the past and the future seemed phantoms before
the tremendous and insistent present. Fate could perhaps have broken her
spirit only in one way, by casting her upon the sordid. If she had been
socially shipwrecked and thrown onto a Paris slum she might have gone
under. Here where everything was clean, where the air was life, where
nothing was sordid, she swam; here she was miraculously filled with a
new energy and an extraordinary new interest as though she were peeping
at things for the very first time.

The forward locker was now empty, she hunted in the others and
discovered two more Maconochie tins that Bompard had overlooked, some
cotton waste, a roll of thick copper wire and a bradawl.

She collected the lot and brought them up to the cave before which her
companions were seated.

She handed them to La Touche, who, without getting up, leaned back and
pushed them as far into the cave as he could reach, then he resumed his
pipe whilst Cleo standing and shading her eyes looked away up and down
the beach as though measuring its possibilities.

"I found a lot of things down there this morning before the tide was
high," said she. "There were star-fish, big ones like what I have seen
on the beach at Bordighera; the Italian people eat them. I'm sure there
must be lots of food to be found here on the beach. Then there is a big
break in the cliffs lower down that seems to lead inland. I think the
best thing we can do is to start now and hunt about and see what we can
find. You two can go inland, and I will go along the beach. It's
absolutely necessary to find any sort of food, and wood to make a fire."

The smokers were disposed to argue.

Yes, it was quite true, one must look round, but there was grub enough
for a month and there was plenty of time before them. Then La Touche
began to argue about star-fish. He had never heard of people eating
star-fish. If they were to be condemned to eat stuff like that it would
be better to quit. One might have fancied from his tone that it was
Cleo's fault that such a suggestion should be made.

Cleo listened patiently and Bompard sat evidently approving. It was
almost as though the two were in league against her, just as children
get in league against an adult who insists on unpleasant duties or
uncongenial food.

But a will was at work stronger than theirs and presently, tapping out
their pipes, they rose up. La Touche, at her direction, placed the new
found Maconochie tins,