been my love, my Damaris, might yet in her sweet mercy come a-seeking me.
Wherefore, as I have before told, it had become my daily custom, morn and
eve, to climb that high land that I called the Hill of Blessed Hope, that I
might watch for my lady's coming.

But to-day, since Fate had set me in company with this evil creature,
instead of my noble lady, I came to a sudden and fixed resolution, viz:
That I would waste not another hour in vain dreams and idle expectations
but would use all my wit and every endeavour to get quit of the island so
soon as might be. Filled with this determination I rose and, coming to the
boat, began to examine it.

And I saw this: it was very stout-built but its planks wofully shrunk with
the sun, and though much stove forward, more especially to larboard, yet
its main timbers looked sound enough. Then, too, it lay none so far from
high-water mark and despite its size and bulk I thought that by digging a
channel I might bring water sufficient to float it, could I but make good
the breakage and caulk the gaping seams.

The longer I looked the more hopeful I grew and the end of it was I hasted
to bring such tools as I needed and forthwith set to work. All the morning,
and despite the sun, I laboured upon this wrecked boat, stripping off her
cracked and splintered timbers and mightily pleased to find her framework
so much less damaged than I had dared hope, insomuch that I presently fell
a-whistling; but coming on three ribs badly sprung I became immediately
dejected. Howbeit I had all the wood I could wish as planks, bulkheads
and the like, all driven ashore from wrecked vessels, with bolts and nuts
a-plenty; thus as I worked I presently fell a-whistling again.

Suddenly, I was aware of the woman watching me, and glancing at her as she