's no water?" Fortunately for her logic,
the road became once more only wide enough for one to proceed at a time,
and Sybella was again left to her own musings.

Scarcely conscious of the perilous path by which she advanced, she
continued to meditate over the old man's words, and wonder within
herself how it was that he, the poor, unlettered peasant, should have
conceived that high notion of what her mission ought to be,--when and
how her energies should be employed. She had been schooling herself for
years to feel that true heroism consisted in devoting oneself to some
humble, unobtrusive career, whose best rewards were the good done to
others, where self-denial was a daily lesson, and humility a daily
creed; but, do what she could, there was within her heart the embers of
the fire that burned there in childhood. The first article of that
faith taught her that without danger there is no greatness,--that in
the hazardous conflicts where life is ventured, high qualities only are
developed. What but such noble excitement could make heroes of those
men, many of whom, without such stimulus, had dropped down the stream of
life unnoticed and undistinguished? "And shall I," cried she, aloud,
"go on forever thus, living the small life of petty cares and interests,
confronting no dangers beyond a dark December day, encountering no other
hazards than the flippant rebuke of my employer?" "There's the yawl,
Miss Bella; she's tacking about, waiting for us," said Ned, as he
pointed to a small sailboat like a speck in the blue sea beneath; and at
the same instant a little rag of scarlet bunting was run up to the peak,
to show that the travellers had been seen from the water.

CHAPTER XVI. THE DISCOVERY

It is possible that my reader might not unwillingly accompany Sybella
as she stepped into the little boat, and, tripping lightly over the
"thwarts," seated herself in the stern-sheets. The day was bright and
breezy, the sea scarcely ruffled, for the wind was off the land; the
craft, although but a fishing-boat, was sharp and clean built, the
canvas sat well on her, and, last of all, she who held the tiller was a
very pretty girl, whose cheek, flushed with exercise, and loosely
waving hair, gave to her beauty the heightened expression of which care
occasionally robbed it. The broad bay, with its mountain background
and its wide sea-reach, studded with tall three-masters, was a fine and
glorious object; and as the light boat heel