m Gard's hint about a
hiding-place of which she knew nothing. For if she and Bernel had never
discovered it, how should these others? And obviously they were
searching, for they prowled about the rock like ants, and poked here and
there, and wandered on and came back. And if they still sought they had
not yet found; and so there was a new spring of hope in her heart.

"Yes, truly, they are searching," she murmured, and forgot the Vicar
and all else.

He tried to induce her to go back home with him, but she would not move.
For the moment all her hope in life was in peril on the rock, and she
must see all that went on; and finally he had to leave her there, and
she hardly knew that he had gone. She wanted only to be left alone, to
nurse her new-born hope and watch in fear and trembling for any symptom
of its overthrow.

But she was not to be left in peace, for Madame Julie had heard the
firing also, and had come round the headland by the miners' cottages,
exulting in the fact that her enemy was run to earth at last and was
meeting righteous punishment.

And as she prowled about there, chafing at the delay in the return of
the boats, she came suddenly on Nance gazing out at L'Etat with a
face--not, as Julie would have expected, downcast and woe-begone, but
full of eager expectancy. And the sight of her, and in such case,
stirred Julie to venom.

"Ah then--there you are, mademoiselle, listening to the end of your
fancy gentleman! And the right end, too, ma foi! A man that goes
knocking his neighbours on the head--it's right he should be shot like a
rabbit--"

Nance's face quivered, but she did not even look round.

"You'll see them coming back presently, and they'll bring his body back
with them in the boat, all full of holes. And then I'll feel that my
Tom's paid for--"

"Do you hear?" she cried, planting herself in front of Nance, and
jerking her hands up and down in her excitement and the exaspeiation of
receiving no response. "Do you hear me--you? Or are you gone crazy for
love of your murderer?"--and she made as though to lay wild hands on the
girl.

"You are wicked! You are evil! You are a devil!" said Nance through her
little white teeth, and looked so as though she might fly at her that
Julie drew off.

"Aha--spitfire!--wildcat!--you would bite?"

Nance, all ashake with disgust, stooped suddenly and picked up a lump of
rock.

"Go!" she said, in a voice of such concentrated fury that it was little
m