“No; let’s stay here,” said Susie.  “I like watching the ships and the steamers.”

“Fudge,” said Tom.

“The rocks are awfully jolly, Sue,” said Dickie.

But Susie shook her shoulders, and gazed straight before her.  “I’m not going,” she said.

“Very well; we jolly well prefer your room to your company,” said Tom.—­“Come on, Dick.”

Susie was sitting on the ruins of the castle, with her knees drawn up and her elbows planted on them.  She really was not listening to Tom a bit, for her fascinated eyes were fixed on the line of silver sea, on which the passing steamers rose and fell.  Far away at the back of her mind was the consciousness that Tom was going to be naughty, and that she might prevent it; but she pushed her fingers into her ears, and gazed straight before her.

It was Amy tugging at her dress that made her turn reluctantly at last.

“Tom is calling you, Susie,” she said.

“Oh, bother!” said Susie.  “You can go and see what he wants.”

Amy obediently struggled over the heavy sand to the fine strip of pebbles on which the boys were disporting themselves.  Their boots were wet through; their shrill voices pierced Susie’s poor defences.

“Susie—­Susie—­Susie!”

But Susie did not move.

All the same, she knew perfectly well that Amy was struggling back over the shingle and the sand, and had dropped panting at her feet, quite unable to speak for want of breath.  Her little delicate face was pink with heat and excitement, and her thin legs trembled.

“They want to get a box and send Dickie out in it, like a boat,” she explained.

“They haven’t got a box,” said Susie.

“But they say they can get one easily.  It’s father’s; and they can tie a string on to it and drag it.”

“They can ask mother,” said Susie impatiently.

“Yes, I suppose so.”  Amy had crept nearer, and put a small, unsteady hand on her knee.  “Please don’t let them do it, Susie,” she said; “don’t let them be naughty.”

“Don’t bother,” said Susie.  “I can’t help it.”

She shook off Amy’s hand impatiently; but she was sorry a moment afterwards.  Susie often said things like that, and it was rather a comfort that Amy was always quite ready to be forgiven.

“It is so beautiful here, Amy; and I dare say they are not being naughty really.  They only hope we are looking; but I’m not going to.”

She resolutely turned her back upon the boys and the strip of pebbles.  But Amy could not keep still; her eyes kept turning nervously to the sturdy jersey-clad figures, and presently she nudged Susie again.

“They’ve got the box, Susie.  You can’t think how deep the water is, and it looks so horrid; and Dick has a cold.”

“Oh, don’t bother,” said Susie.

“Mother said you were to look after them, because you are the eldest,” urged Amy.