"And I remember when I bought the engaged ring, and how she kissed me then the first time of her own accord. "And I remember how when we were married first she clung to me, and seemed to grudge her eyes for anything but me. And I remember how I used to walk around her and about her through the streets, if anything seemed to threaten her with disturbance--a dog, or a draught, or a cab, or a----" "He suddenly threw up his face to the deep purple sky, and cried out, in a hoarse whisper: "And to-night, by God, I am not man enough to weep that she is dead! I am not man enough to wish her back again!" He looked around the water, as though he expected to see some form of temporal or eternal vengeance approaching him. As his eyes fell upon the water, something came very slowly floating towards him. Something which was almost wholly submerged, and, owing to that fact, drifted more quickly than the boat. As the thing drew nearer it gradually settled down in the water, and, before he could touch it, sank. "It looked like a cloak," he whispered. "What have I been doing here? I must get ashore, and see if the----" He could not bring himself to say "body," and without thought sat down, and began rowing rapidly towards Asherton's Quay. CHAPTER XV. THE FUTURE AS IT SEEMED. When Grey's boat came alongside the little quay he jumped out, and went hastily to a crowd of people assembled round the bodies and wreckage landed already. His manner was highly excited, and the questions put by him came in such an incoherent torrent the people did not know where to begin the answers. Some of the survivors, some of those who had been on the fore-deck, stood near: these he asked if they knew Mrs. Grey. Yes, some of them knew Mrs. Grey. Had they seen her either before or after the boat went down? Did they see her go aboard? She was to have been on board, and he was to have gone too, but he had been called away. Then he was to have joined the steamer off the Island; but she slipped him by, and he was not able to go on board. Could it be possible no one had seen his wife, Mrs. Grey? Could no one give him any tale or tidings of his wife? No. No one could tell him anything about her. No one had seen her; but then that was not to be wondered at, for all the people who survived had been on the fore-deck, and from the fore-deck it was impossible, or nearly impossible, to see the people on the after-deck. But surely some of those who had been saved knew whether his wife had or had not gone on board at Daneford? That was simple enough. They could not say; they only knew they had neither seen her nor heard of her that evening on the _Rodwell_, or in connection with the _Rodwell_.