It may be that Tregarthen had failed to discern the
small sail astern of him in the gloom of the land. She lowered it
quietly, stowed it, found and inserted the thole-pins, and shipped the
paddles. Yet it seemed that she was in no hurry to row. She but dipped
a blade twice to check the boat from swinging broadside-on to the tide,
and so rested silent for minute after minute, gazing through the gloom
towards the bright sea-lights.

And it seemed to the Commandant, seated and watching her, that he could
read some of the thoughts behind her gaze. His own went back again to
the night of his first coming to the Islands, when, as at sunset he
supposed himself to have discovered them, all of a sudden they
discovered him--reef after reef opening a great shining eye upon him;
and some of the eyes were steady, but most of them intermittent, and
all sent long gleaming rays along the floor of the sea; a dozen
sea-lights and eleven of them yellow, but the twelfth (that upon North
Island) a deep glowing crimson. Since then and for fifteen years they
had been his friends. Nightly he watched them for minutes from his
window before undressing for bed; and in fanciful moments they seemed
to draw a circle of witchcraft around the Islands.

If they meant so much to him what must they mean to her who had left
home, dear ones, and all memories of youth?--and who, returned from
exile, stood with her hand upon the latch of the old cupboard!

"Ruth will have changed," said Vashti, speaking aloud, but to herself.
"It is impossible that she has not changed."

She dipped her paddles and began to pull, gently at first and almost
languidly; but by and by strength came into her arms and the boat began
to move at a pace that astonished the Commandant.

* * * * *

Brefar Church stands on a green knoll close by the water's edge and
only a few yards above a shingly beach where the Islanders bring their
boats to shore. Its bell had ceased ringing long before its windows
came into view with the warm lamp light shining within; and the beach
lay dark under the shadow of the tamarisks topping the graveyard wall.
Vashti, not in the least distressed by her exertions, sprang ashore and
sought about for a good mooring-stone. She had found one almost before
the Commandant, following, could offer to help her in her search.
Together they hauled the boat a few yards up from the water.

"Are we to go inside?" the Commanda