But never tor a moment did her good sense
leave her. When she was nearly waist-high she stopped and turned
round, gazing at me as I tore through the shallow water--gazing with
a wistful, curious look that her face would have worn had we been
playing.
To get round the Point and pull Winifred round was no slight task,
for the water was nearly up to my breast, and a woman's clothing
seems designed for drowning her. Any other woman than Winifred
_would_ have been drowned, and would have drowned me with her. But in
straits of this kind the only safety lies in courage.
'What a night's adventures!' said Winifred, after we had turned the
Point, and were walking through the shallow water towards the
gangway.
We hurried towards the cottage as fast as our wet clothes would
permit. On reaching it we found the door unlocked, and entered.
'Father has again gone to bed,' said Winifred, 'and left no candle
burning for me.'
And without seeing her face, I knew by the tremor of the hand I
clasped that she was listening with shame for the drunken snore that
she would never hear again.
Pages:
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216