Pearl of Pearl Island eBook

John Oxenham
This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 265 pages of information about Pearl of Pearl Island.

Pearl of Pearl Island eBook

John Oxenham
This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 265 pages of information about Pearl of Pearl Island.

“No wonder you found Mr. Pixley a trial, dear,” said Miss Penny.

“You don’t mean to cast stones of doubt at that shining pillar of the law and society, Miss Penny?” said Graeme, tempted to enlarge on so congenial a subject.

“Mr. Pixley does not appeal to me—­nor I to him.  I like him just as much as he likes me.  And that’s just that much,”—­with a snap of the fingers.

“I’m afraid you and I are in the same boat,” said Graeme enjoyably.

“I shouldn’t be a bit surprised,—­and for the same reason.  We both like—­”

“What shall we do for provisions, Mr. Graeme, if the storm continues?” asked Margaret, and Miss Penny smiled knowingly.

“I suggest husbanding those we have.  It can’t surely last long.”

“Mrs. Carre was telling us the other night that once no steamer could get to Sark from Guernsey for three weeks,” chirped Miss Penny.  “If a steamer couldn’t get to Sark, how should a small boat get to Brecqhou—­Q.E.D.?”

“Gracious!” cried Margaret in dismay.

“Mr. Graeme would have to catch rabbits for us—­and fish.  And I believe there are potatoes growing outside there.  Our clothing will be in rags, Meg.  Mr. Graeme will be a wild man of the woods, and all our portraits will appear in the illustrated papers.  The Outcasts of Brecqhou.  Marooned on an Uninhabited Island.  Three Weeks Alone.”

“I’m off for a look round,” said Graeme.  “If that boat should be waiting for us, somewhere down below, it would be too stupid for us to be waiting for it up here,” and he turned up his coat collar and pulled his cap over his brows.

“You’ll get soaked,” said Margaret.  “Please take this, it will help a little,” and she jumped up and thrust her golfing cloak into his hands.  He seemed about to refuse, then thanked her hastily, and threw it over his shoulders and went out.

The wind caught him and whirled him along towards Beleme cliffs.  He tacked to the south and made a slant for the place where they had landed.  As soon as he was out of sight of the house he drew the hood of the cloak over his head and rejoiced in it.

To be wearing her cloak brought Margaret appreciably nearer.  Possibly that hood had even been over her head, had touched her shining hair, her fair soft cheek.  He pressed it to his face, to his lips, and the hot blood danced in his veins at his temerity.  The gale bellowed outside and drove him staggering, but inside the hood was the uplifting warmth and glow of personal contact with the beloved.  Her very mantle was sacred to him.  He fancied he could detect in it a subtle intimation of herself.  He hugged it close, and leaned back upon the gale, and drifted towards the southern cliffs.

One glance at the black rocks below,—­now hidden by the rushing fury of the surges, now outstanding gaunt and grim, with creamy cascades pouring back into the roaring welter below,—­showed him how impossible it would have been for any boat to approach there.

Copyrights
Project Gutenberg
Pearl of Pearl Island from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.