lls departed to execute his commission. Philippa stood looking out
of the window, across the lawn and shrubbery and down on to the beach.
There was still a heavy sea, but it was merely the swell from the day
before. The wind had dropped, and the sun was shining brilliantly.
Sir Henry, Helen, and Nora were strolling about the beach as though
searching for something. About fifty yards out, the wrecked trawler
was lying completely on its side, with the end of one funnel visible.
Scattered groups of the villagers were examining it from the sands. In
due course Mills returned.

"The hotel people know nothing of Mr. Lessingham, your ladyship, beyond
the fact that he did not return last night. They received a message
from Hill's Garage, however, about half an hour ago, to say that their
mechanic had driven Mr. Lessingham early this morning to Norwich, where
he had caught the mail train to London, The boy was to say that Mr.
Lessingham would be back in a day or so."

Philippa pushed open the windows and made her way down towards the
beach. She leaned over the rail of the promenade and waved her hand to
the others, who clambered up the shingle to meet her.

"Scarcely seen you yet, my dear, have I?" Sir Henry observed.

He stooped and kissed her forehead, a salute which she suffered without
response. Helen pointed to the wreck.

"It doesn't seem possible, does it," she said, "that men's lives should
have been lost in that little space. Two men were drowned, they say,
through the breaking of the rope. They recovered the bodies this
morning."

"Everything else seems to have been washed on shore except my coat," Sir
Henry grumbled. "I was down here at daylight, looking for it."

"Your coat!" Philippa repeated scornfully. "Fancy thinking of that, when
you only just escaped with your life!"

"But to tell you the truth, my dear," Sir Henry explained, "my
pocketbook and papers of some value were in the pocket of that coat. I
can't think how I came to forget them. I think it was the surprise
of seeing that fellow Lessingham crawl on to the wreck looking like a
drowned rat. Jove, what a pluck he must have!"

"The fishermen can talk of nothing else," Nora put in excitedly. "Mummy,
it was simply splendid! Helen and I had gone up with two of the rescued
men, but I got back just in time to see them fasten the rope round his
waist and watch him plunge in."

"How is he this morning?" Helen asked.

"Gone," Philippa replied.

The