'Are you going to apologise for having hit a lady?' reiterated Marjorie. 'No,' replied Harry, trying desperately to free himself, and becoming aware that the other boys were nearing the door of the hut. The struggle was prolonged for a minute or two, and then, just as the boys, to Harry's unspeakable confusion, were on the point of coming in, Marjorie slowly relaxed her hold and let him go. Harry left the cottage, followed by Gerald, and seated himself on the turf dyke with his chin resting on his hands. For a long time he gazed blankly in front of him, and neither boy spoke. At last Harry began, 'I say, Gerald, do you think they saw?' 'Yes,' answered Gerald; 'I'm afraid they did.' Harry dropped his chin on his hands again and reflected. 'Do you think it was because of that that they didn't come in at first?' he queried after awhile. 'I think so,' said Gerald; 'they didn't want to have to interfere.' A long pause followed. Harry gazed seawards, absorbed in gloomy reflections. 'It was awfully stupid of you to go on teasing her,' said Gerald; 'any one could have seen that she was going to lose her temper. She's so strong too; always rowing and climbing, and doing things like a boy.' 'Don't tell the boys at school,' said Harry, after a long time; then he relapsed into silence again. Suddenly he pulled himself together, and jumped off the dyke just as Marjorie was coming out of the hut. 'Look here,' he began, planting himself in front of her, with a flush rising to his face; 'I apologise! but it's because I shouldn't have hit you and not because you held me.' 'It's all right,' said Marjorie, who was sorry that she had lost her temper; 'don't let's think of it any more but come and have tea.' The other boys tried to drown any lingering embarrassment by talking very fast, and the meal became an animated, if not a merry one. 'Hark,' said Reggie suddenly, 'what's that?' They all became silent and listened, Allan standing up. A deep rushing noise was filling the cottage, and rapidly increasing in volume. 'It's the tide-way,' said Reggie; 'we've forgotten to keep a look-out.' All trooped out of the cottage and looked at the angry current which was sweeping past both shores of the island. 'Here's a jolly go,' said Allan; 'we shan't get home to-night.' Tricksy looked frightened and Harry amazed, but Marjorie's face cleared and she jumped up and clapped her hands with glee. 'Oh, hooray, hooray,' she said; 'just what I always wanted. We'll have to spend the night in the cottage. Oh, what fun!' 'But won't Mrs. Stewart be frightened?' suggested Gerald, the thoughtful boy. 'Not she,' said Marjorie; 'she knows that we can take care of ourselves; besides, Father and Mr. Stewart made us promise that if we were surrounded by a tide-way we were not to try to come home, however long we might have to wait. It would be quite impossible for us to row across. We must make up our minds to spend the night here.'