suppose," replied
Morris.

By now the sail was up, the boat was drawing ahead, and he was seated at
her side holding the tiller.

"Why did you go down into the saloon, Miss Fregelius?" he asked
presently.

She glanced at herself, and now, for the first time, he noticed that she
wore a dress beneath her red cloak, and that there were slippers on her
feet, which had been bare.

"I could not come into the boat as I was," she explained, dropping her
eyes. "The costume which is good enough to be drowned in is not fitted
for company. My cabin was well forward, and I guessed that by wading I
could reach it. Also, I had some trinkets and one or two books I did not
wish to lose," and she nodded at the hand-bag which she had thrown into
the boat.

Morris smiled. "It is very nice of you to pay so much respect to
appearances," he said; "but I suppose you forgot that the vessel might
come off the rocks at any moment and crush me, who was waiting."

"Oh, no," she answered; "I thought of it. I have always been accustomed
to the sea, and know about such things."

"And still you went for your dress and your trinkets?"

"Yes, because I was certain that it wouldn't happen and that no harm
would come to either of us by waiting a few minutes."

"Indeed, and who told you that?"

"I don't know, but from the moment that I saw you in the boat I was
certain that the danger was done with--at least, the immediate danger,"
she added.

CHAPTER IX

MISS FREGELIUS

While Miss Fregelius was speaking, Morris had been staring at the sail,
which, after drawing for a time in an indifferent fashion, had begun to
flap aimlessly.

"What is the matter?" asked his companion. "Has the wind veered again?"

He nodded. "Dead from the west, now, and rising fast. I hope that your
spirit of prophecy still speaks smooth things, for, upon my word, I
believe we are both of us in a worse mess than ever."

"Can't we row ashore? It is only a few miles, is it?"

"We can try, but I am afraid we are in for a regular tearer. We get them
sometimes on this coast after a spell of calm weather."

"Please give me an oar," she said. "I am used to rowing--of a sort."

So he let down the sail, and they began to row. For ten minutes or so
they struggled against the ever-rising gale. Then Morris called to her
to ship oars.

"It is no use exhausting ourselves, Miss Fregelius," he said, "for now
the tide is on the ebb, and dead against us, as well as the wind