conspirator.

She spoke so quietly and bravely that we had not the heart to touch upon
the sentimental side of her adventure. As we could not stay in Havre all
day at the risk of meeting Mr. Ras Fendihook, who might swagger into the
town from his swagger hotel on the _plage_, we carried out Jaffery's
proposal, hired an automobile and drove to Etretat. We came straight
from inland into the tiny place, so coquettish in its mingling of
fisher-folk and fashion, so cut off from the coast world by the jagged
needle gates jutting out on each side of the small bay and by the sudden
grass-grown bluff rising above them, so cleanly sparkling in the
sunshine, and for the first time Liosha's face brightened. She drew a
deep breath.

"Oh, let us all come and live here."

We laughed and wandered among the tarred, up-turned boats wherein the
fishermen store their tackle and along the pebbly beach where a few
belated bathers bobbed about in the water and up the curious steps to
the terrace and listened to the last number of the orchestra. Then lunch
at the clean, old-fashioned Hotel Blanquet among the fishing boats; and
afterwards coffee and liqueurs in the little shady courtyard. Jaffery
was very gentle with Liosha, treating her tenderly like a bruised thing,
and talked of his adventures and cracked little jokes and attended
solicitously to her wants. Several times I saw her raise her eyes in shy
gratitude, and now and then she laughed. Her healthy youth also enabled
her to make an excellent meal, and after it she smoked cigarettes and
sipped _creme de menthe_ with frank gusto. To me she appeared like a
naughty child who instead of meeting with expected punishment finds
itself coddled in affectionate arms. All resentment had died away.
Unreservedly she had laid herself as a "damn fool" at our feet--or
rather at Jaffery's feet, for I did not count for much. Instead of
blundering over her and tugging her up and otherwise exacerbating her
wounds, he lifted her with tactful kindness to her self-respect. For the
first time, save when Susan was the connecting-link, he entered into a
spiritual relation with Liosha. She fulfilled his prophecy--she was
dealing with a soul-shrivelling situation in a big way. He admired her
immensely, as his great robust nature admired immense things. At the
same time he realised all in her that was sore and grievously throbbing
and needed the delicate touch. I shall never forget those few hours.

To dream aw