Now, however, even Fenie's pleasant chats with Harry might have to be suspended, for Trif was in such abject fear and mortification that she would scarcely leave her room, and Fenie did not like to appear entirely unattended and unwatched by her sister. No one would talk if she were seen with Kate and Harry together, but Fenie herself, like Trif, had imagined all sorts of possible and impossible ways by which that dreadful letter, or some garbled report of it, might reach Kate. So, the sisters sat in their room, and feared, and felt like a couple of criminals to whom the worst might happen. They exchanged forebodings, all of which were overheard by Trixy, who received a reproachful look with each, and did quite a lot of silent weeping on her own account, and neither her mother nor her aunt dried her eyes with kisses, as they usually did at home after she had done something wrong, and repented. But the kind power that looks after children and fools came finally to Trixy's relief, for Trif suddenly said: "Surely the mail is distributed by this time, and I can have at least the consolation of a letter from dear Phil. Trixy, go down to the office and ask for letters for our room." Trixy flew away like a bird from an opened cage, and no sooner did she reach the lower floor than she dashed through one of the exits to the beach. How delicious the sunlight was, after part of a morning in a half-darkened room!--the child felt as if she were bathing in it. And the beach, too, with its long edging of smooth, hard sand,--she must have just one run on it, from pier to pier, and back again. It was a merry run, but it put her out of breath, so she threw herself down upon the sand to rest for a moment, and the warm-hearted sand welcomed her so pleasantly that she waited a moment longer, and then another, and soon she began to doze, for contemplation of other people's troubles had wearied her early in the day. Suddenly she was roused by the touch of a parasol-tip. Looking up, she saw Kate Trewman, who said: "Trixy, is your family ill, or merely sleepy? They usually are down early to breakfast." "Oh, they're bothered. My what a fuss! Say, you won't get angry at 'em, will you?" "Not I! Why should I? I shall be very sorry, though, if they remain in their rooms all morning, for I miss them greatly. I don't find any of my acquaintances this morning." "Don't you? Well, I know where one of 'em is. He's gone to Washin'ton, Lieutenant Jermyn has." Kate said nothing in reply, but Trixy exclaimed, "Goodness gracious! How bad you do feel about it! So do I. But he's comin' back--comin' to-morrow, 'cause he said he'd be gone only a couple of days. Oh, how quick you do get glad again!"