It was two or three days before she was able to throw off entirely the languor which followed her immersion in the sea; but on the evening of the third day, as the sun drew near its setting, she once more roamed down the path to the beach, a new light in her eyes and a warmer glow on her cheek.
The long shadows of evening stretched over the shore, and the sun sank low in the western sky, all flooded with crimson, and purple, and pale yellow, as she flung herself down under a towering rock, still a little languid, but full of an inrushing tide of happiness.

The green waves came rolling in, their foaming crests catching the rosy pink of the sunset; the sea-gulls sailed lazily home from their day's fishing.

The sheep on the hillside were folded, and the clap clap of the mill in the valley came on the breeze.
Valmai sat long gazing at the crimson pathway over the sea, both heart and soul filled to over-flowing with the beauty of the sunset hour.
Not even Cardo's presence was missed by her, for she knew now that he loved her; she knew that sooner or later she should meet him, should see him coming, through the golden sunlight of the morning, or in the crimson glory of the evening, with buoyant steps and greeting hands towards her; and almost as the thought crossed her mind, a sound fell on her ear which brought the red blood mantling to her cheek.

Thud, thud on the sands; it was surely his footsteps, and in another moment Cardo was beside her.
"At last, Valmai!" he said, stretching out both hands to clasp her own as she rose to meet him, "at last! Where have you been the last three years?
do not say they have been days! are you well and none the worse for your wetting ?" and still holding her hands in his, he made her sit again on the rock, while he stretched himself on the dry sand at her feet.
A little silence fell upon them both--a strange constraint which was new to them, and which Valmai was the first to break.
"I ought to be thanking you for saving my life, Cardo Wynne; but indeed I have no words to speak my thanks.

I know I owe my life to you.