A touch on his arm made him start.  It was Tobias.

‘Stop you here, sir,’ he said; ’Bill’s off, and he’s the youngest and spryest,’ and sure enough there was Williams already within a few yards of Mr. Vane.  ’I don’t take it there’s much danger of no drownding—­and Bill knows the deep part.  But it’s cold for the gentleman, so delicate as he is—­we two had best stay dry and be ready to give ’em a hand when they get in.  But it beats me, it do, to think what child could be such a fool as to try to cross that there water—­such a thing’s ne’er happened before.’

Mr. Mildmay did not like to give in, though he knew there was sense in what Tobias said.  He stood hesitating, one boot half off, but there was not long to wait.  Soon came a cheery cry from Williams, ’All right, sir, all right,’ and in almost less time than it takes to tell it, the two men, half-swimming, half-wading, were seen returning, carrying between them a little dripping figure, with streaming hair, white face, and closed eyes.

[Illustration:  ’——­carrying between them a little dripping figure, with streaming hair, white face, and closed eyes.’  P. 161.]

It was thus that Biddy paid her long thought-of visit to the lighthouse.

She was not drowned, nor anything approaching to it; she had only once, or twice perhaps, been thoroughly under the water; the whole had in reality passed very quickly, but not so had it seemed to Biddy.  Unless you have ever been, or thought yourself in danger of drowning, you could not understand how in such a case seconds seem minutes, and minutes hours; and the ducking and the cold and the terror all combined had made things seem worse than they really were.  Bridget was almost quite unconscious by the time her father had got hold of her—­perfectly stupefied any way; her clothes were heavy too, and she was at no time a light weight.  Altogether it was a very good thing indeed that strong hardy Bill was close behind Mr. Vane, whose powers would not have held out very long.  As it was, he was whiter even than Biddy, his teeth chattering with cold and nervous excitement, when at last the whole party found themselves safe in the living-room or kitchen of the lighthouse.

Old Tobias had hot blankets down before the fire and a steaming tumbler of brandy and water ready in no time.  Biddy, deposited in front of the grate, sat up and looked about her in a dazed sort of way.  She felt as if she were dreaming.

‘Biddy,’ said her father, ’you must take off the wettest of your things at once.’

Biddy began to finger her garments.

‘My frock’s the worst,’ she said; ‘and oh, where’s my hat gone?’

‘Never mind your hat, child,’ said Tobias.  ‘Here, step this way,’ and he led her to a sort of partition in the corner of the room, behind which was his own bed; ’take off your things, my dear, and get into bed with this blanket round you whiles I sees to the gentleman.  You’ll be none the worse of your drenching:  salt water’s a deal better for not catching cold.  It’s the gentleman we must see to.  It’s the new rector, and a delicate gentleman he is.’