He looked very brown
and strong, and so well favoured that it almost seemed as if he must have
caught some good looks from the people among whom he had been living. He
came back to his old rooms in the Temple, and settled down as easily as
if he had never been away a day.
One of the first things we did was to go and see the children; we took
the train to Gravesend, and walked thence for a few miles along the
riverside till we came to the solitary house where the good people lived
with whom Ernest had placed them. It was a lovely April morning, but
with a fresh air blowing from off the sea; the tide was high, and the
river was alive with shipping coming up with wind and tide. Sea-gulls
wheeled around us overhead, sea-weed clung everywhere to the banks which
the advancing tide had not yet covered, everything was of the sea sea-ey,
and the fine bracing air which blew over the water made me feel more
hungry than I had done for many a day; I did not see how children could
live in a better physical atmosphere than this, and applauded the
selection which Ernest had made on behalf of his youngsters.
While we were still a quarter of a mile off we heard shouts and
children's laughter, and could see a lot of boys and girls romping
together and running after one another.
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