Part 60 (1/2)
”It's nothing,” he said--”the infernal thing hit me... . Oh, don't use _that_!” as she drenched her kerchief in cold sea-water and held it toward him with both hands.
”Take it!--I--I beg of you,” she stammered. ”Is it s-serious?”
”Why, no,” he said, his senses clearing; ”it was only a rap on the head--and this blood is merely a nuisance... . Thank you, I will use your kerchief if you insist... . It'll stop in a moment, anyway.”
”Please sit here,” she said--”here where I've been sitting.”
He did so, muttering: ”What a nuisance. It will stop in a second... .
You needn't remain here with me, you know. Go in; it is simply glorious.”
”I've been in; I was drying my hair.”
He glanced up, smiling; then, as the wet kerchief against his forehead reddened, he started to rise, but she took it from his fingers, hastened to the water's edge, rinsed it, and brought it back cold and wet.
”Please sit perfectly still,” she said; ”a girl likes to do this sort of thing for a man.”
”If I'd known that,” he laughed, ”I'd have had it happen frequently.”
She only shook her head, watching him unsmiling. But the pulse in her had become very quiet again.
”It's no end of fun in that canoe,” he observed. ”Gladys Orchil and I work it beautifully.”
”I saw you did,” she nodded.
”Oh! Where were you? Why didn't you come?”
”I don't know. Gladys called you. I was waiting for you--expecting you.
Then Gladys called you.”
”I didn't see you,” he said.
”I didn't call you,” she observed serenely. And, after a moment: ”Do you see only those who hail you, Captain Selwyn?”
He laughed: ”In this life's cruise a good sailor always answers a friendly hail.”
”So do I,” she said. ”Please hail me after this--because I don't care to take the initiative. If you neglect to do it, don't count on my hailing you ... any more.”
The stain spread on the kerchief; once more she went to the water's edge, rinsed it, and returned with it.
”I think it has almost stopped bleeding,” she remarked as he laid the cloth against his forehead. ”You frightened me, Captain Selwyn. I am not easily frightened.”
”I know it.”
”Did you know I was frightened?”
”Of course I did.”
”Oh,” she said, vexed, ”how could you know it? I didn't do anything silly, did I?”
”No; you very sensibly called me Philip. That's how I knew you were frightened.”