Josephine did not know why her steed had put out
to sea, or whither he was going. She turned round, and, seeing Caius,
held out her hand, imploring his aid.
Caius thanked Heaven at that moment It was true that Josephine kept her
seat upon the horse perfectly, and it was true that, unless the animal
intended to lie down and roll when he got into the deep grass of the
island, he had probably no malicious intention in going there. That did
not matter. Josephine was terrified by finding herself in the sea and
she had cried to him for aid. A quick run, a short swim, and Caius waded
up on the island sands. The colt had a much longer distance to swim, and
Caius waited to lay his hand on the bridle.
For a minute or two there was a chase among the shallow, rippling waves,
but a horse sinking in heavy sand is not hard to catch. Josephine sat
passive, having enough to do, perhaps, merely to keep her seat. When at
length Caius stood on the island grass with the bridle in his hand, she
slipped down without a word and stood beside him.
Caius let the dripping animal go, and he went, plunging with delight
among the flowering weeds and bushes. Caius himself was dripping also,
but, then, he could answer for his own movements that he would not come
too near the lady.
Josephine no longer wore her loose black working dress; this morning she
was clad in an old habit of green cloth.
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