down, the young man and one girl
clinging desperately to it, with white, terror-stricken faces. The
other girl was nowhere to be seen. She rose in a few seconds, however,
struggling violently, and sank again; then, when she came up for the
second time, she had drifted a good distance farther on, and was
strangely quiet.

The Chaddites had been separated by the sudden shock of the unexpected
occurrence. Lettice found it as much as she could manage to keep her
head above water, and Chatty acknowledged afterwards that she had never
before felt in such danger of her life. Honor, however, was swimming
fast in the direction of the drowning pleasure-seeker, and seized her
just as she was on the point of going down for the third time. Luckily
the poor girl had lost consciousness, and so did not grip her rescuer,
or it might have ended fatally for them both. As it was, Honor was able
to put her arm under her and keep her afloat while she called loudly
for help.

But no one could come immediately. The heavy sea had got Ivy Ridgeway
into difficulties, and Miss Young dared not leave her while she was
still out of her depth; and the others were only able to save
themselves: so Honor was obliged to do her best alone. By this time the
steamer had stopped and was lowering one of its boats, but it took
several minutes before the latter could be launched.

"Hold on a bit!" the sailors shouted encouragingly to Honor; and once
they were clear of the vessel, they rowed with a will.

They reached the pair at last, and lifted the unfortunate girl,
insensible and helpless as a log, over the gunwale.

"Better let us take you in too, miss!" said the coxswain to Honor.

"No, thanks; I'm all right," she replied, and, turning round, she swam
straight back to the shore.

The passengers on the steamer gave cheer after cheer as they watched
the little figure making its way so pluckily; and more than one person
heaved a sigh of relief when it arrived in shallow water, and walked
out on to the beach.

Meanwhile, the boat had picked up the young man and the other girl, who
had clung to their upturned craft till they were in the last stage of
exhaustion.

Poor Miss Young actually shed tears when she saw all her class safe and
sound on dry land once more--a weakness of which her pupils never knew
her to be guilty before or after.

"I'm not sure if I don't feel a little bit weepy myself," said Maisie
Talbot. "Lettice is not a remarkably strong