Cardo saw it in the mantling blush and the pleased smile as he found a
seat on the grass beside her. She placed her hand in his with a
whispered word of greeting, for it would not do to speak aloud in that
quiet concourse of people.

"Where have you been?" he asked, at last.

"At home," she whispered. "Why?"

"Because I hoped you would be out--"

Valmai shook her head as a farmer's wife looked round at her
reprovingly. Cardo attempted another remark, but she only smiled with
her finger on her lips.

"This is unendurable," he thought; but he was obliged to be satisfied
with the pleasure of sitting beside her until the long sermon was over,
and the crowd rose _en masse_ with ejaculations of delight at the
moving eloquence of the preacher.

"As good as ever he was!" "Splendid!" "Did you hear that remark about
the wrong key?" "Oh! telling!" And amongst the murmer of approval and
enthusiasm Valmai and Cardo rose. For a moment the former looked
undecided, and he read her thoughts.

"No--not home with the crowd, but down over the beach;" and she fell in
with the suggestion, turning her face to the sea breeze and taking the
path to the shore.

Here the Berwen was running with its usual babbling and gurgling