ere not quite shut. He was not unconscious. And under the
drooping lids he was watching her.

For a few minutes they sat gazing at each other in silence. She had her
breath to get. She thought it would never come back.

The man spoke first.

"Well, you made a job of it," he said.

She didn't answer.

"But you don't know much about the water, do you?"

"I've never seen the sea till to-day," said Helen slowly.

He laughed a little. "I expect you've seen enough of it to-day. But
where do you live, then, that you've never seen the sea? In the middle
of the earth?"

"No," said Helen, "I live in a mill."

His eyelids flickered. "Do you? Yes, of course you do. I might have
guessed it."

"How should you guess it?"

"By your blue dress," said the man. Then he fainted.

She sat there miserably, waiting, ready to prop him if he fell. She did
not know what else to do. Before very long he opened his eyes.

"Did I go off again?" he asked.

She nodded.

"Yes. Well, it's time to be making a move. I dare say I can now you're
here. What's your name?"

"Helen."

"Well, Helen, we'd better put that rope to some use. Will that tree at
the other end hold?"

"Yes."

"Then just you untie yourself and we'll get aboard and haul ourselves
home."

She unfastened the rope from her body, and helped him down to her
makeshift boat.

"You take the paddle," he said. "My arm's damaged. But I can pull on
the rope with the other."

"Are you sure? Are you all right? What's your name?"

"Yes, I can manage. My name's Peter. This would have been a lark thirty
years ago, wouldn't it? It's rather a lark now."

She nodded vaguely, wondering what she would do if he fell off the log
in mid-water.

"Suppose you faint again?"

"Don't look for trouble," said the man. "Push off, now."

Pulling and paddling they got to the bank. He took her helping-hand up
it, and she saw by his movements that he was very feeble. He leaned on
her as they went back to the mill; they walked without speaking.

When they reached the door Peter said, "It's twenty years since I was
here, but I expect you don't remember."

"Oh, yes," said Helen, "I remember."

"Do you now?" said Peter. "It's funny you should remember."

And with that he did faint again. And this time when he recovered he
was in a fever. His staying-power was gone.

She put him to bed and nursed him. She sat day and night in his room,
doing by instinct what was right and needful. At f