ittle boat all by yourself?"

She was still frightened, and she looked at him a little piteously.

"Please don't be angry with me," she said. "I wanted to come here and
see you, to--to ask your advice. The boat was lying there, and it
looked such a very short distance across, and directly I had started
the big waves began to come in and I was frightened."

The storm broke upon them. Another peal of thunder was followed by a
downpour of rain. He caught hold of her hand.

"Run as hard as you can," he said.

They reached the cottage, breathless. He ushered her into his little
sitting-room.

"Has your friend gone?" she asked.

"Yes!" he answered. "He went last night."

"I am glad," she declared. "I wanted to see you alone. You said that he
was lodging here, did you not?"

Andrew nodded.

"Yes," he said, "but he only stayed for a few days."

"You have an extra room here, then?" she asked.

"Certainly," he answered, wondering a little at the drift of her
questions.

"Will you let it to me, please?" she asked. "I am looking for lodgings,
and I should like to stay for a little time here."

He looked at her in amazement.

"My dear young lady!" he exclaimed. "You are joking!"

"I am perfectly serious," she answered. "I will tell you all about it
if you like."

"But your stepmother!" he protested. "She would never come to such a
place. Besides, you are Mr. De la Borne's guests."

"I do not wish to stay there any longer," she said. "I do not wish to
stay with my stepmother any longer. Something has happened which I
cannot altogether explain to you, but which makes me feel that I want
to get away from them all. I have enough money, and I am sure I should
not be much trouble. Please take me, Mr. Andrew."

He suddenly realized what a child she was. Her dark eyes were raised
wistfully to his. Her oval face was a little flushed by her recent
exertions. She wore a very short skirt, and her hair hung about her
shoulders in a tangled mass. Her little foreign mannerisms, half
inciting, half provocative, were forgotten. His heart was full of pity
for her.

"My dear child," he said, "you are not serious. You cannot possibly be
serious. Your stepmother is your guardian, and she certainly would not
allow you to run away from her like this. Besides, I have not even a
maid-servant. It would be absolutely impossible for you to stay here."

Her eyes filled with tears. She dropped her arms with a weary little
gesture.