The legend had received an unexpected boom in the drowning of Roberts,
which had just occurred. Roberts was a fisherman who had recently come
from the South. One calm day in February he had rowed out into the bay
in fulfilment of a drunken boast. He was drowned three days before
Midsummer.

After dinner young Cargill forgot about it. He forgot almost everything
except Betty Lardner. But, oddly enough, as he walked back to the hotel
it was just Betty Lardner who made him think again of the legend. He was
in love, and, being very young, wanted to do something insanely heroic.
To defy the Fates by looking on the sunken village was an obvious outlet
for heroism.

He must have thought a good deal about it before he fell asleep, for he
remembered his resolution on the following morning.

After breakfast he sauntered along the brief strip of asphalt which the
villagers believe to be a promenade. He was not actually thinking of the
legend; to be precise, he was thinking of Betty Lardner, but he was
suddenly reminded of it by a boatman pressing him for his custom.

"Yes," he said abruptly. "I will hire your boat if you will row me out
to the sunken village. I want to look at it."

The Welshman eyed him suspiciously, perceived that he was not joking,
and shook his head.

"Come," persisted Cargill, "I will make it a sovereign if you care to do
it."

"Thank you, but indeed, no, sir," replied the Welshman. "Not if it wass
a hundred sofereigns!"

"Surely you are not afraid?"

"It iss not fit," retorted the Welshman, turning on his heel.

It was probably this opposition that made young Cargill decide that it
would be really worth while to defy the legend.

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