Then suddenly her rapt expression broke into a merry smile. "I know!
Of course! Absurdly easy! I shall tell him that I am under a spell
too--bound beyond all chance of escape to marry an Englishman." The sweet
face dimpled over the inspiration. "That ought to settle him, unless he
is very persevering; in which case of course I should have to tell
him--quite kindly--that I really didn't think I could. Fancy marrying a
crab--and a French crab too!"

She began to laugh, gaily, irrepressibly, light-heartedly, and skipped on
to the first weed-covered rock that obstructed her path. It was an
exceedingly slippery perch. She poised herself with arms outspread, with
a butterfly grace as airy as her visions.

Away in the distance Cinders, nearing exhaustion, leaned on one elbow and
scratched spasmodically with his free paw.

"Good-bye, Cinders!" she called to him in her high young voice. "I'm
never coming back any more."

Lightly she waved her hand and sprang for another rock. But her feet
slipped on the seaweed, and she splashed down into a pool ankle-deep.

"Bother!" she said, with vehemence. "It's these silly sandals. I'll leave
them here till I come back."

She scrambled out again and pulled them off. "If I really don't come back
I shan't want them," she reflected, with her merry little smile.

She arranged sandals and towel on the flat surface of a rock and pursued