ing of the water and tasted
that it was salt.

"Oh, sir, where are you taking me?" she asked, as the boat was
pushed off.

"That you will know in due time," he answered.

Some more refreshment was offered her in a decided but not
discourteous manner, and she partook of it, remembering that
exhaustion might add to her perils. She perceived that after
pushing off from shore sounds of eating and low gruff voices mingled
with the plash of oars. Commands seemed to be given in French, and
there were mutterings of some strange language. Darkness was coming
on. What were they doing with her? And did Charles's fate hang
upon hers?

Yet in spite of terrors and anxieties, she was so much worn out as
to doze long enough to lose count of time, till she was awakened by
the rocking and tossing of the boat and loud peremptory commands.
She became for the first time in her life miserable with sea-
sickness, for how long it was impossible to tell, and the pitching
of the boat became so violent that when she found herself bound to
one of the seats she was conscious of little but a longing to be
allowed to go to the bottom in peace, except that some great cause--
she could hardly in her bewildered wretchedness recollect what--
forbade her to die till her mission was over.

There were loud peremptory orders, oaths, sea phrases, in French and
English, sometimes in that unknown tongue. Something expressed that
a light was directing to a landing-place, but reaching it was
doubtful.

"Unbind her eyes," said a voice; "let her shift for herself."

"Better not."

There followed a fresh upheaval, as if the boat were perpendicular;
a sudden sinking, some one fell over and bruised her; another
frightful rising and falling, then smoothness; the rope that held
her fast undone; the keel grating; hands apparently dragging up the
boat. She was lifted out like a doll, carried apparently through
water over shingle. Light again made itself visible; she was in a
house, set down on a chair, in the warmth of fire, amid a buzz of
voices, which lulled as the bandage was untied and removed. Her
eyes were so dazzled, her head so giddy, her senses so faint, that
everything swam round her, and there that strange vision recurred.
Peregrine Oakshott was before her. She closed her eyes again, as
she lay back in the chair.

"Take this; you will be better." A glass was at her lips, and she
swallowed some hot drink, which revived her so that she op