her side, standing on the same foothold, before she was
conscious of his presence; then he spoke her name, and she turned her
eyes upon him. Oh, God in heaven, they were _sane_ eyes! Clear,
straight-glancing eyes. _Sane_ eyes, full of thankfulness and peace!

"I remember!" she cried loudly. "I remember! The river has told me.
Oh, Rupert I am free--"

"Come!" he said simply, and took her hand. There was no time to waste,
for the flood was rushing on its way, and the perilous passage had still
to be made; but there was no fear in either heart. Nothing on earth or
sea could mar the rapture of that moment. After long waiting and
heart-sickness the cloud had lifted, and the shadows had taken wing. He
read the change in her eyes, the very touch of her hand within his told
the same tale. It was no longer weak and helpless; her fingers clasped
his with a strong, resolute grasp, giving help as well as receiving.
The Dream Woman had come to life!

From the bank the stepping-stones had disappeared from sight, and to the
dazzled eyes of the onlookers it seemed as though two disembodied
spirits came walking towards them across the waters, their faces lit
with an unearthly radiance.

When the bank was reached, they turned, and made their way towards the
house, unconscious of the existence of the watchers. Hand in hand they
crossed the bridge and mounted the sloping path...

The Innkeeper hitched his shoulders and drew a trembling breath.

"It was a near thing, look you! As near a shave as ever I seen... That
was a good thing, missy, that you caught sight of her just at the right
moment!"

Lilith's heavy eyelids drooped over her eyes.

"Yes," she said sleepily, "the very right moment!"

CHAPTER FIVE.

THE GIRL WHO WISHED FOR POWER.

Two men proposed to Lilith Wastneys at the same ball and in the same
palm-shaded retreat. She was not surprised, because she had willed that
they should speak, and people had a habit of doing as Lilith willed.
Very early in her life she had discovered that if she said nothing, and
thought hard, that thought had a power to mould others to her will.

It was not often that she put forth her power, for her attitude towards
her fellows was one of lofty detachment. They were commonplace
creatures--weak, vacillating creatures, swayed to and fro by the
emotions of the hour. Lilith had never in her life been swayed; never
for the fraction of a second had she been uncertain of her o