't know," Annet answered, almost stupidly. The danger past, she
felt faint of a sudden and dazed; nor could she understand what the
strange lady meant by embracing her again, almost with a sob, and
murmuring:

"The little water, and so hard to cross! But we had the courage,
Annet--you and I!"

She turned and lifted her voice in a long, full-throated cry, that sent
the birds flying in fresh circles from the eyries over which they were
poising; and before its echoes died between the cliffs a boat came
round the point--a boat with one man in it, and that man Major
Vigoureux.

At another time they might have wondered how a boat came here, and why
the Governor himself--whom they had seldom seen, but regarded from afar
with awe--should be in charge of it. But the afternoon had fed them
full with marvels. Here the great man was, and in a boat, and the
strange lady stood apparently in no awe of his greatness.

"The little ones are tired," said Vashti. "We will sail them home and
land them on Saaron."

The Commandant backed his boat skilfully into the passage between the
walls of rock, lifted the two younger ones on board, and then stretched
out a hand to the other shore to help Vashti and Annet. When all were
stowed, he pushed out for an offing, and hoisted his small lug-sail,
while Vashti took the tiller.

The breeze blew off the shore. The little boat heeled, flinging the
spray merrily from her bows. Beyond and under the slack of the sail a
golden sea stretched away to the dying sunset.

It was an enchanted hour, and it held the children silent. In silence
they were landed on the beach of West Porth, and climbed over the hill
to their house. From its summit they looked down upon a small sail
dancing through the sunken reefs towards the Roads, away into the
twilight where the sea lights already shone from the South Islands.

CHAPTER XIV

AFTER SERVICE

"They are good children," said Vashti, as she and the Commandant sat at
breakfast together next morning, which was Sunday.

The Commandant did not answer for a moment. He was stirring his tea, in
a brown study, nor did he note that Vashti's eyes were resting on him
with an amused smile. She supposed these fits of abstraction to be
habitual with him, due to living and taking his meals alone; but in
fact his thoughts were wrestling with two or three very urgent
problems. To begin with, he had plunged yet deeper in debt to Mr.
Tregaskis. The total, to be sure