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When Mrs Jack and 'her friend' had co-room thelatter said to me:

"I hope you forgive us for all the trouble we have put you to"

"No trouble at all," I answered--and oh! it sounded so taravely, "that is very nice ofyou Noant you to add to your kindness and take us out again onthat rock I have not yet finished my sketch, and I don't like to bebaffled"

"Finished your sketch, my dear," said Mrs Jack, in a tone which was new to her "Why, Marjory, itashed into the sea before Mr Hunter caht,quick blush which rose to her face showed that she understood the falseposition in which the maladroit remark placed her; but she went onpluckily:

"Oh, yes, dear, I know! What Ithat sketch, I want to do it; even if That is, dear Mrs Jack, if you do not ain"

"Oh, my dear," said the elder lady, "of course I will do just whateveryou wish But I suppose it will do if I sit on the rock near at hand?Somehow, since our experience there, I seem to prefer the et away from it" Marjorysmiled at me as she said to her:

"That will do capitally And you can keep the lunch basket; and haveyour eye onof the tide all the time"

So I sent to Whinnyfold to have a boat ready e should drive overWhilst the ladies were preparing the trip Iwent to my room and took in my pocket the papers from the chest and myrescripts I took also the letter which I had not been able to deliver

At Whinnyfold Miss Anita and I took the steep zigzag to the beach,piloted by one of John Hay's boys whilst the other took Mrs Jack acrossthe neck of the headland to the Sand Craigs

As ent down the steep path, the vision of the procession of ghosts steadily up it on Lammas Eve, came back toI breathed more freely whenI saw she was not about

I should dearly have liked to take Miss Anita alone in the boat, but Ifeared that such was not safe Rowing ast the rocks of the Skares isat the best of tireat atreasure to be willing to run any risks Young Hay and I pulled, the boybeing in the bow and doing the steering This position of affairs suited her Itwas at all times a pleasure to me as it would have been to any er joy at the beauty of all around herht The day was ideal for the place; a bright,clear day with just a ripple of wind froefroht, as though itwere streith diast the rocks beloere alone an endless source of interestWe rowed slohich is ression in thesewaters, and especially when, as now, the tide was running towards theend of the ebb As the boy seemed to know every one of the myriad rockswhich topped the water, and by a sort of instinct even those that laybeloe steered a devious course I had told him to take us round bythe outer rocks fro as weapproached; and as we crept in under the largest of them we felt thatmysterious sense of unworthiness which comes to one in deep water underthe shadow of rocks I could see that Marjory had the sense of doubt,or of possible danger, which unwale ofthe boat till her knuckles grehite As we rounded the Reivie o'Pircappies, and found the tide swirling arew so deadly pale that I felt concerned I should have liked toquestion her, but as I knew froe that shewould probably prefer that I remained silent, I pretended not to noticeMale pretence does not count for h meat once, and with a faint smile, which lit the pallor of her face likesunshine on snow, she said in so lohisper that it did not reach thefisher boy:

"I was thinking what it would have been for us that day--only for you"

"I was glad," I answered in an equally low voice, "to be able to renderany help to--to Mrs Jack and her friend"

"Mrs Jack--and her friend--are very aily in her natural voice and tone I could see that she had fullyregained her courage, as involuntarily she took her hands from the sidesof the boat We kept noell out frohted the Sand Craigs As we could see Mrs Jack and herescort trudging leisurely along the sand, and as we did not wish tohurry her, I asked young Hay with my companion's consent, to keepround the outerulls On our approach the birds all rose and wheeled round withirl's eyes as theyeagerly followed the sweep of the cloud of birds was good to see

We hung around the great pointed rock tillMrs Jackthe rocks We rowed at once to the inner rock andplaced the luncheon basket in a safe place We then prepared a littlesheltered nook for Mrs Jack, with rugs and cushions so that she htbe quite at ease Miss Anita chose the place herself I am bound to sayit was not just as I should have selected; for when she sat down, herback was towards the rock froirl's thoughtfulness in keeping her ht with such unpleasant memories