Beatrice

himself from the pleasing shock of

r of Rumball Point we might founder in the rollers-there are always rollers there-then steer to the left. I will t

d gaily enough, the light canoe gliding s

as it swayed towards her with each motion of the paddle, and she watched it with interest. It was a new type of face to her, so strong and manly, and yet so gentle about

g the other, which was not strange, for they were a very proper pair, but saying no word

g, Miss Granger?" he said with a gas

s my way of taking exercise, and I can swim well, so I am not afraid of an upset. At least it has been my way for the last two years since

What colle

you get certificates that you are qualified to be a m

hanged it to-"I think you were as well away. I don't care about

uld like to be hard as a stone; a stone cannot feel

u?" he

cert

learnt a

p something at the college. But I have no r

know-French

es

at

ow somethi

re

irly, but I am no

hema

d conclusion that must result. Life is not like that; what ought to be a square comes out a rig

addle, "what an extraordinary girl. A flesh-and-blood blue-stocking, and

d law too?" he said w

ere is such a mass of it built upon such a small foundation. It is like an overgrown mushroom, and t

w, and I don't take all knowledge for my province. You positively alarm me, M

to study; but if I were a barrister, I would be Common law, because there is so much more life and struggl

said Geoffrey, aghast. He had certainl

ore, otherwise it becomes idleness, and that is misery. Fancy being idle when one has such a little time to li

ictures which an artist has turned to the wall. No, to be frank, I have not. I have only taken to p

you suddenly b

pects, Miss Granger-fro

hich of course he could not see. "I did not mean t

le don't think so.

become a great man, and that

at man?" he asked, stopping paddling in his ast

ritten on your face,

y or artifice in them. Geoffrey felt that

onsidering all things, but I will say to you what I have never said to any one before

ceeding brevity of their acquaintance, they were drifting into somewhat

t be getting on. It will soon be quite dark and we have st

se were rolling over them, so darkening the heavy air that, though the pair were within four feet of each other, they co

we are going to have a storm," s

a-breath beat upon their faces. Far in the west the angry disc of the sun was sinking into the foam. A great red ray shot from its bent edge and lay upon the awakened waters, like

ried, raising herself and pointi

at the woman's face before him, glowing like a saint's in its golden aureole.

he began, and br

it like?"

e course for home. And then suddenly the mists are blown away, glory fills the air, and there is no more doubt, only before us is a splendour making all things clear and lighting

t the light struggled with the eclipsing cloud, turning its dull edge to the hue of co

you worked it out. It is getting as dark as pitch, and th

d came down to facts in a w

as hard as you can. I do not think we are more than two miles from Bryn

self to the work. "But the question is where to paddle

m Bryngelly, besides it is all rocks. No, you must go straight on. You will see the Poise light beyond Coed

ed on through a darkness which was now almost total, wondering where on earth he was wending, for it was quite impossible to see. For all he knew to the contrary, he might be circling round and round. He had only one thing to direct him, the sweep of the continually rising wind and the wash of the gathering waves. So long as these struck the c

aft must have sunk and they with it. But it was quite serious enough to put them in great danger. The canoe rose to the waves like a feather, but sh

them. The canoe rose to it gallantly; it seemed to curl right over her, making the craft roll till Geoffrey thought that the end had come. But she rode it out, not, however, without s

. "I must keep her head to th

"keep her head up. We

noe answered to it; she came round just in time to ride out the wave with safety, but the paddle snapped. It was already sprung, and the weight he put upon it was more

he cried, "the

ice g

said; "paddle first one side and the

sink," he

e saved-never t

ing what remained of the paddle from one side of the canoe to the other, he did manage to keep her head on t

cartridges?" she

coat pocket,

f you can manag

pocket and transfer the cartridges. Apparently she knew something of the working

dges," she cried. He did

they may have seen or heard them. Old Edward is sure to be watching for me. You had better throw the rest

ll his cartridges. Just then it began to rain in torrents. Though it was not warm the perspiration was streaming from h

ng to and fro in the arms of that angry sea. What would his wife Honoria say when she heard the news, he wondered? Perhaps it would shock her into some show of feeling. And Effie, his dear little six-year-old daughter? Well, thank God, she was too young to feel his loss for long. By the t

bade his last farewell to consciousness, to earth and sky and sea and love and all lovely things. Well, that might be better than some prospects. At that moment Geoffrey Bingham, in the last agony of doubt, would gladly have exchanged his hopes of life beyond for a certainty of eternal sleep. That faith which enables some of us to tread this awful way with an utter confidence is not a wide prerogative, and, as yet, at any rate, it was not his, though the time might come when he would attain it. There are not very many, even among those without reproach, who can lay the

airs of another. Then from wondering about himself he began to wonder about the girl who sat opposite to him. With the rain came a little lightning, and by the first

broken paddle into the water and once more

id?" he asked

swered, "I a

t we shall proba

I brought you here. Forgive me that. I shou

y. Do not think of me. But I can't keep her head

lown some of her hair loose, and though he did not seem to notice it at th

; "I have nothing to pray

t woman, now balanced on the verge of what she believed to be utter annihilation. Even t

said wit

have not prayed for years, not since-well, never mind. I am not a coward. It would be cowardly

he darkness was very great, for the hurrying clouds hid the starlight. Presently a sound arose above the turmoil of the storm, a crashing

e drifting t

ly. "Give up paddling, it is of no use, and try to take off yo

y one in that confined space. Meanwhile the canoe was whirling round and round like a walnut shell upon a flooded gutter. For some distance before the waves broke upon the reef and rocks

breakers, sucked upon its

ching out his wet hand he found her own and took

ging to his hand. "Oh, why

woman thought rather of her com

igh into the air. A mighty mass of water boiled up beneath it and around it. Then the fo

sh of water. Crash!-a