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night before； or； having offered him due reparation for her family； she
was again dropping him。 Now and then he put her to the test by words
explicitly directed at her； and she replied with the dreamy passivity
which seemed her normal mood； and in which he could fancy himself half
forgotten； or remembered with an effort。
In the midst of this doubt she surprised himhe reflected that she was
always surprising himby asking him how far it was from The Hague to the
sea。 He explained that The Hague was in the sea like all the rest of
Holland； but that if she meant the shore； it was no distance at all。
Then she said； vaguely； she wished they were going to the shore。 Her
father asked Breckon if there was not a hotel at the beach； and the young
man tried to give him a notion of the splendors of the Kurhaus at
Scheveningen； of Scheveningen itself he despaired of giving any just
notion。
〃Then we can go there；〃 said the judge； ignoring Ellen； in his decision；
as if she had nothing to do with it。
Lottie interposed a vivid preference for The Hague。 She had； she said；
had enough of the sea for one while； and did not want to look at it again
till they sailed for home。 Boyne turned to his father as if a good deal
shaken by this reasoning； and it was Mrs。 Kenton who carried the day for
going first to a hotel in The Hague and prospecting from there in the
direction of Scheveningen； Boyne and his father could go down to the
shore and see which they liked best。
〃I don't see what that has to do with me；〃 said Lottie。 No one was
alarmed by her announcement that if she did not like Scheveningen she
should stay at The Hague； whatever the rest did； in the event fortune
favored her going with her family。
The hotel in The Hague was very pleasant； with a garden behind it； where
a companionable cat had found a dry spot； and where Lottie found the cat
and made friends with it。 But she said the hotel was full of Cook's
tourists； whom she recognized； in spite of her lifelong ignorance of
them； by a prescience derived from the conversation of Mr。 Pogis； and
from the instinct of a society woman； already rife in her。 She found
that she could not stay in a hotel with Cook's tourists； and she took her
father's place in the exploring party which went down to the watering…
place in the afternoon； on the top of a tram…car； under the leafy roof of
the adorable avenue of trees which embowers the track to Scheveningen。
She disputed Boyne's impressions of the Dutch people； whom he found
looking more like Americans than any foreigners he had seen； and she
snubbed Breckon from his supposed charge of the party。 But after the
start； when she declared that Ellen could not go； and that it was
ridiculous for her to think of it； she was very good to her； and looked
after her safety and comfort with a despotic devotion。
At the Kurhaus she promptly took the lead in choosing rooms； for she had
no doubt of staying there after the first glance at the place； and she
showed a practical sense in settling her family which at least her mother
appreciated when they were installed the next day。
Mrs。 Kenton could not make her husband admire Lottie's faculty so
readily。 〃You think it would have been better for her to sit down with
Ellen； on the sand and dream of the sea；〃 she reproached him； with a
tender resentment on behalf of Lottie。 〃Everybody can't dream。〃
〃Yes； but I wish she didn't keep awake with such a din；〃 said the judge。
After all； he admired Lottie's judgment about the rooms； and he censured
her with a sigh of relief from care as he sank back in the easy…chair
fronting the window that looked out on the North Sea； Lottie had already
made him appreciate the view till he was almost sick of it。
〃What is the matter？〃 said Mrs。 Kenton； sharply。 〃Do you want to be in
Tuskingum？ I suppose you would rather be looking into Richard's back…
yard。〃
〃No；〃 said the judge； mildly； 〃this is very nice。〃
〃It will do Ellen good； every minute。 I don't care how much she sits on
the sands and dream。 I'll love to see her。〃
The sitting on the sand was a survival of Mr。 Kenton's preoccupations of
the sea…side。 As a mater of fact； Ellen was at that moment sitting in
one of the hooked wicker arm…chairs which were scattered over the whole
vast beach like a growth of monstrous mushrooms； and； confronting her in
cosey proximity； Breckon sat equally hidden in another windstuhl。 Her
father and her mother were able to keep them placed； among the multitude
of windsiuhls； by the presence of Lottie； who hovered near them； and；
with Boyne； fended off the demure； wicked…looking little Scheveningen
girls。 On a smaller scale these were exactly like their demure； wicked…
looking Scheveningen mothers； and they approached with knitting in their
hands； and with large stones folded in their aprons； which they had
pilfered from the mole； and were trying to sell for footstools。 The
windstuhl men and they were enemies； and when Breckon bribed them to go
away； the windstuhl men chased them； and the little girls ran； making
mouths at Boyne over their shoulders。 He scorned to notice them； but he
was obliged to report the misconduct of Lottie； who began making eyes at
the Dutch officers as soon as she could feel that Ellen was safely off
her hands。 She was the more exasperating and the more culpable to Boyne；
because she had asked him to walk up the beach with her； and had then
made the fraternal promenade a basis of operations against the Dutch
military。 She joined her parents in ignoring Boyne's complaints； and
continued to take credit for all the pleasant facts of the situation； she
patronized her family as much for the table d'hote at luncheon as for the
comfort of their rooms。 She was able to assure them that there was not a
Cook's tourist in the hotel； where there seemed to be nearly every other
kind of fellow…creature。 At the end of the first week she had
acquaintance of as many nationalities as she could reach in their native
or acquired English； in all the stages of haughty toleration； vivid
intimacy； and cold exhaustion。 She had a faculty for getting through
with people； or of ceasing to have any use for them； which was perhaps
her best safeguard in her adventurous flirting； while the simple aliens
were still in the full tide of fancied success； Lottie was sick of them
all； and deep in an indiscriminate correspondence with her young men in
Tuskingum。
The letters which she had invited from these while still in New York
arrived with the first of those readdressed from the judge's London
banker。 She had more letters than all the rest of the family together；
and counted a half…dozen against a poor two for her sister。 Mrs。 Kenton
cared nothing about Lottie's letters； but she was silently uneasy about
the two that Ellen carelessly took。 She wondered who could be writing to
Ellen； especially in a cover bearing a handwriting altogether strange to
her。
〃It isn't from Bittridge； at any rate；〃 she said to her husband； in the
speculation which she made him share。 〃I am always dreading to have her
find out what Richard did。 It would spoil everything； I'm afraid； and
now everything is going so well。 I do wish Richard hadn't； though； of
course； he did it for the best。 Who do you think has been writing to
her？〃
〃Why don't you ask her？〃
〃I suppose she will tell me after a while。 I don't like to seem to be
following her up。 One was from Bessie Pearl； I think。〃
Ellen did not speak of her letters to her mother； and after waiting a day
or two； Mrs。 Kenton could not refrain from asking her。
〃Oh； I forgot；〃 said Ellen。 〃I haven't read them yet。〃
〃Haven't read them！〃 said Mrs。 Kenton。 Then； after reflection； she
added； 〃You are a strange girl； Ellen；〃 and did not venture to say more。
〃I suppose I thought I should have to answer them； and that made me
careless。 But I will read them。〃 Her mother was silent； and presently
Ellen added： 〃I hate to think of the past。 Don't you； momma？〃
〃It is certainly very pleasant here；〃 said Mrs。 Kenton； cautiously。
〃You're enjoying yourselfI mean； you seem to be getting so much
st