knowing that if she kept on the
heights she should arrive at the precipices which would forbid all
access to the caves below.

The tide was going down; and as soon as she reached the sands of a
little cove she was pleased to see a good many shell fish. Her first
thought was that she would collect some and carry them up for Annie
Fleming's breakfast; but she immediately remembered that this would add
to her fatigues, and consume her precious time; and she gave up the
thought, and began picking up cockles for herself--large blue cockles,
which she thought would afford her an excellent breakfast, if only she
could meet with some fresh bread and butter in some nook in the island.
She turned up her skirt--the skirt of the country woman's gown which she
wore--and made a bag of it for her cockles, rejoicing for the moment
that it was not one of her own silks. Then she remembered that she had
seen at the widow's a light and strong frail basket, made of the
sea-bent which grew in the sands. This basket would be useful to her:
so she would, after all, go up--carry some cockles for Annie, and borrow
the basket. She did so, and came away again without awakening the
widow.

At first, Lady Carse thought that Annie was right, and that the island
was not so dreary after all. The morning breeze was fresh and
strengthening; the waves ran up gaily upon the sands, and leaped against
the projecting rocks, and fell back with a merry splash. And the
precipices were so fine, she longed for her sketch-book; and the romance
of her youth began to revive within her. Here was a whole day for
roving. She would somehow make a fire in a cave, and cook for herself.
She was sure she could live among these caves; and if she was missing
for a considerable time, the Macdonalds would think she had escaped, or
was drowned; and she could slip away at last, when some vessel put into
the harbour. She stopped and looked round; but on all the vast stretch
of waters there was no vessel to be seen but the sloop in the harbour;
while on shore there was no human being visible, nor any trace of
habitation. The solitude rather pressed on her heart; but she hastened
on, and rounded the point which would shut out from her the land view,
and prevent her being seen by any one from Macdonald's. She had no fear
of her return being cut off by the tide. She had the whole day before
her, and could climb the rocks to a safe height at any time.

These were caves i