rned, "thirty-five year ago--five year afower
ever I married my old missis yander." Rosalind felt less sympathy. If
she were to lose Sally or Gerry, would she ever be able to talk like
this, even if she lived to be ninety-nine? Possibly yes--only she
could not know it now. She felt too curious about what had happened
at the pier to think of going back, and walked on with old Simon,
not answering him much. He seemed quite content to talk.

She did not trouble herself on the point of her party returning
and not finding her. Ten chances to one they would hear about the
accident, and guess where she had gone. Most likely they would follow
her. Besides, she meant to go back as soon as ever she knew what had
happened.

Certainly there were a great many people down there round about
Lloyd's Coffeehouse! Had a life been lost? How she hoped not! What
a sad end it would be to such a happy holiday as theirs had been! She
said something to this effect to the old man beside her. His reply
was: "Ye may doubt of it, in my judgment, missis. The rowboats were
not long enough agone for that. Mayhap he'll take a bit of nursing
round, though." But he quickened his pace, and Rosalind was sorry that
a sort of courtesy towards him stood in her way. She would have liked
to go much quicker.

She could not quite understand the scared look of a girl to whom she
said, "Is it a bad accident? Do you know who it is?" nor why this girl
muttered something under her breath, then got away, nor why so many
eyes, all tearful, should be fixed on _her_. She asked again of the
woman nearest her, "Do you know who it is?" but the woman gasped, and
became hysterical, making her afraid she had accosted some anxious
relative or near friend, who could not bear to speak of it. And still
all the eyes were fixed upon her. A shudder ran through her. Could
that be pity she saw in them--pity for _her_?

"For God's sake, tell me at once! Tell me what this is...."

Still silence! She could hear through it sobs here and there in the
crowd, and then two women pointed to where an elderly man who looked
like a doctor came from a doorway close by. She heard the hysterical
woman break down outright, and her removal by friends, and then the
strong Scotch accent of the doctor-like man making a too transparent
effort towards an encouraging tone.

"There's nae reason to anteecipate a fatal tairmination, so far.
I wouldna undertake myself to say the seestolic motion of the hea