Jeanne of the Marshes

  CHAPTER XVIII

  The storm died away with the coming of evening, but a great sea stillbroke upon the island beach and floated up the estuary. Andrew stoodoutside his door and looked across toward the mainland with a perplexedfrown. It was barely a hundred yards crossing, but it was certain thatno boat could live for half the distance. Jeanne, who had recovered herspirits, stood by his side, and smiled as she saw the white crestedwaves come rolling up.

  "It is beautiful, this," she declared. "Do you not love to feel thespray on your cheeks, Mr. Andrew? And how salt it smells, and fresh!"

  "That is all very well," Andrew answered, "but I am wondering how weare going to get over to the other side there."

  "I do not think," she answered, "that it will be possible for a long,long time. You will have to take me as a lodger whether you want to ornot. I would not trust myself in a boat even with you, upon a sea likethat."

  "It will be high tide in half an hour," Andrew said, "and the sea willgo down fast enough then."

  "It may not," she answered hopefully. "I rather believe that there isanother storm blowing up."

  "There will be no dinner for you," he warned her.

  "That I can endure cheerfully," she declared. "I am sick of dinners. Ihate them. They come much too soon, and one has always the same thingsto eat. I am quite sure that I shall dine quite nicely with you, Mr.Andrew."

  He glanced at his watch and looked out seaward. It was even as she hadsaid. There were indications of another storm. Even while they stoodthere the large raindrops fell.

  "We had better go in," Andrew said. "It is going to rain again."

  She clapped her hands, and danced lightly back into the house. Shesubsided into his easy chair and clasped her hands over her head.

  "Come and stand there on the hearthrug," she demanded, "and tell mestories--stories of fishing adventures and storms, and things that havehappened to yourself. Never mind how ordinary they may seem. I want tohear them. Remember that everything is new to me. Everything isinteresting." He accepted the inevitable at last, and they talked untilthe twilight filled the room. It was strange how much and yet howlittle she knew. The fascination of her worldly ignorance was a thingwhich grew continually upon him. Suddenly she burst into a little pealof laughter.

  "I was wondering," she remarked, "whether they are waiting dinner forme. I can just imagine how frightened they all are."

  "I had forgotten all about them," Andrew confessed. "Wait a moment."

  He left the room and walked out on to the beach. The sea was stilldashing its spray high over the roof of the little cottage. The stonesoutside were wet to within a few feet of his door. He looked acrosstoward the mainland. Far away he fancied that he could see men carryinglanterns like will-o'-the-wisps, in that part of the marshes near theHall. He retraced his steps to the sitting-room.

  "I am afraid," he said, "that it will not be possible to take you backto-night. The sea is still too rough for my boat, and shows no sign ofgoing down."

  She clapped her hands.

  "I am very glad," she declared frankly. "I would very much rather stayhere than go back. Shall we go and see what there is for dinner? I cancook quite well. I learnt at the convent, but I have never had a chanceto really try what I can do."

  He smiled.

  "Well," he said, "you can do exactly what you like with the contents ofmy larder, but so far as I am concerned, I must go."

  "Go?" she repeated wonderingly. "If I cannot leave the island, surelyyou cannot!"

  "Yes!" he answered. "There is another way. I am going to swim over tothe mainland and let them know at the Hall where you are."

  She was suddenly serious, serious as well as disappointed.

  "You must not," she declared. "It is too dangerous. I will not have youtry it. You must stay here with me. I am not used to being left alone.I should be very lonely indeed. You must please not think of going."

  "Miss Jeanne," he said quietly, "there are many things which you do notknow, and you must let me tell you this, that it is not possible for meto keep you here as my guest until to-morrow. You cannot leave theisland, so I am going to. I can assure you that it is nothing whateverof a swim, and I shall get to the other side quite easily. Then I amgoing down to the village to get some dry clothes, and I shall go up tothe Hall and talk to your stepmother."

  "If you make me go back," she declared, "I shall run away the firsttime I have an opportunity, and if you will not have me, I dare say Ican find some one else who has a room to let, who will."

  "I am not your keeper," he answered, "but please don't do anything rashuntil I tell you what your stepmother says."

  "It is you who are rash," she declared. "I do not think that I can letyou go. I am afraid, and the water looks so cruel to-night."

  He laughed as he stepped outside.

  "I am going round to leave some orders with Mr. Berners' servant," hesaid, "and after that I am going. You must ring for anything you want,and the man will show you your room if you want to lie down. I daresay, though, that some one will come from the Hall presently. The seawill be calmer in a few hours' time."

  She walked with him to the edge of the beach. When he drew off his coatand turned up his sleeves she trembled with anxiety.

  "Oh, I am afraid," she muttered. "I don't like your going in. I don'tlike your doing this. I am sorry that I ever came."

  He laughed a little scornfully, and plunged in. She watched his headappear and disappear, her heart beating fast all the time. Once shelost sight of it altogether and screamed. Almost immediately he came upto the surface again, and turning round waved his hand to her.

  "I am all right," he sang out. "Going strong. It's quite easy."

  A few minutes later she saw him wading, and directly afterwards hestood upon the sands opposite to her. He waved his hand. She put herfingers to her lips and threw him a kiss. He pretended not to notice,and started off toward the village, and her low laugh came floating tohim in a momentary lull of the wind.

  Half-way across the marshes he changed his course, clambered up a highbank on to the road, and turned toward the Hall. Barer than ever thegreat gaunt building seemed to stand out against the sky line, but fromevery window lights were flashing, and the windows of the dining-roomseemed to reflect a perfect blaze of light. Andrew made his way to theback entrance, and entering unobserved, made his way up to his own room.

  * * * * *

  Dinner was over, and the little party of three were settling down totheir coffee and cigarettes when the Princess' maid came down andwhispered in her mistress' ear. The Princess turned to her hostperplexed.

  "Has any one seen anything of Jeanne?" she inquired. "Reynolds has justtold me that she has not returned at all."

  "I thought you said that she was lying down with a headache," Cecilinterposed eagerly.

  "I thought so myself," the Princess answered. "Early this afternoon shetold me that she had no sleep last night, that she had a very badheadache, and that she was going to bed. As a matter of fact she wentout almost at once, and has not returned." Cecil was already on his wayto the door.

  "We will send out into the village at once," he said, "and some onemust go on the marshes. There are plenty of places there where it wouldhave been absolutely unsafe for her in such a storm as we have had.Ring the bell, Forrest, will you?"

  Andrew stepped in and closed the door behind him.

  "It is not necessary," he said. "I can tell you all about Miss LeMesurier."