- A Day with the Sea Urchins, 89

 

/.. by laughing too—the sound of such mirth was so very |

infectious.

A number of See looking young plaice came by,
romping roughly with each other, who, when they saw
Pearl, stuck their tongues into their cheeks and grinned
derisively. Then passed a pair of.smart, slender mullet,
taking their evening stroll together, arm in arm; they
stared rather ‘more than was polite, and whispered to
- each other.

Pearl grew hotter and hotter, and felt more and more
ashamed of herself. This was not at all what she had
expected, and the conceit was being rapidly taken out of
her. At last the poor little. maiden fairly burst into
. tears, which so touched the hearts of her comrades that
they made a great effort and overcame their laughter.

Then Amethyst went up to her too ambitious sister,
and led her by the hand into the recess from whence
she had so proudly emerged a few minutes before, and
kindly and quietly helped her to strip off her finery and
be once more her natural self.

This ridiculous scene had somewhat een the
return journey, but now the sun was nearly down, and
mounting their restless steeds they set out in earnest.
Giddy, mirth-loving Emerald, however, lagged behind
now and again to laugh softly to herself, but being
Pearl’s special ally he would not for worlds have hurt
her feelings by letting her see him do it.