vast space, and sounded faint,
adding to the chill of despair creeping to his heart; till, rousing
himself, after regaining his breath, he adopted the plan that he should
have tried at first.

"Miss Gernon!--Isa! For Heaven's sake, speak!" he cried, earnestly, as
he gazed at the half-closed eyes and the drooping head. "Try and rouse
yourself for one more effort!"

She heard his words, and her eyes unclosed, and rested upon his for an
instant.

"That's right!" he cried, joyfully. "Now, quick! loose your hold of me!
Don't cling, but take hold here of these reeds where my hand is, and
hold there tightly for a few moments. I can, then, perhaps, get out,
and draw you after me: I am quite powerless here. Can you hold on for
half a minute?"

Isa's pale lips parted, but no audible words came. She obeyed him,
though, and he guided her cold, white hand to the sharp-edged leaves.

"Now, then, be brave! Keep a good heart, for the sake of all who love
you!" he whispered; and loosing his hold, he paused for an instant or
two, to find that she was striving gallantly to obey him. "Only a few
moments!" he cried; and then, summoning all his strength, he left her,
and by means of a desperate effort fought and plunged his way through
the now clinging--now yielding mass, till--how he could not tell--he
forced his way on, to lie panting, at full length, amongst the rushes.
The next moment a cry of despair burst from his breast; for, as he drew
himself along to where Isa Gernon clung, he saw that the tuft of reeds,
disturbed by his frantic efforts, were parting from the edge, and
directly after the poor girl's head sank again beneath the black water.

A rush--a plunge--a fierce struggle, and Brace was nearly free of the
mosses and water-weeds; but now they seemed to cling round him more than
ever, hampering his efforts, and minutes seemed to have elapsed before
he had shaken himself clear, and dived down into the depths of the pool,
forcing his way lower and lower till half strangled, when, rising to the
surface, he drew a long, gasping breath, and then again plunged down.

It was well for Brace Norton that many a time he had swum and dived for
sport in far off tropic waters, till he had gained a mastery over the
element which now stood him in good stead; for at this second plunge far
down into the black depths his hand came in contact with Isa Gernon's
long, flowing hair, and the next instant he had risen to the surface and
h