' she whispered, 'not yet, 'less you want to see her tumble
down the cliff.' After a few minutes Sinfi and I went up the main
pathway. Winnie seemed to have slackened her pace when she was out of
sight, for we saw her just turning away on the right at the point
indicated by Sinfi. 'Give her time to get along that path,' said she,
'and then she'll be all right.'

In a state of agonised suspense I stood there waiting. At last I
said:

'I must go after her. We shall lose her--I know we shall lose her.'

Sinfi demurred a moment, then acceded to my wish, and we went up the
main pathway and peered round the corner of the jutting rock where
Winifred had last been visible. There, along a ragged shelf
bordering a yawning chasm--a shelf that seemed to me scarce wide
enough for a human foot--Winifred was running and balancing herself
as surely as a bird over the abyss.

'Mind she doesn't turn round sharp and see you,' said the Gypsy. 'If
she does she'll lose her head and over she'll fall!'

I crouched and gazed at Winifred as she glided along towards a vast
mountain of vapour that was rolling over the chasm close to her. She
stood and looked into the floating mass for a moment, and then passed
into it and was lost from view.

VI

'_Now_ I can follow her,' said Sinfi; 'but you mustn't try to come
along here. Wait till I come back. I suppose you've given her all the
breakfiss. Give me a drop of brandy out o' your flask.'

I gave her some brandy and took a long draught of the burning liquor
myself, for I was fainting.

'I shall go with you,' I said.

'Dordi,' said the Gypsy, 'how quickly you'd be a-layin' at the bottom
there!' and she pointed down into the gulf at our feet.

'I shall go with you,' I said.

'No, you won't,' said the Gypsy doggedly; ''cause _I_ sha'n't go. I
shall git round and meet her. I know where we shall strike across her
slot. She'll be makin' for Llanberis.'

'I let her escape,' I moaned. 'I had her in my arms once; but you
signalled to me not to grip her.'

'If you had ha' grabbed her,' said the Gypsy, 'she'd ha' pulled you
along like a feather--she's so mad strong. You go hack to the llyn.'

The Gypsy girl passed along the shelf and was soon lost in the veil
of vapour.

I returned to the llyn and threw myself down upon the ground, for my
legs sank under me, but the dizziness of fatigue softened the effect
of my distress. The rocks and peaks were swinging round my head. Soon
I found the