“There’s plenty of time,” she said, in reply to an uneasy remark of Mrs. Stobell’s.  “It’s only just three, and we don’t sail until four.  What is that horrid, clanking noise?”

“Some craft getting up her anchor,” said Edward, going to the window and leaning out.  “WHY!  HALLOA!”

“What’s the matter?” said both ladies.

Edward drew in his head and regarded them with an expression of some bewilderment.

“It’s the Fair Emily,” he said, slowly, “and she’s hoisting her sails.”

“Just trying the machinery to see that it’s all right, I suppose,” said Mrs. Chalk.  “My husband said that Captain Brisket is a very careful man.”

Edward Tredgold made no reply.  He glanced first at three hats standing in a row on the sideboard, and then at the ladies as they came to the window, and gazed with innocent curiosity at the schooner.  Even as they looked she drew slowly ahead, and a boat piled up with luggage, which had been lying the other side of her, became visible.  Mrs. Chalk gazed at it in stupefaction.

“It can’t be ours,” she gasped.  “They—­they’d never dare!  They—­they—­”

She stood for a moment staring at the hats on the sideboard, and then, followed by the others, ran hastily downstairs.  There was a hurried questioning of the astonished landlady, and then, Mrs. Chalk leading, they made their way to the stairs at a pace remarkable in a woman of her age and figure.  Mrs. Stobell, assisted by Edward Tredgold, did her best to keep up with her, but she reached the goal some distance ahead, and, jumping heavily into a boat, pointed to the fast-receding schooner and bade the boatman overtake it.

“Can’t be done, ma’am,” said the man, staring, “not without wings.”

“Row hard,” said Mrs. Chalk, in a voice of sharp encouragement.

The boatman, a man of few words, jerked his thumb in the direction of the Fair Emily, which was already responding to the motion of the sea outside.

“You run up the road on to them cliffs and wave to’em,” he said, slowly.  “Wave ’ard.”

Mrs. Chalk hesitated, and then, stepping out of the boat, resumed the pursuit by land.  Ten minutes’ hurried walking brought them to the cliffs, and standing boldly on the verge she enacted, to the great admiration of a small crowd, the part of a human semaphore.

[Illustration:  “She enacted, to the great admiration of a small crowd, the part of a human semaphore.”]

The schooner, her bows pointing gradually seawards, for some time made no sign.  Then a little group clustered at the stern and waved farewells.