Slowly, reluctantly, she came back from her Elysium. She descended to earth and faced again the difficulties of the way.
She opened her eyes upon the yacht still running seawards, and decided that they must turn. She wondered if Hunt-Goring had regained his self-control, if he were ashamed of himself, if possibly he might bring himself to apologize, and what she should say to him if he did. Her heart felt very full. She knew she could not be very severe with him if he were really repentant.
Then she remembered Violet,—her friend….
CHAPTER XX
THE SEARCH
For the third time Nick looked at his watch. It was nearly one. He jumped to his feet with a grimace.
"What on earth are those girls up to?"
Rapidly he locked drawer after drawer of his writing-table, gathered up a sheaf of papers, and turned to go.
The library at Redlands overlooked a wide lawn that led through shrubberies to the edge of the cliff, up the face of which had been cut a winding path. He paused a moment considering this. Would they return from the shore by that way? If so, he would miss them if he went in search of them by the drive.
Impatiently he turned back towards the window, and in that moment he caught sight of a flying figure crossing the lawn,—Olga, with a white, strained face, hatless, dishevelled, gasping.