"The great sailor Collingwood was martyr to _mal de mer_. Yes, dear, one must comfort oneself with such examples. And really," added Miss Chance with a touch of very earnest feeling, "I feel rather thankful that, unlike them, my duty does not oblige me to pursue the experiment. My work lies on land, and I think I shall remain on terra firma in future." "Shan’t you try sailing any more then?" asked Pamela in rather an innocent voice. "No, dear, I think not," answered Miss Chance with fervour. "But where is _Messenger_?" went on Pam, "I can see they dropped you at the Ramsworthy Cove, but what are they doing? Coming home, or going back?" "They’ll come home if they can," informed Hughie, speaking for the first time; "but Addie thought the tide mightn’t last out. If it doesn’t, I’m to tell Mum not to bother, because they’ll just run back to the harbour and anchor inside the bar. It would be ripping. I wish I could have stayed." "Mother might have worried about your being on the yawl, anchored out," said Pamela. "She needn’t," said Hughie rather sorrowfully--then he went on with more vigour, "some day I shall anchor in all sorts of places. In the Nile, and in the Zambesi, and in the Lawrence, and in the Danube, and crowds besides. It’s only just waiting till then. I don’t much care." In a spirit of philosophy he lapsed into silence, opening the gate on to the Bell House lawn with an absent air. There was so much to tell Mrs. Romilly that her attention was distracted from the possible troubles of the yawl; besides, Miss Chance was so very sincere in her assurances about the calm. Pamela added that it was as safe inside the bar of Salterne river as at the bridge. "Much safer than Bell Bay." "Addie says they’ll come on the very early tide and be here by seven o’clock," Hughie repeated his message with care. "He says there is always a breeze in the very earliest morning." "Did he tell you to tell me that, darling?" asked his mother, looking into the earnest eyes that held hers. "He told me, because Miss Chance was so awfully sick that she couldn’t listen," answered Hughie. Pamela said she would go to bed when Hughie did, and as Major Fraser’s order was definite, she had the soup and went. About that part of the adventures related to her, the point most tragic, in Mrs. Romilly’s opinion, was Reuben’s injured foot. She was deeply distressed about Mrs. Ensor, and made plans for sending up in the morning--inquiries and dainties. "How fortunate we are to have such a doctor as Major Fraser resting here," she said to Miss Chance, "how thankful I am dear Pam heard the child. He might have died. I don’t know the Beak, Miss Chance, is it very steep?" The Floweret opined that it was certainly steep, she also mentioned the detail of the petticoat sling.