Grace. Once I felt sure that I saw a boat--she
said she saw something too; but we waited and waited, and Oliver read
on, and yet the object, if object there was, did not approach nearer.
Again I declared I saw a boat. Oliver looked up, and shading his eyes,
gazed in the direction in which I pointed.

"You are mistaken, Miss Emily," he answered quietly. "I wish you were
not. You caught sight of a mass of sea-weed, and your imagination made
it appear to your sight what it is not."

Saying this, he again sat down, and continued reading. Tanda had
manufactured some large parasols of palm-leaves, which sheltered us from
the sun, or we could not have sat out on the rocks. Oliver had come
without one of these, and we thoughtlessly allowed him to sit on with
the hot sun burning down on his back. On a sudden, as I was looking at
him I saw him turn very pale, and before I could spring to his side to
support him, he sunk fainting on the rock. Only then I thought of the
cause of his illness, and, holding up his head, placed the parasol above
him, while Grace ran down with his hat, and brought it up full of water.
The sea-water, however, was very warm. Though we sprinkled his face
with it, it did but little to revive him. Oh, what would I not have
given for some cold fresh water to pour down his throat! As I leaned
over him I was afraid that he would not revive; he looked so deadly
pale, and scarcely breathed. I entreated Grace to run to the house, and
bring the Frau, with a shell of fresh water; and I thought that perhaps
together we might carry Oliver back. Grace set off, followed by Merlin,
who evidently seemed to understand that something had to be done. Oh,
how anxious I felt for poor Oliver. I am sure that I would have given
my own life to save his. He was dear Walter's friend. I am sure Walter
loved him as a brother; indeed, he is well worthy of such regard. No
one also could be more attached to us. I took my bonnet and fanned his
cheek with one hand, while I held the palm-formed parasol over his head
with the other. Still he did not revive. I dreaded lest he should have
received a sun-stroke, which I knew to be a very dangerous thing. It
was very, very thoughtless of us to allow him thus to be exposed, but we
had been so accustomed to see everybody out in the hot sun that we did
not think about it, and used our parasols more for the sake of
preventing our faces being burned than from any fear of danger