The two ladies and two gentlemen were walking along the meadow, some distance behind the children, and a little way from the bank, when they were startled by a scream of agony from Saffy. She was running shrieking towards them. No Mark was to be seen. All broke into a run to meet her, but presently Mrs. Raymount sank on the grass. Hester would have stayed with her, but she motioned her on.

Vavasor outran the major, and reached Saffy first, but to his anxious questions—“Where is he? Where did you leave him? Where did you see him last?” she only continued shrieking.

When the major came up, he heard enough to know that he must use his wits and lose no time in trying to draw information from a creature whom terror had made for the moment insane. He kept close to the bank, looking for some sign of the spot where Mark had fallen in.

He had indeed overrun the place, and was still intent on the bank when he heard a cry behind him. It was the voice of Hester, screaming “Across, across!”

He looked across, and saw half-way over, slowly drifting towards the mill-lade, a something dark, now appearing for a little above the water, now sinking out of sight. The major’s experienced eye saw at once it must be the body, dead or alive—only he could hardly be dead yet—of poor Mark. He threw off his coat, and plunged in, found the water deep enough for good swimming, and made in his direction.

In the meantime, Hester, followed by Vavasor, sped along the bank till she came to the weir, over which hardly any water was running. The footing was uncertain, with deep water on one side up to a level with the stones, and a steep descent to more deep water on the other. In one or two spots the water ran over, and those spots were slippery. But, rendered fearless by her terrible fear, Hester flew across without a slip, leaving Vavasor some little way behind, for he was neither very sure-footed nor very sure-headed.

By the time she had reached the other side and turned back up river, the major was already trying to get the unconscious form of Mark on to the bank. The poor man had not swum so far for many years, and was nearly spent.

He gave a great heave, got the body half on the shore, and was just able to scramble out himself. When Hester reached him, he was doing all he could to bring back the boy’s life. She knelt down and caught the child up in her arms.

“Come, come!” she cried, and ran with him back to the mill. The major followed, running, panting, dripping. When they met Vavasor, he would have taken him from her, but she would not give him up.