"You are sure it is not dislocated—broken?"
"O no; it is merely a sprain. How long shall we have to remain here?" she added.
This was a question that Idris himself had been considering. It appeared that Mademoiselle Rivière, on setting out for her walk, had not told any one of the direction she had intended to take: Idris had been similarly negligent. Hence it was very unlikely that men from Ormsby would come cruising along the shore in boats to search for them. To scale the precipice was out of the question. To shout for aid would be of little avail, for as the cliff above them was lofty, and the highroad ran a considerable distance from its edge, there was little probability that their voices would be heard. Their position rendered it impossible to make any signals that would be visible at Ormsby, that town being situated just behind the cliff that formed one extremity of the bay.
"I fear," said Idris, after considering all these things, "that our captivity is dependent upon the good graces of the tide."
"And the tide will be several hours in turning," said Mademoiselle Rivière. "Well, I suppose I must play the philosopher, and accept the situation. It is certainly better to be here than under the waves."
If her beauty charmed Idris, her manner, pleasant and without affectation, charmed him still more.
So interested had he been in her companionship that he had hitherto failed to notice that the face of the overhanging cliff was pierced by a deep cavern, the mouth of which was on a level with the top of their rocky platform.
"What is this?" he said, stepping forward to take a closer view. "A cave, as I live. A coast-guard's place for watching smugglers, I suppose."
"That must be the 'Hermit's Cave,'" said Mademoiselle Rivière, turning her eyes upon it, "so named from an ancient recluse who is said to have made it his home. I am told that the chair in which he sat is still to be seen, cut out of the solid rock."
"Excellent! You must occupy that seat, mademoiselle. It will be more pleasant there than sitting out here upon this slippery windy rock."