“Really, Siegmund, the sea is not so anxious to take us,” she said ironically. When they rounded the first point, they found themselves in a small bay jutted out to sea; the front of the headland was, as usual, grooved. This bay was pure white at the base, from its great heaped mass of shingle. With the huge concave of the cliff behind, the foothold of massed white boulders, and the immense arc of the sea in front, Helena was delighted. “This is fine, Siegmund!” she said, halting and facing west. Smiling ironically, he sat down on a boulder. They were quite alone, in this great white niche thrust out to sea. Here, he could see, the tide would beat the base of the wall. It came plunging not far from their feet. “Would you really like to travel beyond the end?” he asked. She looked round quickly, thrilled, then answered as if in rebuke: “This is a fine place. I should like to stay here an hour.” “And then where?” “Then? Oh, then, I suppose, it would be tea-time.” “Tea on brine and pink anemones, with Daddy Neptune.” She looked sharply at the outjutting capes. The sea did foam perilously near their bases. “I suppose it _is_ rather risky,” she said; and she turned, began silently to clamber forwards. He followed; she should set the pace. “I have no doubt there’s plenty of room, really,” he said. “The sea only looks near.” But she toiled on intently. Now it was a question of danger, not of inconvenience, Siegmund felt elated. The waves foamed up, as it seemed, against the exposed headland, from which the massive shingle had been swept back. Supposing they could not get by? He began to smile curiously. He became aware of the tremendous noise of waters, of the slight shudder of the shingle when a wave struck it, and he always laughed to himself. Helena laboured on in silence; he kept just behind her. The point seemed near, but it took longer than they thought. They had against them the tremendous cliff, the enormous weight of shingle, and the swinging sea. The waves struck louder, booming fearfully; wind, sweeping round the corner, wet their faces. Siegmund hoped they were cut off, and hoped anxiously the way was clear. The smile became set on his face.