"I beg your pardon,"he said hesitatingly,as he turned towards her and laid aside his oars,"but--I thought--you were--in danger."She glanced quickly round her.She had forgotten the tide!The ledge between her and the shore was already a foot under brown sea-water.Yet if she had not thought that it would look ridiculous,she would have leaped down even then and waded ashore.
"It's nothing,"she said coldly,with the air of one to whom the situation was an everyday occurrence;"it's only a few steps and a slight wetting--and my brother would have been here in a moment more."John Milton's frank eyes made no secret of his mortification."Iought not to have disturbed you,I know,"he said quickly,"I had no right.But I was on the other shore opposite and I saw you come down here--that is"--he blushed prodigiously--"I thought it MIGHTBE you--and I ventured--I mean--won't you let me row you ashore?"There seemed to be no reasonable excuse for refusing.She slipped quickly into the boat without waiting for his helping hand,avoiding that contact which only a moment ago she was trying to recall.
A few strokes brought them ashore.He continued his explanation with the hopeless frankness and persistency of youth and inexperience."I only came here the day before yesterday.I would not have come,but Mr.Fletcher,who has a cottage on the other shore,sent for me to offer me my old place on the 'Clarion.'Ihad no idea of intruding upon your privacy by calling here without permission."Mrs.Ashwood had resumed her conventional courtesy without however losing her feminine desire to make her companion pay for the agitation he had caused her."We would have been always pleased to see you,"she said vaguely,"and I hope,as you are here now,you will come with me to the hotel.My brother"--But he still retained his hold of the boat-rope without moving,and continued,"I saw you yesterday,through the telescope,sitting in your balcony;and later at night I think it was your shadow I saw near the blue shaded lamp in the sitting-room by the window,--Idon't mean the RED LAMP that you have in your own room.I watched you until you put out the blue lamp and lit the red one.I tell you this--because--because--I thought you might be reading a manuscript I sent you.At least,"he smiled faintly,"I LIKED to think it so."In her present mood this struck her only as persistent and somewhat egotistical.But she felt herself now on ground where she could deal firmly with him.
"Oh,yes,"she said gravely."I got it and thank you very much for it.I intended to write to you.""Don't,"he said,looking at her fixedly."I can see you don't like it.""On the contrary,"she said promptly,"I think it beautifully written,and very ingenious in plot and situation.Of course it isn't the story I told you--I didn't expect that,for I'm not a genius.The man is not at all like my cousin,you know,and the woman--well really,to tell the truth,SHE is simply inconceivable!""You think so?"he said gravely.He had been gazing abstractedly at some shining brown seaweed in the water,and when he raised his eyes to hers they seemed to have caught its color.
"Think so?I'm positive!There's no such a woman;she isn't HUMAN.But let us walk to the hotel.""Thank you,but I must go back now."
"But at least let my brother thank you for taking his place--in rescuing me.It was so thoughtful in you to put off at once when you saw I was surrounded.I might have been in great danger.""Please don't make fun of me,Mrs.Ashwood,"he said with a faint return of his boyish smile."You know there was no danger.I have only interrupted you in a nap or a reverie--and I can see now that you evidently came here to be alone."Holding the manuscript more closely hidden under the folds of her cloak,she smiled enigmatically."I think I DID,and it seems that the tide thought so too,and acted upon it.But you will come up to the hotel with me,surely?""No,I am going back now."There was a sudden firmness about the young fellow which she had never before noticed.This was evidently the creature who had married in spite of his family.
"Won't you come back long enough to take your manuscript?I will point out the part I refer to,and--we will talk it over.""There is no necessity.I wrote to you that you might keep it;it is yours;it was written for you and none other.It is quite enough for me to know that you were good enough to read it.But will you do one thing more for me?Read it again!If you find anything in it the second time to change your views--if you find"--"I will let you know,"she said quickly."I will write to you as Iintended."
"No,I didn't mean that.I meant that if you found the woman less inconceivable and more human,don't write to me,but put your red lamp in your window instead of the blue one.I will watch for it and see it.""I think I will be able to explain myself much better with simple pen and ink,"she said dryly,"and it will be much more useful to you."He lifted his hat gravely,shoved off the boat,leaped into it,and before she could hold out her hand was twenty feet away.She turned and ran quickly up the rocks.When she reached the hotel,she could see the boat already half across the bay.
Entering her sitting-room she found that her brother,tired of waiting for her,had driven out.Taking the hidden manuscript from her cloak she tossed it with a slight gesture of impatience on the table.Then she summoned the landlord.
"Is there a town across the bay?"