'Miss Neale,' she said, shading her eyes from the sun, as she gazed out towards the sea, 'Celestina does talk such nonsense. She says you can't walk over the sands to the lighthouse. Now _can't_ you? I can _see_ sand all the way.' Miss Neale was anxious not to contradict Biddy just as she seemed to be coming round again, and she was really not quite sure on the point. 'I can't say, my dear,' she replied. 'It does look as if you could--but still----' 'There now,' said Biddy to Celestina contemptuously, 'Miss Neale's bigger than you, and she thinks you _can_; don't you, Miss Neale?' 'Yes, yes, my dear,' Miss Neale, who was on some little way in front with Alie, replied hastily; 'but come on--what does it matter?' But Biddy's tone had roused Celestina, gentle as she was. 'I know you _can't_,' she said, 'and whether a big or a little person says you can, I just _know_ you can't,' and she turned from Biddy and walked on fast to join the others. Seeing her coming, Rosalys called to her. 'Celestina, I want to ask you something,' and in a moment the two were talking together busily. 'It's only the secret, Biddy,' said Alie laughingly; she did not know of Biddy's new ill-humour. 'You mustn't mind.' Down came the black curtain thicker and thicker over Bridget's rosy face; firmly she settled herself on her unmanageable steed. 'I don't care,' she said to herself as she trudged along in silence beside Miss Neale; 'they're horrid to me--_horrid_. And I'll be as horrid as I can be to them. But I'll let that nasty Celestina see I'm right and she's wrong. I _will_.' CHAPTER X BIDDY'S ESCAPADE 'And Dick, though pale as any ghost, Had only said to me, "We're all right now, old lad."' _Author of 'John Halifax.'_ Miss Neale was rather in a hurry to get home that afternoon, so she and Celestina did not linger at the tea-table as they sometimes did. By half-past four they had gone, for on Miss Neale's account tea had been ordered half an hour earlier than usual. Rosalys disappeared--mamma wanted her, she said. So Bridget was left alone, for Rough had begun school some time ago. He rode over every morning, and got home again about six.