When Mrs. Jack and 'her friend' had come into the hotel sitting-room thelatter said to me:
"I hope you forgive us for all the trouble we have put you to."
"No trouble at all," I answered--and oh! it sounded so tame--"only apleasure!" "Thank you," she continued gravely, "that is very nice ofyou. Now we want you to add to your kindness and take us out again onthat rock. I have not yet finished my sketch, and I don't like to bebaffled."
"Finished your sketch, my dear," said Mrs. Jack, in a tone whichmanifestly showed that the whole thing was new to her. "Why, Marjory, itwas washed into the sea before Mr. Hunter came to help us!" The slight,quick blush which rose to her face showed that she understood the falseposition in which the maladroit remark placed her; but she went onpluckily:
"Oh, yes, dear, I know! What I mean is, that having set my heart onmaking that sketch, I want to do it; even if my first effort went wrong.That is, dear Mrs. Jack, if you do not mind our going out there again."
"Oh, my dear," said the elder lady, "of course I will do just whateveryou wish. But I suppose it will do if I sit on the rock near at hand?Somehow, since our experience there, I seem to prefer the mainland thanany place where you may have to swim to get away from it." Marjorysmiled at me as she said to her:
"That will do capitally. And you can keep the lunch basket; and haveyour eye on me and the rising of the tide all the time."
So I sent to Whinnyfold to have a boat ready when we should drive over.Whilst the ladies were preparing themselves for the boating trip Iwent to my room and took in my pocket the papers from the chest and myrescripts. I took also the letter which I had not been able to deliver.
At Whinnyfold Miss Anita and I took the steep zigzag to the beach,piloted by one of John Hay's boys whilst the other took Mrs. Jack acrossthe neck of the headland to the Sand Craigs.
As we went down the steep path, the vision of the procession of ghostsmoving steadily up it on Lammas Eve, came back to me; instinctively Ilooked round to see if Gormala was watching. I breathed more freely whenI saw she was not about.
I should dearly have liked to take Miss Anita alone in the boat, but Ifeared that such was not safe. Rowing amongst the rocks of the Skares isat the best of times no child's play, and I was guardian of too great atreasure to be willing to run any risks. Young Hay and I pulled, the boybeing in the bow and doing the steering. This position of affairs suitedme admirably, for it kept me close to my companion and facing her. Itwas at all times a pleasure to me as it would have been to any man, towatch her face; but to-day her eager joy at the beauty of all around hermade me thrill with delight. The day was ideal for the place; a bright,clear day with just a ripple of wind from the water which took the edgefrom the July heat. The sea quivered with points of light, as though itwere strewn with diamonds, and the lines of the racing tide threading away amongst the rocks below were alone an endless source of interest.We rowed slowly which is much the safest way of progression in thesewaters, and especially when, as now, the tide was running towards theend of the ebb. As the boy seemed to know every one of the myriad rockswhich topped the water, and by a sort of instinct even those that laybelow, we steered a devious course. I had told him to take us round bythe outer rocks from which thousands of seabirds rose screaming as weapproached; and as we crept in under the largest of them we felt thatmysterious sense of unworthiness which comes to one in deep water underthe shadow of rocks. I could see that Marjory had the sense of doubt,or of possible danger, which made her clutch hard at each gunwale ofthe boat till her knuckles grew white. As we rounded the Reivie o'Pircappies, and found the tide swirling amongst the pointed rocks,she grew so deadly pale that I felt concerned. I should have liked toquestion her, but as I knew from my experience of her courage that shewould probably prefer that I remained silent, I pretended not to notice.Male pretence does not count for much with women. She saw through meat once, and with a faint smile, which lit the pallor of her face likesunshine on snow, she said in so low a whisper that it did not reach thefisher boy:
"I was thinking what it would have been for us that day--only for you."
"I was glad," I answered in an equally low voice, "to be able to renderany help to--to Mrs. Jack and her friend."
"Mrs. Jack--and her friend--are very much obliged to you," she answeredgaily in her natural voice and tone. I could see that she had fullyregained her courage, as involuntarily she took her hands from the sidesof the boat. We kept now well out from the rocks and in deep water,and shortly sighted the Sand Craigs. As we could see Mrs. Jack and herescort trudging leisurely along the sand, and as we did not wish tohurry her, I asked young Hay with my companion's consent, to keepround the outermost of the Sand Craigs, which was now grey-white withsea-gulls. On our approach the birds all rose and wheeled round withmyriad screaming; the wonder and admiration of the girl's eyes as theyeagerly followed the sweep of the cloud of birds was good to see.
We hung around the great pointed rock till we saw Mrs. Jack making herway cautiously along the rocks. We rowed at once to the inner rock andplaced the luncheon basket in a safe place. We then prepared a littlesheltered nook for Mrs. Jack, with rugs and cushions so that she mightbe quite at ease. Miss Anita chose the place herself. I am bound to sayit was not just as I should have selected; for when she sat down, herback was towards the rock from which she had been rescued. It wasdoubtless the young girl's thoughtfulness in keeping her mind away froma place fraught with such unpleasant memories.
When she was safely installed we dismissed the boys till the half tide.Mrs. Jack was somewhat tired with her trudge over the sand, and evenwhen we left her she was nodding her head with coming sleep. Then MissAnita got out her little easel which I fixed for her as she directed;when her camp stool was rightly placed and her palette prepared I satdown on the rock at her feet and
looked at her whilst she began herwork. For a little while she painted in silence: then turning to me shesaid suddenly:
"What about those papers? Have you found anything yet?" It was only thenI bethought me of the letter in my pocket. Without a word I took it outand handed it to her. There was a slight blush as well as a smile on herface as she took it. When she saw the date she said impulsively:
"Why did I not get it before?"
"Because I had not got your address, and did not know how to reach you."
"I see!" she answered abstractedly as she began to read. When she hadgone right through it she handed it to me and said:
"Now you read it out loud to me whilst I paint; and let me ask questionsso that I may understand." So I read; and now and again she askedme searching questions. Twice or three times I had to read over thememorandum; but each time she began to understand better and better, andat last said eagerly:
"Have you ever worked out such reductions?"
"Not yet, but I could do so. I have been so busy trying to decipher thesecret writing that I have not had time to try any such writing myself."
"Have you succeeded in any way?"
"No!" I answered. "I am sorry to say that as yet I have nothingdefinite; though I am bound to say I am satisfied that there is acipher."
"Have you tried both the numbers and the dots?"
"Both," I answered; "but as yet I want a jumping-off place."
"Do you really think from what you have studied that the cipher is abiliteral one, or on the basis of a biliteral cipher?"
"I do! I can't say exactly how I came to think so; but I certainly do."