"They cannot see us here," she said, questioningly, "neither can they find us?"
"Not unless they know the cave," I replied.
"Oh, I hope not," was her response, and although Tresidder was her guardian and Pennington was her home, it did not feel strange at that moment that she should be hiding with me, who was being sought for by the minions of the law.
The sea was by this time getting nearer the foot of the cliff, and there was now only twenty feet of shingle between water and land. So I stood and watched, but I could not as yet see them, for the promontory, behind which we had first hidden, stood between us and them.
"Do you see them?"
"Not yet," I replied, "they have had scarcely time to get here yet, but I think they will soon be here."
As I spoke I looked on her face, the most beauteous I had ever seen, and when I remembered what she had done to shield me my love grew more fervent. For I had no claim on her, who was a stranger, save that I had carried her to the shore, which of course was nothing. By that I mean to say it was nothing for which she should serve me; rather it was I who owed gratitude to her, for my joy at serving her made my heart leap in my bosom, until I could even then have sung aloud for gladness.
"Are they coming?" she asked again, presently.
"Yes, they are close to us," I replied, for at that moment they had passed the rock by which we had at first stood.