"Pon my soul,' he said, 'it's very odd. I can't see them. And there's not been time for Mavis to have rowed out to sea or even to have drifted out; we can see right out ever so far, and there's no boat; not a sign of one.'

'Can-can she have landed and dragged the boat ashore somehow?' said Ruby, her teeth chattering with cold and fear.

'No,' said Bertrand, 'we'd certainly see her and the boat in that case.'

'Then, where is she?' cried Ruby.

you must care.

her?'

'Bertrand,

What do you think has become of

'Can't say, I'm sure,' said the boy. 'The boat may have capsized : the sea's awfully rough now.'

'Do you mean that Mavis may be drowned or drowning?' screamed Ruby. She had to scream, even had she been less terribly excited, for the roar of wind was on them again, and her voice was scarcely audible.

'I don't see that she need be drowned,' said Bertrand. 'It's shallow. She may have crept on shore, and be lying somewhere among those big stones; and if not, can't your precious wizard friends look after her? She's fond enough of them.'

He was partly in earnest; but Ruby took it all as cruel heartless mocking. She turned upon him furiously.

'You're a brutal wicked boy,' she screamed. ‘I wish you were drowned; I wish you had never come near us; I wish she stopped, choked by her fury and misery, and by the wind which came tearing round again.

Bertrand came close to her.

'As you're so busy wishing,' he called into her ear, 'you'd better wish you hadn't done what you have done yourself. It was all you who started the plan, and settled how we were to trick Winfried into the turret-room; you know you did.'

'And did I plan to drown Mavis, my own darling little sister?' returned Ruby as well as she could speak between her sobs and breathlessness. Come down

to the shore with me this moment and help me to look for her, if you're not altogether a cruel heartless bully.'

'Not I,' said Bertrand, 'we'd probably get drowned ourselves. Just see how the waves come leaping in; they look as if they were alive. I believe it's all witches' work together. I'm not going to trust myself down there. Come and show me the grottoes

and the caves, Ruby. We may as well shelter in them till the wind goes down a bit. We can't do Mavis any good; if she's on the shore she can take care of herself, and if she's under the water we can't reach her;' and he caught hold of Ruby to pull her along, but she tore herself from his grasp with a wrench.

'You wicked, you heartless, brutal boy,' she cried. 'I don't care if I am drowned; I would rather be drowned with Mavis than stay alive with you.'

And almost before Bertrand knew what she was doing, Ruby was rushing through the little garden at the back of the cottage on her way to descend the rough path to the shore.

He stood looking after her coolly for a moment or two with his hands in his pockets. He tried to whistle, but it was not very successful; the wind had the best of it.

'I don't believe Mavis has come to any harm,' he said aloud, though speaking to himself, and almost as if trying to excuse his own conduct. Anyway, I don't see that it's my business to look after her, it was all her own obstinacy.'

He kicked roughly at the pebbles at his feet, and as he did so, his glance fell on a tiny speck of colour