She stared at it, and, in all its undermining power of discouragement, it stared back .-- What if the deepest thing, the thing which alone lasted, the thing which, therefore, you were bound in the end to accept, to submit to, was just darkness, sorrow, loneliness of worn body and shrinking spirit, by the shore of a cold, dumb, and tenantless, limitless sea--what then?
From which undesirable abyss of speculation she was aroused by the sound of her own name--"Damaris Verity, hey--Damaris Verity"-- shouted, not roughly though in tones of urgent command, from above and behind her on the crest of the Bar.

Along with it came the rattle of shifting shingle under a strong active tread.
Hearing which the young girl's senses and faculties alike sprang to attention.

She rose from her dejected attitude, stood up and faced round, forgetful of aches and weariness and of woeful ultimate questionings, while in glad surprise her heart went out to meet and welcome the--to her--best beloved being in this, no longer, sorry world.
For even thus, at some fifty yards distant through the blur of falling rain, the figure presented to her gaze, in height, build, and fashion of moving, was delightfully familiar, as were the tones of the voice which had hailed her--if in not quite equal degree the manner of that hail.
Some change in his plans must have taken place, or some letter miscarried advising her of her father's earlier return.

Finding her out he had come to look for her .-- This was perfectly as it should be.

Had Colonel Carteret come home with him, she wondered.