y because the day was calm, and the open sea
smooth. Olivia stood near me; but a sort of chilly diffidence had crept
over me, and I could not have ventured to press too closely to her, or
to touch her with my hand.

"How have you been content to live here?" I asked.

"This year in Sark has saved me," she answered, softly.

"What has it saved you from?" I inquired, with intense eagerness. She
turned her face full upon me, with a world of reproach in her gray eyes.

"Dr. Martin," she said, "why will you persist in asking me about my
former life? Tardif never does. He never implies by a word or look that
he wishes to know more than I choose to tell. I cannot tell you any
thing about it."

I felt uncomfortably that she was drawing a comparison unfavorable to me
between Tardif and myself--the gentleman, who could not conquer or
conceal his desire to fathom a mystery, and the fisherman, who acted as
if there were no mystery at all. Yet Olivia appeared more grieved than
offended; and when she knew how I loved her she would admit that my
curiosity was natural. She should know, too, that I was willing to take
her as she was, with all the secrets of her former life kept from me.
Some day I would make her own I was as generous as Tardif.

Just then my ear caught for the first time a low boom-boom, which had
probably been sounding through the caves for some minutes.

"Good Heavens!" I ejaculated.

Yet a moment's thought convinced me that, though there might be a little
risk, there was no paralyzing danger. I had forgotten the narrowness of
the gully through which alone we could gain the cliffs. From the open
span of beach where we were now standing, there was no chance of leaving
the caves except as we had come to them, by a boat; for on each side a
crag ran like a spur into the water. The comparatively open space
permitted the tide to lap in quietly, and steal imperceptibly higher
upon its pebbles. But the low boom I heard was the sea rushing in
through the throat of the narrow outlet through which lay our only means
of escape. There was not a moment to lose. Without a word, I snatched up
Olivia in my arms, and ran back into the caves, making as rapidly as I
could for the long, straight passage.

Neither did Olivia speak a word or utter a cry. We found ourselves in a
low tunnel, where the water was beginning to flow in pretty strongly. I
set her down for an instant, and tore off my coat and waistcoat. Then I
caught her u