: "Sorry,
detained for the night, back to-morrow." Surely Megan would understand
that he had too much to do; and his heart grew lighter. It was a lovely
afternoon, warm, the sea calm and blue, and swimming his great passion;
the favour of these pretty children flattered him, the pleasure of
looking at them, at Stella, at Halliday's sunny face; the slight
unreality, yet extreme naturalness of it all--as of a last peep at
normality before he took this plunge with Megan! He got his borrowed
bathing dress, and they all set forth. Halliday and he undressed behind
one rock, the three girls behind another. He was first into the sea,
and at once swam out with the bravado of justifying his self-given
reputation. When he turned he could see Halliday swimming along shore,
and the girls flopping and dipping, and riding the little waves, in the
way he was accustomed to despise, but now thought pretty and sensible,
since it gave him the distinction of the only deep-water fish. But
drawing near, he wondered if they would like him, a stranger, to come
into their splashing group; he felt shy, approaching that slim nymph.
Then Sabina summoned him to teach her to float, and between them the
little girls kept him so busy that he had no time even to notice whether
Stella was accustomed to his presence, till suddenly he heard a startled
sound from her: She was standing submerged to the waist, leaning a
little forward, her slim white arms stretched out and pointing, her wet
face puckered by the sun and an expression of fear.

"Look at Phil! Is he all right? Oh, look!"

Ashurst saw at once that Phil was not all right. He was splashing and
struggling out of his depth, perhaps a hundred yards away; suddenly
he gave a cry, threw up his arms, and went down. Ashurst saw the girl
launch herself towards him, and crying out: "Go back, Stella! Go back!"
he dashed out. He had never swum so fast, and reached Halliday just as
he was coming up a second time. It was a case of cramp, but to get him
in was not difficult, for he did not struggle. The girl, who had stopped
where Ashurst told her to, helped as soon as he was in his depth, and
once on the beach they sat down one on each side of him to rub his
limbs, while the little ones stood by with scared faces. Halliday was
soon smiling. It was--he said--rotten of him, absolutely rotten! If
Frank would give him an arm, he could get to his clothes all right now.
Ashurst gave him the arm, and as he did so caug