The Rocks of Valpré

himself in a soft tenor, his brown face turned to the sun. The pleasant smil

d for fairy feet. He quickened his pace at sight of them. But she was charming, this English c

like a tablecloth over the rock. He sprang lightly down on to a heap of shingle, and reached

attitude of tense hostility, daring him to approach. It was only a small creature that thus challenged him, only a weird black terrier of doubtful extraction, but he bris

but momentary. In an instant he had tak

oud, and extended a fearless hand. "So,

a snarl. He sucked u

rder. But the stranger'

nced upon him with the

lled to jerk back

d before him, lost his balance, and rolled, cursing,

t, being of a chivalrous turn, he grabbed at the luckless Cinders, clutched his collar, and dragged him up again. And-perhaps it was the generosity of the action, perhaps only i

e effusive Cinders himself, who leaped around him barking in high del

r from afar with much interest, cl

t think what you would do. Cinders looked so fierce. Bu

ench resemble each other more than we think, mademoi

e injured foot with t

to take all this troubl

t no, mademoiselle! It gives me p

one without you," she rejoined. "Ah, that i

" He looked at

nd, I shall do splendidly then. You see, I can't

e-?" Up went the blac

"-she raised her hands with a merry gesture-"she would have a fit-several fits. I couldn't risk it. Poor mademoiselle! She doesn't understand our English ways a bit. Why, she wouldn't even let me paddle if she could help it. I shall hav

"You will show your foot to th

, no!" s

mademoi

with her quick

like English so much the best

he persisted, "if it

htly. "I shall be all right.

estioned, with a

with his assistance. "Nothing int

the cavern of the fairies to look

will come and see you again some day when the

e is high, mademoiselle, a bea

ked the English girl

e is no p

u and th

only me, ma

do there?" she

ly direct. "Me? I make

ort of

at is a diffic

t?" asked Chris eager

esit

by myself," s

a gouve

her! No, no! I'll co

mademoi

ain I shall be cros

iselle-the governess,

am not a French girl, and

e he could not help it. "Mademoise

Chris vigorously. "I alwa

certa

he

will, made

"I can't come to-morrow because of my foot, and the day after the tid

t, then!" said

es laughed up at him. "But I dare say we

mademoiselle." He

my birthday. I'll bring some cakes, and we'll have a party, and in

ll not want the drag

Well, I'll bring

Cinders! He

fraid of anything with you there. The tenth, then! Don't forget! G

s little hand. "I shall not f

ack. "Come along, Cinders!

on the sunlit sand

quickly notwithstanding. Cind

ed the towel that dangled on her arm. The sunlight had turned her hair to burnished copper. It ma

himself, and half-aloud, "Goo

away. When he looked again, the child, with he

r curiosity. The tide was rising fast. Already the white foam raced up to the r

broke with a long roar and rushed swirling into the

h was already cut off. He recognized the fact with a rueful grimace. The l

g for an upstanding rock, reached it in safety, and

her grimace, then, as the foam splashed up over his feet, leaped lightly onto another rock higher than

meant instant disaster, but this fact did not apparently occur to him, or if it did he was not dismayed thereby. He even presently, as he caut

racts below him. Return was impossible, and many would have deemed advance equally so. But he s

cliff. He cried back to the startled birds reassuringly in their own language, but the commotion continued; and presently, finding precarious foothold on a narrow ledge halfway up, he s

st the cliff, with his brown face to sky and sea. He even, after a moment, took out a cigarette and ligh

owards the raging water below. When he had quite finished, he stretched his arms wide with

imself, and after this experience he took a clasp-knife from his pocket and notched himself footholds where none offered. It was a very lengthy business, and the sun was dipping downwards to

ed continually from beneath his feet; but he clung like a limpet, nothing daunted, and at last his hands were gripped in the co

meant abandoning the support on which he stood and depending entirely upon the strength o

d that perilous edge and dared the final throw. Slowly, with stupendous effort, he hois

strain was terrific. The careless smile was gone from his lips. In that instant he no longer ignored what lay behind

oulders were above the edge; his chest also, heaving with strenuous effort. To lower himself again was impossible. His fe

mpossible, flung the dice too recklessly, dared his fate too far? If so, he would pay the pe

eat many voices seemed to clamour around him, but only one could be clearly heard; only one, and that the voice of a

il me, will y

e a flashlight those words illuminated his brain. He was as one in

English girl, the child with the glorious hair and laughing eyes, his acquaintance of an hour, would be looking for him exactly two w

nting, compelling. It nerved his sinking heart.

! Only a chi

he gasped, and with the words his

instantly, like the sna

on his face, a

, rolled over on his back with closed eyes to the sky, and w

him. The laughter flashed back into his eyes. He spra

ing sun, slim and upright, one stiff hand to his

tly round with a soldier's precision of movement and marched away t