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Albert gasped。
〃Helen！〃 he called breathlessly。
She turned her head and looked up at him。 Her face was white； but
she did not scream。
〃Helen！〃 cried Albert； again。 〃Helen； do you hear me？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃Are you badly hurt？〃
〃No。 No； I don't think so。〃
〃Can you hold on just as you are for a few minutes？〃
〃Yes； II think so。〃
〃You've got to； you know。 Here！ You're not going to faint； are
you？〃
〃No； II don't think I am。〃
〃You can't！ You mustn't！ Here！ Don't you do it！ Stop！〃
There was just a trace of his grandfather in the way he shouted the
order。 Whether or not the vigor of the command produced the result
is a question； but at any rate she did not faint。
〃Now you stay right where you are；〃 he ordered again。 〃And hang on
as tight as you can。 I'm coming down。〃
Come down he did； swinging over the brink with his face to the
bank； dropping on his toes to the upper edge of the slope and
digging boots and fingers into the clay to prevent sliding further。
〃Hang on！〃 he cautioned； over his shoulder。 〃I'll be there in a
second。 There！ Now wait until I get my feet braced。 Now give me
your handyour left hand。 Hold on with your right。〃
Slowly and cautiously； clinging to his hand； he pulled her away
from the edge of the precipice and helped her to scramble up to
where he clung。 There she lay and panted。 He looked at her
apprehensively。
〃Don't go and faint now； or any foolishness like that；〃 he ordered
sharply。
〃No； no； I won't。 I'll try not to。 But how are we ever going to
climb upup there？〃
Above them and at least four feet out of reach； even if they stood
up； and that would be a frightfully risky proceeding； the sod
projected over their heads like the eaves of a house。
Helen glanced up at it and shuddered。
〃Oh； how CAN we？〃 she gasped。
〃We can't。 And we won't try。〃
〃Shall we call for help？〃
〃Not much use。 Nobody to hear us。 Besides； we can always do that
if we have to。 I think I see a way out of the mess。 If we can't
get up； perhaps we can get down。〃
〃Get DOWN？〃
〃Yes； it isn't all as steep as it is here。 I believe we might sort
of zig…zag down if we were careful。 You hold on here just as you
are； I'm going to see what it looks like around this next point。〃
The 〃point〃 was merely a projection of the bluff about twenty feet
away。 He crawfished along the face of the slope； until he could
see beyond it。 Helen kept urging him to be carefuloh； be
careful！
〃Of course I'll be careful；〃 he said curtly。 〃I don't want to
break my neck。 Yesyes； by George； it IS easier around there！ We
could get down a good way。 Here； here； don't start until you take
my hand。 And be sure your feet are braced before you move。 Come
on； now。〃
〃II don't believe I can。〃
〃Of course you can。 You've GOT to。 Come on。 Don't look down。
Look at the sand right in front of you。〃
Getting around that point was a decidedly ticklish operation； but
they managed it； he leading the way； making sure of his foothold
before moving and then setting her foot in the print his own had
made。 On the other side of the projection the slope was less
abrupt and extended much nearer to the ground below。 They
zigzagged down until nearly to the edge of the steep drop。 Then
Albert looked about for a new path to safety。 He found it still
farther on。
〃It takes us down farther；〃 he said； 〃and there are bushes to hold
on to after we get there。 Come on； Helen！ Brace up now； be a
sport！〃
She was trying her best to obey orders； but being a sport was no
slight undertaking under the circumstances。 When they reached the
clump of bushes her guide ordered her to rest。
〃Just stop and catch your breath；〃 he said。 〃The rest is going to
be easier； I think。 And we haven't so very far to go。〃
He was too optimistic。 It was anything but easy； in fact； the last
thirty feet was almost a tumble； owing to the clay giving way
beneath their feet。 But there was soft sand to tumble into and
they reached the beach safe； though in a dishevelled； scratched and
thoroughly smeared condition。 Then Helen sat down and covered her
face with her hands。 Her rescuer gazed triumphantly up at the
distant rim of broken sod and grinned。
〃There； by George！〃 he exclaimed。 〃We did it； didn't we？ Say；
that was fun！〃
She removed her hands and looked at him。
〃WHAT did you say it was？〃 she faltered。
〃I said it was fun。 It was great！ Like something out of a book；
eh？〃
She began to laugh hysterically。 He turned to her in indignant
surprise。 〃What are you laughing at？〃 he demanded。
〃Ohoh； don't； please！ Just let me laugh。 If I don't laugh I
shall cry； and I don't want to do that。 Just don't talk to me for
a few minutes； that's all。〃
When the few minutes were over she rose to her feet。
〃Now we must get back to the pavilion； I suppose；〃 she said。 〃My；
but we are sights； though！ Do let's see if we can't make ourselves
a little more presentable。〃
She did her best to wipe off the thickest of the clay smears with
her handkerchief； but the experiment was rather a failure。 As they
started to walk back along the beach she suddenly turned to him and
said：
〃I haven't told you howhow much obliged I am forfor what you
did。 If you hadn't come； I don't know what would have happened to
me。〃
〃Oh； that's all right；〃 he answered lightly。 He was reveling in
the dramatic qualities of the situation。 She did not speak again
for some time and he； too； walked on in silence enjoying his day
dream。 Suddenly he became aware that she was looking at him
steadily and with an odd expression on her face。
〃What is it？〃 he asked。 〃Why do you look at me that way？〃
Her answer was； as usual； direct and frank。
〃I was thinking about you；〃 she said。 〃I was thinking that I must
have been mistaken； partly mistaken； at least。〃
〃Mistaken？ About me； do you mean？〃
〃Yes； I had made up my mind that you werewell； one sort of
fellow； and now I see that you are an entirely different sort。
That is； you've shown that you can be different。〃
〃What on earth do you mean by that？〃
〃Why； I meanI mean Oh； I'm sure I had better not say it。 You
won't like it； and will think I had better mind my own affairs
which I should do； of course。〃
〃Go on； say it。〃
She looked at him again； evidently deliberating whether or not to
speak her thought。 Then she said：
〃Well； I will say it。 Not that it is really my business； but
because in a way it is begging your pardon； and I ought to do that。
You see； I had begun to believe that you werethat you werewell；
that you were not veryvery active； you know。〃
〃Active？ Say； look here； Helen！ What〃
〃Oh； I don't wonder you don't understand。 I mean that you were
ratherrather fond of not doing muchofof〃
〃Eh？ Not doing much？ That I was lazy； do you mean？〃
〃Why； not exactly lazy； perhaps； butbut Oh； how CAN I say just
what I mean！ I mean that you were always saying that you didn't
like the work in your grandfather's office。〃
〃Which I don't。〃
〃And that some day you were going to do something else。〃
Which I am。〃
〃Write or act or do something〃
〃Yes； and that's true； to