"Maybe. But I think these things are older than the ships.... Why--the place is thick with them," as they wandered on. "There must be scores of them, and more still underneath the ridges, no doubt.... There was no lack of life here at one time evidently----" "And death!" "Yes, and death without a doubt. A good thing for us, perhaps, that customers such as these don't frequent it now." "I'm glad we live at the other end. You haven't found any bones there, have you?" "Not a bone! They're not very cheerful company. Let us hope the next gale will cover them up again." Further on, in another trench, they found one side of a boat, mouldered almost into the similitude of the sand in which it had been embedded for very many years. And, further along still, Wulf thought he could make out the stark ribs of ships like those on the outer banks at their own end of the island. But they were very far away and held out no inducement to closer investigation, and Avice had had enough of such things for the time being. There were spells of bad weather, when, for days at a time, they scarcely ventured out except to get in wood or fetch water from the pools, which always meant a thorough soaking. But they were completely happy in one another's company, and ever more grateful for the Providence that had cast their lot together. The days slipped by without one weary hour. Shrewder and subtler proving of hearts and temperaments could hardly be conceived. But they stood the test perfectly, never thought of it as such, found in their present estate nothing but cause for joy and deepest thankfulness. The depth and warmth of his love for her expressed itself in most devoted service and tenderest care, and hers for him in so frank and implicit a confidence that he felt it an uplifting honour to be so favoured. Indeed the man who could have betrayed so great a trust must have been lowest of the low and basest of his kind. "I can't help wondering sometimes whether we would have felt like this to one another if we had met in an ordinary way, outside there," she said musingly, one night, as she lay in the hollow of his arm, watching the coloured flames. "Yes," he said emphatically. "For you laid hold of my heart as soon as I set eyes on you. It got tangled first in the meshes of your hair, and in your long eyelashes, and the thing I wanted most was to see what your eyes were like. They were wells of mystery." "And--they were right?" she laughed softly. "They were exactly right and just what I had hoped. Large and dark and eloquent and tender and true and----" "Dear! dear! If I had known such an inquisition was going I should have been afraid to open them." "Ah, you didn't know me, you see." "I didn't know you, but I knew I was all right as soon as I saw you. I knew I could trust you.... How strange and wonderful it all was!" LV