Part 22 (2/2)

'Do you uish one of those familiar craft about half a mile away, just within the limit of vision

'The 'Korrew inattentive to his work 'Barely four,' fro off under some play of the current Then caht up inI triced up the main-tack, and stowed the headsails unaided When I had done Davies was still gazing to ard through his binoculars, and, toviolently I had never seen this happen before, even at moments when a false turn of the wrist meant death on a surf-battered bank

'What is it?' I asked; 'are you cold?'

'That little boat,' he said I gazed to ard, too, and no a scrap of white in the distance, in sharp relief

'Sh,' said Davies to himself, in a sort of nervous stahy'

He handed, or rather pushed,

'Dollmann?' I exclaimed

'No, it's _hers_--the one she always sails She's colasses the white scrap becaht following breeze An angle of the creek hid the hull, then it glided into view So, ure For full two nantthe lenses, but I kept them to my eyes; for I did not want to look at Davies At last I heard hiive one of his characteristic 'h'hy's painter, and pulled her up alongside

'You co the rowlocks (His hands were steady again) I laughed, and shoved the dinghy off

'I'd rather you did,' he said, defiantly

'I'd rather stay I'll tidy up, and put the kettle on' Davies had taken a half stroke, but paused

'She oughtn't to coested 'Chilly day, long way from home, common courtesy--'

'Carruthers,' said Davies, 'if she comes aboard, please remember that she's outside this business There are no clues to be got from _her_'

A little lecture which would have nettledood or ill, the Rubicon was passed

'It's your affair this time,' I said; 'run it as you please'

He sculled aith vigorous strokes 'Just as he is,' I thought to -dew, ancient oilskin coat (only one button); grey jersey; grey woollen trousers (like a deep-sea fisher boots A vision of his antitype, the Cowes Philanderer, crossed e by it, andhis dileripped his sculls

I watched the two boats converging They would meet in the natural course about three hundred yards away, but a hitch occurred First, the sail-boat checked and slewed; 'aground,' I concluded The row-boat leapt forward still; then checked, too Fro of sculls floated across the still air, then silence The summit of the watershed, a physical Rubicon, prosaic and slimy, had still to be crossed, it seemed But it could be evaded Both boats headed for the northern side of the creek: two figures were out on the brink, hauling on two painters Then Davies was striding over the sand, and a girl--I could see her noas coo below and tidy up

Nothing on earth could have made the 'Dulcibella's' saloon a worthy reception-room for a lady I could only use hurried efforts toa bunch of cotton-waste and a floor-brush; by pitching into racks and lockers the litter of pipes, charts, odd afresh, however recently we had tidied up; by neatly arranging our de the table under a clean white cloth