e it was not safe to speak to her about the
captain. Her temper, when the hours of her love-making were over for the
day, was extremely bad. Even Hannah, who was a match for most women in
the use of her tongue, shrank from the sharp gibes of the Comtesse. Una
tried in vain to soothe the ruffled lady, and had to bear much from her,
but Una could have borne anything patiently. The east wind blew gently
day and night, bringing--surely bringing--the white sails of the brig.
The sea remained calm and she was able to go twice more to the cave. She
saw the yeomen spread over the country, searching everywhere, through
fields and hills and along the river banks, by the shore, among the
rocks, over the Causeway cliffs, through the sandhills, the ruins of
Dunluce, among the white cliffs of Port-rush Strand, at high tide and
low tide, everywhere except the one place--the nook where Una bathed.
Estelle de Tourneville secured that spot from the searchers' gaze. No
man dared go there. Una could forgive the worst of tempers to the woman
who purchased such security. And the Comtesse was excusable. Doubtless,
she paid a heavy price for a delicately-nurtured and fastidious lady. No
one ever knew what she endured. Neither to Una nor any one else did she
tell at the time or afterwards the details of the captain's courtship.

At last, one evening after dusk, Maurice rode in from Ballycastle.
He brought glorious news. Captain Getty was on his way. He might be
expected off the coast the next day. Maurice had left the brig at the
quay at Greenock ready to sail. Next morning he was up early. He took
bread and meat and went alone to Pleaskin Head, carrying his father's
long telescope with him. All morning he lay on the edge of the cliff
peering eastward across the sea. He was strangely nervous now that the
critical moment had arrived. He understood that the coast was being
carefully watched, that the sight of a ship lying-to a mile or two
from the shore, would certainly excite suspicion; that it might be very
difficult for him to take his boat round to the cave where Neal lay
hidden without being followed. It was absolutely necessary for him to
catch sight of the brig before any one else did, to get off from the
shore before the brig lay to, to be well on his way to her before any
other boat put out to chase him. He knew that his own movements were
watched. He was followed from the house to Pleaskin Head by two yeomen.
As he lay on the cliffs he s