s certain; but the fault did not
lie with her. There had no doubt been a considerable admixture of
natural instinct in the feeling that prompted it; but even granting
this, it was an action of which she was not ashamed. She owed it to
herself to die with the undiminished sympathy of all who knew her; she
also owed it to the companions who had recognised her as their leader.
She had not disloyally forfeited their faith in her.

She was reaching the most exposed part of a headland now, and the
struggle which began there unconsciously became to her a struggle to
settle this question. It was as if all the powers of nature were trying
to wrest her self-respect from her and procure her condemnation. The sea
was open here, and from miles out the waves came rolling in, gathering
force as they came. When they struck the cliff they leaped yards into
the air. The largest of them lashed her with their highest jets. "Take
that! Take that!" And the gale put forth all its strength in its
endeavour to force her away from the hewn cliff. It seemed, moreover, to
be trying, though her skirts were well protected by her cloak, to twist
and tear them off her. "Stand naked in your shame, in your shame!"

But the raging waves did not frighten her into feeling herself guilty,
nor did the gale succeed in blowing her against the parapet, and over
it into the sea. She had to walk bent; she had even to stand still when
the worst gusts came; but as soon as they were over she set off again,
and held steadily on her way. "I will not part with my wreath of honour;
I will die with it. Therefore _you_ shall not have me!"

She rounded the point, and turned inland towards the low ground between
it and the next headland. There had once been a landslip here; the piece
of the cliff which had fallen lay as heaps of stones below, and through
these the road now passed. Amongst the crumbling blocks by the wayside
stood a slender birch, quite alone. Mary remembered it as she came up to
it. Had it weathered such a storm uninjured? Yes, it was safe and sound.
She paused beside it to recover her breath. It bent so low that every
moment she thought: Now it must break! But up it came again as fresh as
ever. She herself could not stand still, with such hurricane force was
the gale blowing here; but the young birch, which was so tall and had
such a spreading top and such a slender, swaying stem--it stood, quite
alone.

She was thinking about this as she descended towa