it and
athletic. Becoming by some means aware of her attention, he put away his
handkerchief and turned towards her. She saw his eyes gleam under black,
mobile brows that seemed to denote a considerable sense of humour. The
whole of his face held an astonishing amount of vitality, but the lips
were straight and rather hard, so clean-cut as to be almost ascetic. He
looked to her like a man who would suffer to the utmost, but never lose
his self-control. And she thought she read a pride more than ordinary in
the cast of his features--a man capable of practically anything save the
asking or receiving of favours.

Then he spoke, and curiously all criticism vanished. "I had better
introduce myself," he said. "I'm afraid I've been unpardonably rude. My
name is Green."

Green! The word darted at her like an imp of mischief. The romantic
dropped to the prosaic with a suddenness that provoked in her an almost
irresistible desire to laugh.

She controlled it swiftly, but she was fully aware that she had not
hidden it as she rose to her feet and offered her hand to her cavalier.

"How do you do, Mr. Green? My name is Moore--Miss Moore. Will you allow
me to thank you for saving my life?"

Her voice throbbed a little; tears and laughter were almost equally near
the surface at that moment. She was extremely disgusted with herself for
her lack of composure.

Then again, as his hand grasped hers, she forgot to criticize. "I say,
please don't!" he said. "I wouldn't have missed it for anything. It
was jolly plucky of you to stand your ground with those hooligans from
the mine."

"But I didn't stand my ground," she pointed out. "I went over. It was a
most undignified proceeding, wasn't it?"

"No, it wasn't," he declared. "You did it awfully well. I wish I'd been
nearer to you, but I couldn't possibly get up in time."

"Oh, I think you were more useful where you were," she said, "thank you
all the same. I must have gone clean to the bottom otherwise. I
thought I had."

She caught back an involuntary shudder, and in a moment the hand that
held hers closed unceremoniously and drew her further from the edge of
the cliff.

"You are sure you are none the worse, now?" he said. "Not giddy or
anything?"

"No, not anything," she said.

But she was glad of his hold none the less, and he seemed to know it, for
he kept her hand firmly clasped.

"You must let me see you back," he said. "Where are you staying?"

"At Mrs. Rickett's,"