could see.
As I paused in my rowing to watch the althea-bud set afloat, I heard a
tiny splash in the waters.

"'A school of fish flashing up a moment,' I thought, and did not further
heed it."

The man looked as if he were now out at sea. He turned his head the
least bit: the effect against the sky was fine. He had an attitude of
watching and listening.

"I saw an object before me moving on the waters. I looked down. The
water was rising in my own boat. I could not heed it just now.

"'In a moment,' I thought, 'I would stop to bail it out.'

"It was a boat that I saw. It moved on so swiftly,--the chime of the
oars, tiny oars they were, was so sweetly, softly musical, the very
drippling drops fell so like globules of silver, that I forgot my
mission. I held my oars and waited. At last--how long it seemed!--I saw
the boat come into the bridge of light. I saw fair, golden hair let
loose to the sea-breezes that began to blow. I saw two hands striving
with the oars. I saw the owner of the hair and of the hands, a young
girl, sitting in that boat, coming right across the way where I ought
to be going. "'Does she mean to stay me?' I said, and even then my will
rose up.

"I bent to the oars; but whilst I had watched her, my boat had been
rapidly filling. I was forced to stay. My feet were already in the
waves. Right across my pathway she came, close up to my filling boat.

"Her eyes were in the shadow, the moon being behind, but her voice rang
out these words:--

"'Mr. Axtell, you're committing a great sin. You're putting your own
life in peril. You're killing your mother. I have come to stay you. Will
you come on shore?'

"I only looked at her. When I found voice, it was to ask,--

"'Who are you?'

"'Who I am doesn't matter now. Drowning men mustn't ask questions'; and,
putting one oar within my boat, now more than half filled, she drew her
own to its side, and said,--"'Come in.'

"'Conquered by a woman,' I thought. 'Never!'--and I began to search for
the cup, that I might give back to the sea its intruding contents.

"I had left it in the other boat.

"'Conquered by thine own sin,' said the young girl, still holding fast
to my boat.

"'Not so easily, fairy, or whoe'er thou art,' I said; for I saw that her
boat was well furnished with both bailing-bowl and sponge, and I reached
out for them, saying, 'I'm going on the track, farther out.'

"She divined my intent, and quick as was my thought were her two ha