"No. Better let me see him by himself. You can talk it over together afterwards. I hope this won't make any difference between you two, Jack." "One of us has got to put up with disappointment some time," said Jack steadily. "But we'll just have to stand it." Eager tramped away along the rim of the tidal sand, well pleased with Jack's reasonable acceptance of the situation. Jim, he felt sure, would be no less sensible, and matters would run on smoothly; and so Time, the great Solver of Problems, would be given the opportunity of working out this one also. Deeply pondering the whole matter, and letting his thoughts wander back along the years, he tramped on almost forgetful of the actual reason for his coming. It was not till a gleam of light amid the sand-hills on his left told him he had got to Seth Rimmer's cottage, that he knew how far he had come. Jim might have called there, so he rapped on the door and went in. "Ech, Mr. Eager! It's good o' you to come and see an owd woman like this," said Mrs. Rimmer from the bed. "It's always a pleasure to see you, Mrs. Rimmer. You're one of the ones that it does one good to see." "It's very good o' yo'." "But I came really to look for Jim Carron. They told me he had come down this way, and I thought he might have called in to see you." "No. I havena seen owt of him." "And you're all alone? Where's everybody?" "Th' mester's at his work--God keep him; it's a bad, black night!--and Seth--he's away." "And where's my friend Kattie? She ought not to leave you all alone like this." "Ech, I'm used to it. 'Oo's always slipping out. I dunnot know who----" she began, with a quite unusual fretfulness, which showed him she had been worrying over it. And then the door opened and Kattie came in, ruffled somewhat with the south-west wind, which had whipped the colour into her face. With a bit of cherry ribbon at her throat, and another bit in her hair, and her eyes sparkling in the lamplight, she looked uncommonly pretty. "How they all grow up!" thought Eager to himself. "Here's another who will set the village boys by the ears; and it seems no time since she was a child running about with scarce a rag to her back!" "Mr. Eager?" said Kattie in surprise. "I came to find Jim Carron, Kattie. I suppose you haven't seen him about anywhere?" "I saw some one walking up along," said Kattie, "but it was too dark to see who it was." "Jim, I'll be bound. Good night, Mrs. Rimmer! Good night, Kattie! I'll be in again in a day or two." And he set off in haste the way he had come. A few minutes' quick walking showed him a dim figure strolling along the higher causeway of dried seaweed and drift, and kicking it up disconsolately at times, just as he used to do as a boy when seeking treasure. "That you, Jim?" And the figure stopped. "Hello!--what--you, Mr. Eager?" "Just me. I came to look for you. Kattie told me you'd come on----" "Kattie?"