stairs of whom he had once
fancied himself so hopelessly enamoured. Here he divined an uncommon
intelligence conjoined with matchless loveliness. Testimony to the
former quality he acquired from eyes serenely violet and thoughtful. As
for the latter, he reflected that few professional beauties could have
stood, as this woman did, the acid test of that mercilessly brilliant
morning.

"I don't seem to think of anything useful to say," he ventured. "Can you
help me out? Unless you'd be interested to know that my name's
Whitaker--Hugh Whitaker--?"

She acknowledged the information merely by a brief nod. "It seems to
me," she said seriously, "that the pressing question is, what are you
going to do about that ankle? Shall you be able to walk?"

"Hard to say," he grumbled, a trifle dashed. He experimented gingerly,
moving his foot this way and that and shutting his teeth on groans that
the test would surely have evoked had he been alone. "'Fraid not. Still,
one can try."

"It isn't sprained?"

"Oh, no--just badly wrenched. And, as I said, this is the second time
within a week."

With infinite pains and the aid of both hands and his sound foot, he
lifted himself and contrived to stand erect for an instant, then bore a
little weight on the hurt ankle--and blenched, paling visibly beneath
his ineradicable tan.

"I don't suppose," he said with effort--"they grow--crutches--on this
neck of land?"

And he was about to collapse again upon the sands when, without warning,
he found the woman had moved to his side and caught his hand, almost
brusquely passing his arm across her shoulders, so that she received no
little of his weight.

"Oh, I say--!" he protested feebly.

"Don't say anything," she replied shortly. "I'm very strong--quite able
to help you to the boat. Please don't consider me at all; just see if we
can't manage this way."

"But I've no right to impose--"

"Don't be silly! Please do as I say. Won't you try to walk?"

He endeavoured to withdraw his arm, an effort rendered futile by her
cool, firm grasp on his fingers.

"Please!" she said--not altogether patiently.

He eyed her askance. There was in this incredible situation a certain
piquancy, definitely provocative, transcending the claims his injury
made upon his interest. Last night for the first time he had seen this
woman and from a distance had thought her desirable; now, within twelve
hours, he found himself with an arm round her neck!

He thou