the cliffs that were revealed by the white glow. It touched the hotel at
last and rested there for the fraction of a minute.

And then a strange thing happened.

Looking upwards as he was, with fascinated eyes, following the slanting
line of light, Merefleet saw a sight which was destined to live in his
memory for all the rest of his life, strive as he might to rid himself of
it.

As in a dream-picture he saw the figure of a girl standing on the steps
of the terrace in front of the hotel. The searchlight discovered her and
lingered upon her. She stood in the brilliant line of light, a splendid
vision of almost unearthly beauty. Her neck and arms were bare, curved
with the exquisite grace of a Grecian statue. Her face was turned towards
the light--a marvellous face, touched with a faint, triumphant smile. She
was dressed in a robe of pure white that fell around her in long, soft
folds.

Merefleet gazed upon the wonder before him and asked himself one
breathless question: "Is that--a woman?"

And the answer seemed to spring from the very depth of his being: "No!
A goddess!"

It was the most gloriously perfect picture of beauty he had ever looked
upon.

The searchlight flashed on and the hotel garden was left in darkness.

A chill sense of loss swept down upon Merefleet, but the impression did
not last. He threw away his cigar with an impetuosity oddly out of
keeping with his somewhat rugged and unimpressionable nature. A hot
desire to see that face again at close quarters possessed him--the face
of the loveliest woman he had ever beheld.

He reached the hotel and sat down in the vestibule. Evidently this
marvellous woman was staying in the place. He watched the doorway with
a strange feeling of excitement. He had not been so moved for years.

At length there came a quick, light tread. The next moment he was
gazing again upon the vision that had charmed him out of all commonsense.
She stood, framed in the night, white and pure and gloriously, most
surpassingly, beautiful. Merefleet felt his heart throb heavily. He sat
in dead silence, looking at her with fascinated eyes. Had he called her a
Greek goddess? He had better have said angel. For this was no earth-born
loveliness.

She stood for several seconds looking towards him with shining, radiant
eyes. Then she moved forward. Merefleet's eyes were fixed upon her. He
could not have looked away just then. He was absurdly uncertain of
himself.

She paused nea