it made much impression on them; they soon began
to talk again of their own affairs. Susan felt disappointed. She would
have liked someone to be very sorry indeed that she was going away from
Ramsgate, and, after the visitors had left, she looked round for Sophia
Jane, with a lingering hope that she might be in a softer frame of mind.
She was not in the room, and Susan hesitated. Should she go and find
her, and risk the rebuff which was nearly sure to come, or should she
leave her alone? This would be the only chance. To-morrow, in the
bustle and hurry of preparation, they would not be a moment alone. She
stood considering, and then the desire for sympathy was too strong to be
restrained, and she took her way slowly towards the attic. She felt no
doubt that Sophia Jane was there, but on the threshold of the half-open
door she stopped a minute to get courage, for she was very uncertain as
to how she might be received. Perhaps her companion might be angry at
being followed. Presently as she stood there she heard a little gasping
noise. She listened attentively; it was like someone crying, and
struggling to keep it from being heard. Could it be Sophia Jane, and
was she reall