Part 39 (1/2)

If Nance had looked a moment longer she might have seen Gard slip down from the ridge to the wall, but the bombardment of the shelter, which gave him his chance, made an end of her hopes, and her face was hidden in the turf.

The Vicar's sight was not keen enough to see clearly what was pa.s.sing.

But when the men landed on the rock, and overran it in their search, he could not fail to see their figures on the ridge against the sky, and an exclamation of surprise roused Nance.

”What is it?” she jerked.

”They have landed over there. They seem to be searching the rock.”

”Then--” and she sat up suddenly and gazed intently across at L'Etat, and then sprang to her feet, a new creature. ”For, see you, Mr Cachemaille,” she cried, ”if they had killed him they would not be searching for him, nenni-gia!”

”That is true, child,” said the Vicar hopefully, and then, less hopefully, ”but where shall a man hide on L'Etat?”

”Ah now! I remember. Just as I was leaving him last night, he told me--”

”As you were leaving him--last night?” and the old man gazed at her as though he doubted his ears or her right senses.

”But yes,” she cried impatiently. ”I swam across there last night to see if Bernel was there and to take him some food. But you are not to tell that to any one. And he told me--”

”You swam across?--to L'Etat?”

”Yes, yes! We have done it many times, and, besides, I had the bladders--”

The Vicar shook his head helplessly. She forgot to explain so much that he did not understand. But he grasped at one thread.

”And Bernel?”

”Ah, my poor Bernel! He is drowned,” she said, with a heave of the breast, but with her eyes intent on L'Etat. ”I wanted him to take the bladders, but he would not; and it was the first night after the storm, you see, and the waves were big still, and he never got to L'Etat, and he never came back; so, you see--”

”Truly, you are being sorely tried, my child. But your brother was a better swimmer than most. May we not hope--”

But she shook her head, intent on the doings on the rock, and full, for the moment, of the hope she could draw from Gard's hint about a hiding-place of which she knew nothing. For if she and Bernel had never discovered it, how should these others? And obviously they were searching, for they prowled about the rock like ants, and poked here and there, and wandered on and came back. And if they still sought they had not yet found; and so there was a new spring of hope in her heart.

”Yes, truly, they are searching,” she murmured, and forgot the Vicar and all else.

He tried to induce her to go back home with him, but she would not move.

For the moment all her hope in life was in peril on the rock, and she must see all that went on; and finally he had to leave her there, and she hardly knew that he had gone. She wanted only to be left alone, to nurse her new-born hope and watch in fear and trembling for any symptom of its overthrow.

But she was not to be left in peace, for Madame Julie had heard the firing also, and had come round the headland by the miners' cottages, exulting in the fact that her enemy was run to earth at last and was meeting righteous punishment.

And as she prowled about there, chafing at the delay in the return of the boats, she came suddenly on Nance gazing out at L'Etat with a face--not, as Julie would have expected, downcast and woe-begone, but full of eager expectancy. And the sight of her, and in such case, stirred Julie to venom.

”Ah then--there you are, mademoiselle, listening to the end of your fancy gentleman! And the right end, too, ma foi! A man that goes knocking his neighbours on the head--it's right he should be shot like a rabbit--”

Nance's face quivered, but she did not even look round.

”You'll see them coming back presently, and they'll bring his body back with them in the boat, all full of holes. And then I'll feel that my Tom's paid for--”

”Do you hear?” she cried, planting herself in front of Nance, and jerking her hands up and down in her excitement and the exaspeiation of receiving no response. ”Do you hear me--you? Or are you gone crazy for love of your murderer?”--and she made as though to lay wild hands on the girl.