e almost regretted her temerity in wedding so hastily that morning.
The rage of her father would be so crushing; the reproaches of her
mother so bitter; and perhaps Charles would answer hotly, and perhaps
cause estrangement till death. There had obviously been no alarm about
her at St Maria's, or somebody would have sailed across to inquire for
her. She had, in a letter written at the beginning of the week, spoken
of the hour at which she intended to leave her country schoolhouse;
and from this her friends had probably perceived that by such timing
she would run a risk of losing the Saturday boat. She had missed it,
and as a consequence sat here on the shore as Mrs Charles Stow.

This brought her to the present, and she turned from the outline of St
Michael's Mount to look about for her husband's form. He was, as far
as she could discover, no longer in the sea. Then he was dressing. By
moving a few steps she could see where his clothes lay. But Charles
was not beside them.

Baptista looked back again at the water in bewilderment, as if her
senses were the victim of some sleight of hand. Not a speck or spot
resembling a man's head or face showed anywhere. By this time she was
alarmed, and her alarm intensified when she perceived a little beyond
the scene of her husband's bathing a small area of water, the quality
of whose surface differed from that of the surrounding expanse as the
coarse vegetation of some foul patch in a mead differs from the fine
green of the remainder. Elsewhere it looked flexuous, here it looked
vermiculated and lumpy, and her marine experiences suggested to her in
a moment that two currents met and caused a turmoil at this place.

She descended as hastily as her trembling limbs would allow. The way
down was terribly long, and before reaching the heap of clothes it
occurred to her that, after all, it would be best to run first for
help. Hastening along in a lateral direction she proceeded inland till
she met a man, and soon afterwards two others. To them she exclaimed,
'I think a gentleman who was bathing is in some danger. I cannot see
him as I could. Will you please run and help him, at once, if you will
be so kind?'

She did not think of turning to show them the exact spot, indicating
it vaguely by the direction of her hand, and still going on her way
with the idea of gaining more assistance. When she deemed, in her
faintness, that she had carried the alarm far enough, she faced about
and dra