eyed me eagerly, and a few seconds later we stood behind a great
jagged promontory.

"Did they see us, do you think?"

"Yes, they saw us, but they could not have recognised us; or I fancy
not," I added, for I had my fears; "but come, walk on the shingle so
that they cannot trace your footsteps. That is it."

We came close to the cave where my clothes lay. These I picked up with a
feeling of relief.

"We are safe now," I said.

"No," she cried; "they will soon come up, and can easily find us."

For she had not seen the mouth of Granfer Fraddam's Cave, although it
was close to her. I was glad of this, for it told me how safe my
hiding-place was, and showed that the opening was so curiously hidden
that a stranger might pass it a hundred times and not see it. So I
helped her to climb up the cliff until I got to a small platform, and
afterward passed along the fissure between the rocks and drew her after
me, and then, when she had followed me a few steps, she saw how
cunningly Nature had concealed the place, and fearful as she was, she
uttered a low exclamation of pleased surprise. For from this place we
could see without being seen, even although we were not inside the cave
itself.

Excited as I was, for my heart was beating fast and my head throbbed at
the same rate, I wondered at my good fortune in making her my friend.
For her willingness to come with me, rather than to expose me to the
Tresidders, showed that she was my friend, and my gladness at the
thought was beyond all words. At the same time I could not help fearing
for her. If either Nick Tresidder or his father had recognised her, she
would be exposed to many awkward questionings, which would be hard for
her to answer; neither did I desire that she should have to suffer for
me. I marvelled greatly, too, that she should have understood the
situation so easily, and that, in spite of all my enemies must have
said, she seemed to trust me so implicitly. I remembered, however, that
she would, perhaps, feel grateful to me for rescuing her from her
awkward position on "The Spanish Cavalier," and that she would be
anxious that my action should not bring any harm to me. And while this
thought did not bring me so much pleasure as it ought, it showed me that
the Tresidders had not altogether poisoned her mind against me.

Although it has taken me some minutes to write down these thoughts, they
passed through my mind very rapidly.

"They cannot see us here," she sa