ot make it?" said
she, in the dark; and Pinckney vowed that he could, and set his teeth
for a mighty pull. The oar broke, and the boat's head fell rapidly off
in the trough of the sea. He quickly changed about his remaining oar,
and with it kept the head to the wind. "We must go back," he said,
panting. "I know," said she. The windstorm was fairly upon them; and,
in spite of all his efforts, an occasional wave would get upon the beam
and spill its frothing crest into the boat. Pinckney almost doubted
whether it would float until it reached the shore; but Miss Warfield
did not seem in the least disturbed, and spoke without a tremor in her
voice. The lightning had stopped now, and he could not see her.

He had miscalculated the force of the wind and waves, however; for in a
very minutes they were driven broadside back upon the beach, almost at
the same place from which they had started. Miss War-field sprang out
quickly, and he after, just as a wave turned the dory bottom upward on
the stones.

"They will soon send for us," he said; and stepping painfully up the
shore, he occupied himself with spreading her shawl in a sheltered spot
for them to wait in. She sat down, and he beside her. He was very wet,
and she made him put some of the shawl over himself. The quick summer
storm had passed now, with only a few big drops of rain; and the moon
was breaking out fitfully through veils of driving clouds and their
storm-scud. By its light he looked at her, and their eyes met. Pinckney
groaned aloud, and stood up. "Would that they would never come; would
God that we could--"

"We can not," said she, softly, in a voice that he had never heard from
her before--a voice with tears in it; and the man threw himself down at
her feet, inarticulate, maddened. Then, with a great effort at control,
not touching her, but looking straight into her eyes, he said, in
blunt, low speech: "Miss Warfield, I love you--do you know it?"

Her head sank slowly down; but she answered, very low, but clearly,
_yes_. Then their eyes met again; and, by some common impulse, they
rose and walked apart. After a few steps, he stopped, being lame, and
leaned against the cliff; but she went on until her dark figure was
blended with the shadows of the crags.

So, when the boat came back, its sail silvered by the moonlight, they
saw it, and, coming down, they met again; but only as the party were
landing on the beach. Several of the party had come back; and Mr.