Stepping across a narrow fissure in the rocks, the gentlemen helping the ladies and children over, they could see that it widened toward the water and that the sea roared and foamed like a seething caldron about the base of the rocks, which were very steep and uneven, in many places great stones piled upon each other in a way that made them look as if it would take very little to send them toppling down into the roaring, fuming water below.
Grace clung to her father in affright. “O papa, please don’t let us go any nearer,” she said; “please hold me tight.”
“I will, my darling,” he answered soothingly. “We are in no danger here, and you can just stand and look, seeing all you need care to. Then I will take you back to mamma, over yonder where she is gathering flowers for Elsie and Ned, and you can stay with and amuse them while she comes here to take a look.”
“Yes, I’d rather be there,” she said, “for it seems so dangerous here. O papa, see! Lu is going so near the edge. I’m afraid she’ll fall in.”
“Uncle Harold has her hand,” he said; “still I do not like to see her venturing so near the edge. Lucilla,” he called, “come here, daughter.”
She turned about and came at once. “Uncle Harold was taking care of me, papa,” she said; “but oh, it does look dangerous, and I shouldn’t like to go climbing about over the rocks as Cousin Mary and Rosie are doing; at least not unless I had you to hold me, papa.”
“I shall not take you into any such dangerous place,” he said, “nor will I allow any one else to do so. Do you see that little cross there?” pointing to a small wooden one driven in the rock near by.
“Yes, sir. What is it there for?” asked Lulu.
“As a reminder of a sad accident that happened here some years ago. A party of summer visitors to this coast came out here one day as we have done and went down near the waves. Among them was a very estimable young lady, a Christian, I believe she was, a teacher too, supporting her aged parents by her industry. She was soon to be married, and with her were the parents of her intended husband.
“It seems they all went down near the waves, this young lady nearer than the others. She seated herself on the rock against which the waves dash up. Some of the others called to her that she was not in a safe place, but she replied that she thought it safe; the waves did not come up close to her, and they looked away in another direction for a moment; when they turned to look for her again she was gone from the rock, and all they could see of her was one hand held up out of the boiling waves as if in a wild appeal for help. Help which they could not give, for they had no boat and no other way of reaching her.”