islands.

Whatever he did, however his thoughts might be occupied, it was never
long before they veered round to the subject that was rapidly becoming
the one subject of absorbing interest to him. Before he realized what he
did, his mind was confirmed in its habit; at morn, and at noontime, and
at night, he found himself thinking of Madame Le Maitre. The lady he was
in love with was the youthful, adventurous maiden who, it seemed, did
not exist; the lady that he was always thinking of was the grave,
subdued, self-sacrificing woman who in some way, he knew not how,
carried the mystery of the other's existence within herself. His mind
was full of almost nothing but questions concerning her, for, admire and
respect her as he might, he thought there was nothing in him that
responded with anything like love to her grave demeanour and burdened
spirit.

CHAPTER XIV.

THE MARRIAGE SCENE.

By riding across the small lagoon that lay beside Cloud Island to the
inward side of the bay, and then eastward some twelve miles toward an
island that was little frequented, the last of the chain on this horn of
the crescent, one came under the highest and boldest facade of cliffs
that was to be found in all that group. It was here that Caius chanced
to wander one calm mild day in early March, mild because the thermometer
stood at less than 30 deg. below the freezing point, and a light vault of
pearly cloud shut in the earth from the heaven, and seemed, by way of
contrast with other days, to keep it warm. He had ridden far, following
out of aimless curiosity the track that had been beaten on the side of
the bay to this farthest island. It was a new road for him; he had never
attempted it before; and no sooner had he got within good sight of the
land, than his interest was wholly attracted by the cliffs, which,
shelving somewhat outward at the top, and having all their sides very
steep and smooth, were, except for a few crevices of ice, or an outward
hanging icicle, or here and there a fringe of icicles, entirely free
from snow and ice. He rode up under them wonderingly, pleased to feast
his eyes upon the natural colour of rock and earth, and eager, with
what knowledge of geology he had, to read the story they told.

This story, as far as the history of the earth was concerned, was soon
told; the cliffs were of gray carboniferous limestone. Caius became
interested in the beauty of their colouring. Blue and red clay had
washed dow