e wailed. "They are
silver-gilt--and presents. Four fine large hat-pins."

Then, seeing that several people were laughing, she grew angry.

"And you call yourselves _men_, and Frenchmen! Can none of you swim?
Why do you stand there mocking?"

"It is such an ugly hat," an Englishman murmured near Barbara. "It
would be a sin to save such an inartistic creation."

"But she will get another just as bad," Barbara said, with dancing
eyes. "And--it is her best one!"

"Cowards!" mademoiselle cried again, leaning futilely over the quay.
"I tell you, it is not only the hat, but the hat-pins. Oh! to see it
drown before my eyes, and none brave enough to bring it back!"

This piece of rhetoric seemed to move one French youth, who slowly
began to unlace his boots, though with what object one could not be
quite sure.

"It is such a particularly ugly hat," the Englishman continued
critically. "Those great roses like staring eyes on each side, with no
regard for colour or anything else."

"But the colour won't be nearly so bright after this bath," Barbara
suggested; then added persuasively, "And really, you know, she took a
long time over it. Couldn't you reach it easily from that boat--the
ferry is so near now, and it would drive her distracted to see the
roses churned up by the paddle-wheels."

The Englishman looked from the agitated Frenchwoman to the blots of
colour on the water, that were becoming pale and shapeless; then he
moved lazily towards the boat. Just as he was getting into it he
looked back at Barbara.

"She won't embrace me--will she?" he asked. "If so----"

"Oh, no," Barbara assured him. "Hand it up to her on the end of the
oar."

"Well," he said, unshipping one, "it is against my conscience to save
anything so hideous. But the fault lies with you, and as you will
probably go on seeing it, you will have punishment enough."

A few minutes later Mademoiselle Therese received the sodden hat with
rapture, anxiously counting over the hat-pins, while the French youth,
with some relief, laced up his boot again.

"How noble!" mademoiselle exclaimed. "How kind! Your countryman too,
Miss Barbara! Where is he that I may thank him?"

"If you linger you will miss the ferry," Barbara interposed. "See,
here it is, mademoiselle," and her companion reluctantly turned from
the pursuit of the stranger to go on board, clasping her hat in
triumph. Barbara thought, as she followed her, that if the fastidio