Soon she came to where a very stately lady was sitting in a folding chair, and going straight up to her, said: “Mamma, I want to tell you something.” “Well dear,” her mother answered, “what is it. You and Charlie seem to have had quite a long walk together.”
“We have, Mamma, and he has asked me to be his wife.” “Oh Ethel, I am so glad! Did you accept him dear?” “Yes, Mamma. I am afraid that I did.” “Afraid, my love? Why, you could not have done better if you love him. He has been very fond of yon for a long time, as every one could see but yourself. He is a thoroughly good fellow, and the Earl, seeing how things were going, has told me that he will make no objection to his son marrying you. Besides this, Ethel, Charlie is a rich man now, and will, as the second son, inherit all his mother's estates.” Then for a time I was prevented from hearing any more of the conversation. So I began to play with some of the children, and when a favourable opportunity arrived, I pointed Ethel out to one of the little girls and asked who she was. “Oh don't you know that?” was the reply to my question. “Why, she's the daughter of the bishop.” So it was an Earl's son and a Bishop's daughter who had been tasting the first pleasures of each other's love in the recesses of my cave! Ah! Marie, it is a naughty world!
Having learnt this much I wandered away to where Ethel was standing, and soon a very pretty girl of fifteen or sixteen, who I could see at a glance was her younger sister, ran up to her and said: “Why Ethel, where in the world have you and Charlie been all this time? And you somehow look a little different, and see, Ethel, that middle button of your blouse is not fastened.” Ethel blushed and at once fastened the button and then said: “Well, Hilda, I suppose those sharp eyes of yours will find out anything. Charlie has asked me to be his wife.” “And what then?” said Hilda, as Ethel paused.
“Well, we had a long walk under the cliffs, and Charlie discovered a little cave which he wanted to explore, and as I thought it might be dangerous, I tried to prevent him doing so, but he would go in. I could not stop him you know – and then – Oh! Hilda, I cannot go on talking just now!” “And did it hurt the little cave very much, Ethel?” “Hilda! Oh, you naughty child!” “Never mind, Ethel, you are a lucky girl. A captain in the guards and eight thousand a year and more coming. I wish I had been you – I mean,” she added getting very red, “I wish I were you now. The wedding won't be delayed, I hope?” “If you tease me like that, Hilda,” Ethel replied, “I shall pinch, or stick a pin into you.” “No don't do that, Ethel, at least don't carry out the latter threat. I am too young, you know, and you must have had enough of it yourself already this afternoon. But I hope the wedding will not have to be hurried on unduly?” Ethel took her sister by the shoulders and shook her in a soft and a kitten-like way, then kissing her forehead said: “You learn more at school than is supposed to be taught there, Hilda, but why on earth should you think that I am in any hurry to marry?” “Well, Ethel dear,” Hilda replied very gravely and demurely, “you have always said that I had sharp eyes, and I notice that your hair is rather more tumbled than is strictly necessary after a walk – even with a lover -; then your skirt is made of very soft cloth and it is now a little creased in front; and thirdly, Ethel, the middle button of your blouse was, as you know, unfastened, and from this, I gather,” and the merry sparkle came back to her eyes again, “and from this I gather, my dear Ethel, that if the wedding does not take place as soon as possible it will be neither Charlie's fault nor your own.” During this speech, Ethel's eyes had filled with tears, and the corner of her mouth shewed that she was almost crying, but Hilda saw at once that she had gone too far, and seizing her sister's hands she said: “Darling Ethel, forgive me. I only meant it in fun. Come away dear, and don't cry. Oh! I was a brute to tease you so!” And the two sisters walked away with their arms around each other's waists, and I could see that the quiet, happy, expression had come back to Ethel's face again. When I arrived at the creek, Helen was there waiting for me, but she had little to tell. Charlie had gone straight to the Bishop. She could not hear what passed between them, but they seemed very cordial, and the Bishop shook Charlie's hand once or twice as if in the act of congratulating him.
Then I told Helen all that I had heard. The sequel to this love story is soon told, Marie. I was greatly interested in the lovers and searched the columns of the Morning Post every day to find the announcement of their engagement, and about a week later, I saw that the marriage had been arranged “between the Hon: Charles… second son of the Earl of… and Ethel, eldest daughter of the Bishop of… and that it was expected, that the wedding, which would be in St. George's Hanover square, would take place in about a month, as the “military duties” of the bridegroom, rendered it impossible to postpone it to a later date. Then when the time came, there was a description of a grand wedding, at which Royalty was present, and about eight months later, Ethel's boy was born. Helen said that Ethel inherited her shapely legs, – which we had seen to such advantage in the cave – from her father, for all Bishops must have good legs or in the costume they wear they would be a disgrace to the church. Thus Charlie and Ethel passed out of my life; and I must now return to the creek where Helen and I were talking over the exciting events of the day.
After we had discussed and recalled every detail of the scene in the cave again and again, and in doing so had raised our childish passions to a considerable pitch of excitement, we agreed that it was time to go home, so strolled across the sand hills towards my aunt's house. We had not gone far, and were at one of the most lonely parts of the coast, when I saw coming to meet us a gentleman who was evidently a stranger, for neither of us had ever seen him before.
After the first scene mentioned in my last letter, Helen and I had not put on our drawers again, but had hidden them in a bush of gorse and intended getting them on our way home. Our dresses were old ones and had been a good deal soiled owing to the haste with which we had climbed down the passage to the cave, and again ascended; so we might easily have been taken for children of the village. We were, however, two pretty little girls, at least I know Helen was, and as the gentleman came towards us he seemed to think so too, for he stared at us very hard, and then putting his hand down to the front of his trousers he moved it in such a way that I think he meant us to notice the action. My passions were already pretty high, and I felt ripe for an adventure, so as he smiled at me in passing I did the same, and then looked back at him over my shoulder. When he saw this he stopped and said, “By the way can you tell me how far it is to… “and he mentioned the name of a village a few miles away. “I am a stranger here,” he added. To Helen's astonishment I replied: “No sir, I do not know. We are strangers too, and have only come for the day; we are just going to have tea, and then leave for home by the seven o'clock train.” As Helen had remained at the place where I had turned back to speak to the gentleman, she was now a little distance away and he addressed me alone in the manner I half-hoped, half-feared. “Do you know that you are a very pretty little maid?” he said, “and if I was to give you and your little friend there each five shillings, do you think you would let me do something that I wish very much?” “I cannot tell. What is it you wish to do sir?”
I replied. “Well, little maid, I want to feel you,” he said. “Oh sir I don't understand,” I answered as innocently as I could. Then he told me that he wished to put his hand between Helen's legs and mine, and as it was such a quiet place no one would see us. It would not take long, and we should each of us have five shillings to buy sweets.