"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.
Pages:
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297
298
299
300
301
302
303
304
305
306
307
308
309