“Yes,” she answered.

I hardly heard that yes, but I felt it in her breath and all through her. We held each other fiercely.

An hour later I kissed Eva good-bye and went away. At the door I meet Herr Mack.

Herr Mack himself.

He started—stared into the house—stopped there on the doorstep, staring in. “Ho!” said he, and could say no more; he seemed thrown altogether off his balance.

“You did not expect to find me here,” I said, raising my cap.

Eva did not move.

Herr Mack regained his composure; a curious confidence appeared in his manner, and he answered:

“You are mistaken: I came on purpose to find you. I wish to point out to you that from the 1st of April it is forbidden to fire a shot within half a mile of the bird-cliffs. You shot two birds out at the island to-day; you were seen doing so.”

“I shot two guillemots,” I said helplessly. I saw at once that the man was in the right.