The bud of a wondrous fair woman she was, and Barron saw her slim yet
vigorous figure accentuated under its drab-brown draperies by a kindly
breeze. He noted the sweet, childish freshness of her face, her plump arms
filling the sleeves of rusty black, and her feet in shoes too big for them.
Her hair was hidden under a linen sun-bonnet, but one lock had escaped, and
he noted that it was the color of wheat ripe for the reaping. He regretted
it had not been darker, but observed that it chimed well enough with the
flaming flowers behind it. And then he frankly praised Nature in his heart
for sending her servant such a splendid harmony in gold and brown. There
stood his picture in front of him. He gazed a brief second only, and then
his quick mind worked to find what human interest had brought Joan Tregenza
to this place and turned her eyes to the sea. It might be that herein
existed the possibility of the introduction he desired. He felt that
victory probably depended on the events of the next two or three minutes.
He owed a supreme effort of skill and tact to Fate, which had thus
befriended him, and he rose to the occasion.
The girl looked up as he came suddenly upon her, but his eyes were already
away and fixed upon the horizon before she turned. Observing that he was
not regarding her, she put up her hands again and continued to scan the
remote sea-line where a thin trail of dark smoke told of a steamer, itself
apparently invisible.
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