"Then they must have gone past, for they are nowhere to be seen." "Perhaps they wanted to hurry to be before the tide." "Yes; I suppose that must be it," replied Nick, doubtfully. "Still, I don't know that it matters. We should not have troubled at all if we hadn't thought it might be Naomi." "No; where can she be, I wonder?" "She's a strange girl, Nick. She doesn't seem to feel happy at Pennington, neither does she make friends with Emily. She's always roaming among the woods or along the beach. I shouldn't wonder at all if she hasn't lost herself among the woods. You must be careful, my lad." "Oh, it's all right, there's no danger. I say, do you know that Jacob Buddie told me he believed he saw Jasper Pennington in the lane outside Betsey Fraddam's house last night?" "I don't believe it; we've got rid of him effectually. But we must hurry on, Nick, we've just time to get to Granfer Fraddam's path before the tide gets in." "Yes, it's a good way on. Isn't Granfer Fraddam's Cave here somewhere?" "I've my doubts whether there is such a place. There may have been such a cave in the old man's time, but lots of ground has fallen in during the past fifty years. Anyhow, I've often searched along the coast and could never find it." "But it's around here that the noises have been heard. You know people say it's haunted by the old man's ghost." "Well, I've never been able to find it." They hurried on, and I gave a sigh of relief. "Are they gone?" asked Naomi. "Yes, they are gone; they don't know anything. It will take them a long while to get home. It's a long way to Pennington by Granfer Fraddam's path. The cliff is steep, too." "But I must go now," she said, anxiously. "You shall get home before they can," I said, eagerly. "I will take you through another opening. You will know another secret of this cave then. You see, I trust you wholly, and you will know my hiding-place almost as well as I know it myself." "But do you live here?" Then I told her what I had to do, and how Eli Fraddam brought food to me, and how when winter came I should have to make other plans. She listened quietly, and said no word, but allowed me to lead her up the cave until we reached the copse of which I have spoken. We were still hidden from sight, for the bushes grew thick, and the trees were large and had abundant foliage. She held out her hand to say good-bye. "I shall remember your kindness," she said. "And do not think too hardly about me," I pleaded, "remember what I have had to suffer." "I shall think of you very kindly," was her response; "not that it matters to you," she added. "We are strangers, most probably we shall never meet again, and the opinion of a stranger cannot help you." "It is more than you can think," I answered, eagerly. "When I saw that look of sympathy on your face when I stood in the pillory at Falmouth it made everything easier to bear. Besides, you say you will stay at Pennington, and I look upon Pennington as my home."