Suddenly she slipped. If she had not been holding tight to his arm, she
would have fallen into the creek. As it was, she was badly frightened,
and clung more nervously to him. He felt her warm body pressed close
against his, and a thrill went through him. There was still some
distance to go before the opposite bank was reached. Putting his arm
round her waist, Armitage reassured her.

"You won't fall. Just keep close to me and step as I step," he said.

He felt her warm breath on his cheek. His head seemed to swim round. It
needed all his self-control to keep his equilibrium and get across.
Finally they reached the other bank in safety.

Leaving the beach, they clambered up the rocks, to the higher land,
where they found an abundance of coarse grass with ravines and hollows
choked up with a luxuriant growth of tropical vegetation. They entered a
dense wood, almost impenetrable with tangled foliage, thick undergrowth,
and hidden roots of trees. Carefully, he made a path for her, and once,
when they came to a running stream with no way to ford it, he had to
lift her up in his strong arms and take her across like a baby. Soon
they came to a clearing, sweet with the odor of wild orchids and
jasmine. Through the thick foliage of the spreading trees they had
glimpses of the shimmering surface of the turquoise-blue sea. They sat
down in the grass, glad to rest after their exertions, and when they
got hungry they ate the provisions Grace had thoughtfully provided. It
was a delightful picnic, and Grace laughed with glee.

Armitage had plucked a plantain and was eating the fruit when suddenly
he stopped and looked fixedly at her.

"Why do you look at me like that?" she asked roguishly.

"Because you are nice to look at," he answered gravely. "I look at the
sea because it is beautiful. I look at you. You are beautiful."

She laughed and reddened. The compliment was clumsy, but it pleased her
because she knew he meant it. To her it sounded better than any of the
compliments paid her in New York's drawing-rooms. To change the
conversation she said:

"I wonder if we shall ever get away from here?"

He said nothing, but his eyes sought hers. After a pause, he said
boldly:

"I don't know. To be quite honest, I'm in no hurry. I'm very happy
here."

Grace made no reply. This time she did not even seem angry.

CHAPTER XIV.

Another fortnight passed and still no sign from the great wide world
beyond the seas. The da