most persons wore at Perran in the summer. Robert took off his cap. "Oh, Mr. Trevanion, I am so glad to see you. You must have thought me such a queer creature. I have not half thanked you. But what could I do? I couldn't write, and I couldn't call, and I thought you would not like a noise being made about it. Yet you saved me from being drowned." "It was nothing, Miss Shipton," said Robert, smiling. "You were in the ebb there, and I pulled you out of it--just twenty yards, that was all. I hope you haven't told anybody." "No; as I have said, I thought you wouldn't like it; but nevertheless, although it is all very well for you to talk in that way, I owe you my life." "Are you going any farther?" "Just a few steps till my hair is dry." He turned and walked by her side. "You see that the buoys are beyond where the channel really begins. I once tried to swim round two of them, but it was as much as ever I could do to get back. If I were you, I would give them a wide berth again; but if you should be caught, go on and do what we did yesterday--try to turn off into the back-stream just inside the point." "You may be sure I shall never go near them any more." "Unless you happen to see me," said Robert, his face flushed with his happy thought, "and then you will give me the pleasure of coming after you." She looked at him, shifted her parasol, and laughed a little. "Pleasure! really, Mr. Trevanion, were you not very much frightened?" "Not for myself, except just for an instant." "Oh, I was awfully frightened! I thought I must give up. I never, never shall forget that moment when you laid hold of me." "But you have been in the water again this morning." "Oh, yes! I do enjoy it so, and of course I did not go far. That stupid bathing-man, by the way, ought to have looked out yesterday. He might have come in the boat and have saved you a wetting. I believe he was asleep." "He is old, and I am very, very glad he did not see you. Aren't you tired? Would you not like to sit down a moment before we go back?" They sat down on one of the rocks near the edge of the water. "You are a very good swimmer, Mr. Trevanion." "No, not very; and yesterday I was particularly bad, for a kind of faintness came over me just before I reached you, and I thought I was done for." "Dear me! how dreadful! How did you conquer it?" "Merely by saying to myself I would not give in, and I struggled with it for a minute and then it disappeared." "How strong you must be! I am sure I could not do that." "Ah! there was something else, Miss Shipton. You see, I had you ahead of me, and I thought I could be of some service to you."