"This is no time for interference," cried Madelaine, with a flush of excitement, and she caught hold of an oar. "Louie dear, quick!" The other oar was resigned, and as Leslie passed aft, he gave Louise one quick look, reading in her face, as he believed, trust and thankfulness and then dread. "No, no, Mr Leslie, I hardly dare let you go," she faltered. _Plash_! The boat was rolling and dancing on the surface, relieved of another burden, and Duncan Leslie was swimming toward the opening. The two girls dipped their oars from time to time, for their sea-side life had given them plenty of experience of the management of a boat; and as Pradelle sat looking sulky and ill-used, they watched the swimmer as he too timed his movements, so that he gradually approached, and then in turn was sucked right into the weird water-way, which might lead another into some terrible chasm from which there was no return. A low hoarse sigh, as if one had whispered while suffering pain the word "Hah!" and then with dilated eyes the two girls sat watching the black opening for what seemed a terrible interval of time, before, to their intense relief, there came a shout of laughter, followed by the appearance of Leslie, who swam out looking stern, and closely followed by Harry. "It is not the sort of fun I can appreciate, Miss Vine," said Leslie, turning as he reached the stern of the boat. "Well, I know that," cried Harry mockingly. "Scotchmen never can appreciate a joke." "There, ladies, what did I tell you?" cried Pradelle triumphantly. There was no reply, and the visitor from London winced, for his presence in the boat seemed to be thoroughly _de trop_. "Miss Vine--Miss Van Heldre," said Leslie quietly, "will you change places now? Get right aft, and we will climb in over the bows." "But the boat?" faltered Louise, whose emotion was so great that she could hardly trust herself to speak. "We'll see to that," said Leslie. "Your brother and I will row back." It did not seem to trouble him now that the two girls took their places, one on either side of Pradelle, while as soon as they were seated he climbed in streaming with water, seating himself on the gunwale, Harry climbing in on the other side. "Harry, how could you?" cried Louise, now, with an indignant look. "Easily enough," he said, seating himself calmly. "Thought you'd lost me?" He looked at Madelaine as he spoke, but she turned her face away, biting her lips, and it was Louise who replied, "I did not think you could have been so cruel." "Cruel be hanged!" he retorted. "Thought I'd find out whether I was of any consequence after all. You people seem to say I'm of none. Did they begin to cry, Vic?" "Oh, I'm not going to tell tales," said Pradelle with a smile. "I should have had a pipe in there, only my matches had got wet." "Ha-ha-ha!" laughed Pradelle, and the mirth sounded strange there beneath the rocks, and a very decided hiss seemed to come from out of the low rugged opening.