“I’m so glad you’re here,” Mrs. Blackett said to Captain Flint. “Now then, Ruth …”
“Nancy, when she’s a pirate, my dear,” said Captain Flint. “Give her her right name.”
“Nancy then, and Peggy, skip into the launch, you harum-scarums, and get into dry things. You’ll find them in the cabin. How do you do, Mrs. Walker? You’ve met my brother, I see. And my wild young ones. And so these are the Swallows who turned out to be so much better than somebody thought they were.”
She too had heard the news, even though she lived at the other side of the lake from Rio.
“Well,” said Mrs. Dixon, “I think I’ll be going now, if you’ve done with that bucket. I’ve the chickens to feed, and Dixon’ll be wanting to get to his sheep.”
Both the mothers and Captain Flint and all the Swallows and Amazons thanked her for bringing such a good breakfast.
“Aye, there’s nothing like porridge,” said Mrs. Dixon. “Well, I suppose I shan’t be seeing any of you in the morning. I shall quite miss it. I’ve come to be in the way of looking for you. But perhaps you’ll be coming again next year.”
“Every year. Forever and ever,” said Titty.