THE SANDS OF GRANDE GRÈVE
"Got carried out of Grande Grève by a current, Mr. Mollet. Will you take us back in your boat?"
"Ay, ay!" and he brought the boat as near to the rock as he dared, and his weather-stained old eyes settled hypnotically on the fairest burden his old tub had ever carried, as Graeme handed her carefully down and helped her to spring into the dancing craft, and then sprang in himself with bleeding feet and shins, while Punch leaped lightly after him and crawled under a thwart.
"Ye must ha' been well out for tide to catch ye," said Billy, with no eyes for anything but the vision in clinging pink.
"Yes, we were too far out and couldn't get back."
"Tide runs round them rocks."
He dropped his oar into the rowlock and Graeme took the other, and in five minutes they were speeding across the sands of Grande Grève—Margaret to cover, Graeme to his pocket for Billy's reward.
Miss Penny had a driftwood fire roaring among the rocks, and the kettle was boiling.
"Where on earth have you two been?" she cried, at sight of Margaret skipping over the stones to her dressing-room, and got only the wave of a white arm in reply.