caution and constant asistance from the
practised to the unpractised hand, and Graeme omitted none of the
necessary precautions. Whereby Margaret's throbbing hand was much in
his,--so, indeed, was Miss Penny's, but that was quite another
matter,--and every convulsive grip of the little hand, though it was
caused by nothing more than the uncertainties of the way, set his
heart dancing and riveted the golden chains still more firmly round
it.

There are difficult bits in those caves in the Greve de la
Ville,--steep ascents, and black drops in sheer faith into unknown
depths, and tight squeezes past sloping shelves which seem on the
point of closing and cracking one like a nut; and when they crawled
out at last into a boulder-strewn plateau, open to the sea on one side
only, they sighed gratefully at the ample height and breadth of
things, and sank down on the shingle to breathe the free air and
sunshine.

He amused them by telling them how, the last time he was there, he
found an elderly gentleman sitting with his head in his hands, on that
exact spot. And how, at sight of the new-comer, he had come running to
him and fallen sobbing on his neck. He had been there for over an
hour seeking the way out, and not being able to find it, had got into
a panic.

"I wonder if you could find the place we came in, now?" said Graeme.
"Scamp, lie down, sir, and don't give me away!"

"Why, certainly, it's just there," said Miss Penny, jumping up
energetically and marching across, while the dogs grinned open-mouthed
at her lack of perception. For it wasn't there at all, and she
searched without avail, and at last sat down again saying, "Well, I
sympathise with your old gentleman, Mr. Graeme. If I was all alone
here, and unable to find that hole, I should go into hysterics, though
it's not a thing I'm given to. I suppose we did get in somehow."

"Obviously! And that's where the advantage of a guide comes in, you
see."

"I, for one, appreciate him highly, I can assure you. Where is that
wretched hole?"

"Here it is, you see. It's a tricky place. I shall never forget the
look of relief on that old fellow's face at sight of me. I believe he
thinks to this day that I saved his life. He stuck to me like a leech
all the way through the further caves and till we got back to the
entrance."

"We're not through them yet then?"

"Through? Bless me no, we're only just starting, but there's no use
hurrying. Tide's right, and we have ple