The tutor was inexorable, and, fortified by the joint authority of Mrs Ingleton and Dr Brandram, carried the day.

He had also an unexpected ally in Miss Rosalind.
"Don't be obstinate, Roger," said she.

"The three Fates are too many for you; and don't sulk, whatever you do, there's a dear boy, but make yourself nice and propose to take Tom and Jill and me across to Pulpit Island to-morrow.

If you are so wedded to lessons, you and Tom shall have your art class for once in a way on the Pelican's Rock instead of my room." Roger could hardly hold out after this; and Mr Armstrong, a little envious, set the seal of his approval to the programme.
"I wish you'd come too," said Tom; "can't you ?" "Oh, do," said Jill; "it would be twice as nice." "Mr Armstrong has enough of all of us on working-days," said Rosalind rather cruelly, "to forego a chance of being rid of us on a holiday." "Quite so," said the tutor, trying to enjoy the situation; "when the mice are away the cat will play--on the piano." The next day promised well for the picnic; and Roger had sufficiently warmed up to the proposed expedition to be able to enter eagerly into the preparations.
The Pulpit Island, a desolate cavernous rock three miles from the coast, dominated by a lighthouse, was a familiar hunting-ground of his in days gone by, and he decidedly enjoyed the prospect of doing the honours of the place to his cousins now--particularly one of them.
As not a breath of air was stirring, they decided not to encumber the small boat with mast or sail, but to row leisurely across with just as much energy as suited their holiday humour.

The channel was on the whole free from currents, and, as Roger knew the landing-places as well as the oldest sailor in the place, any precaution in the way of a pilot was needless.
Armstrong, as he watched the little craft slowly glide over the glassy water, dwindling smaller and smaller, but sending back the sound of voices and laughter long after it itself had become an indistinguishable speck in the gleaming water, wished himself one of the crew.