y, we will go for a walk along the cliffs."

Her hand was on his arm. She held him. He looked at the boat. A swift
doubt shot through his mind. Something in the way Maurice laughed
aroused his suspicion. He took a step forward. The Comtesse clung
tightly to his arm. Maurice gave a vigorous shove and leapt forward over
the bow. The boat shot out and floated clear of the land.

"Isn't he a disagreeable boy?" said the Comtesse. "You wouldn't have
refused to do what I asked you, would you, Captain Twinely?"

Her eyes sought his, but he was watching the boat uneasily. Maurice had
the oars out, and was pulling round the Black Rock.

"He's not going to the Skerries," he said, "he's going in the other
direction."

"What does it matter where he goes? Besides, you know what stupid things
boats are. They always turn away from the place they want to go to. It's
what they call tacking. Maurice must be tacking now. Let him manage his
horrid boat himself. We needn't trouble ourselves about him. We will go
for a walk on the tops of the cliffs."

"I thought you did not like walking on the cliffs, you never would walk
there with me before."

"Please don't be cross with me. May I not change my mind?"

She stroked his hand and looked up into his face with eyes which
actually had tears in them. "I shall be so miserable if you are cross.
I shall feel that I have spoiled your day. I wish now that I had gone in
the little boat. I wish I had been upset and drowned. Then perhaps you
would have been sorry for me."

She was crying in earnest now. Captain Twinely yielded, yielded to her
tears, to the fascination of her presence, to the passion of his love
for her. Very tenderly and gently he led her up the steep path to the
top of the cliffs. Holding her hands in his he walked silently beside
her. He was a bad man, revengeful, cruel, cowardly, but he really loved
the woman beside him. His was no heroic, spiritual love, but it was the
best, the strongest, of which his nature was capable. He could never
for her sake have lived purely and nobly, or learned self-denial, but,
cowardly as he was, he would have died for her.

Suddenly she stood still, snatched her hand from his grasp, and stepped
away from him.

"Now," she cried, "at last! at last! There, Captain Twinely, there is
the boat with the sail spread, shooting out to sea. Look at her; look
carefully; look well. How many people are there in her? Can you see? I
can see very well. Ther