there
suddenly appeared the perfect circle of a rainbow such as none of them
had ever dreamed of--a perfect orb of the living colours of the
Promise--resting bodily on the dark sea like a gigantic iridescent
soap-bubble, glowing and pulsing and throbbing under the level beams
of the setting sun.

"Wonderful!" murmured Margaret.

"I never saw more than half a bow before," whispered Miss Penny.

"Nor I," said Graeme. "But then, you see, nothing ever was as it is
now. Things happened last night."

At which Miss Penny smiled and murmured, "Of course! That accounts for
everything. The whole world is changed."

And they watched and watched, in breathless admiration, first the
cliffs, and then the bow, and then the sun, and then the cliffs and
bow again, till the last tiny rim of the sun sank behind the dark line
of Herm, and the bow went out with a snap, and the cliffs in front
grew gray and sank back into their sleep, as the shadows crept up out
of the sea.

And, presently, the primrose sea in the clouds lost its transparent
softness and flushed with rose and carmine. The tender greens and
blues in the north deepened, and the sky above glowed crimson right
into the far east. And the sea below was like a ripe plum with a
rippling bloom upon it, and then it answered to the glow "above and
became like burnished copper. And over it, from the south end of Sark,
came a dancing white sail, at sight of which Graeme leaped to his
feet.

"The show is over," he cried, "and here comes your highnesses'
carriage."

"I wouldn't have missed it for anything," said Margaret softly, with a
rapt face still.

"It was worth living on potatoes for a month for," said Miss Penny.
"All the same, I hope Mrs. Carre will have some dinner for us when we
get home."

The boat was heading for the Pente-a-Fouaille where they had landed
the day before, and they hurried to meet it, Graeme full of misgivings
as to the embarkation, for the waves were still roaring up the rocks
in bursts of foam, though the wind had fallen somewhat.

But the boatmen knew their business, and had brought an extra hand for
its safe accomplishment. They dropped the sail and pulled round a
corner of the black rock. Then, while two of them kept the boat from
destruction, the other stood and Graeme dropped the girls one by one
into his arms, and was a very thankful man when he tumbled in himself,
all in a heap, and wiped the big drops of sweat from his brow.

A stroke