"Let's walk."

They stepped along gaily, and they were soon standing on the wharf, Frank criticising the boats and the rowing, Lizzie all white in the sunlight, a little dumbfounded and astonished. Then he turned into the boat-house, and reappeared soon after, his arms bare, the sun on his neck.

"You got my telegram? My boat is ready?"

"Yes, sir, we got her out this morning."

"I suppose a lot of people wanted to have her, they all went for her, I'll bet."

"Yes, sir, a good many gentlemen asked if they could have her."

It seemed to please Frank that he had caused so many to be disappointed. "Well, get her out, we have no time to lose."

The man stepped from one fleet of skiffs to another, he caught at several boats with his boat-hook, but Frank's boat could not be found.

He shouted to his man who was sculling towards an island opposite: "What has become of Mr. Escott's boat? I took her out myself this morning."

"I should like to know what is the use of my sending you telegrams if I am delayed in this way?"

"My man will be here in a second, sir."

"Now, then, do be quick, stir yourself, I don't want to stand about here all day."

The a.s.sistant scratched his head. Finally it transpired that that party down the river--that party just gone away--must have had the boat. He didn't know anything about it, it wasn't his fault. They said they had engaged that boat over-night.

"My boat let out for hire! How dare you do this? I never heard of such a thing; I shall write to the papers."

"I will give you just as good a boat, sir--"

"As good a boat! You haven't a boat like it. How do I know you don't let my boat out for hire every day?"

"No danger of that, sir; I will give you another boat, one that you will be pleased with."

"My boat knocked about by some cad! He won't be back till nine o'clock to-night, perhaps. I never heard of such a thing. Which is it?"

"That one with the lady in the stern--the red parasol."

"He must be caught up, he must. Have you got an outrigger?" a.s.suring Lizzie that he would be back in less than half an hour, Frank bent to his work.

"If he rows like that he will run down some one," muttered the boatman. "Confound him and his boat!"

The outrigger shot through the water; the various craft paused, surprised at such furious rowing. Lizzie watched the race, asking the boatman if there was danger.

"Danger? No; but he'd better not say too much to that gent when he does catch him up, or there'll be a row, I expect. He's going round the bend; if he doesn't run into something, he'll catch them," said the boatman. "Would you like to look through my gla.s.s, miss? They'll be coming back presently."

Angry language was indulged in, but the apologies of the boatmen saved the young men the unpleasantness of blows, and, elated at his success, Frank handed Lizzie into the truant boat and paddled out into the stream. When he had got out of earshot and out of the notice of the boat-house he rested on his oars. "Did you see me overhaul them?"

"No, you pa.s.sed out of sight round the bend."

"Yes, by George! I had a good pull for it. There are a lot of red parasols up higher, and I had to look out for my boat. What did they say about my rowing?"

"They said you'd catch them if you didn't run into something."

"Did they? I was wild; and--would you believe it?--when I did catch them up the fellow began to object; he didn't want to come back, if you please. He said he had hired the boat, that he did not know the boat was mine--no proof. I said, 'I will give you proof,' and so I would have."

"I was afraid. I began to regret that I had come out with you."

"What nonsense! Done the fellow good if I had punched his head. Well, it has taken it out of me a bit. I had to put on a bit of a spurt to catch them; they had such a start, and they were going along a pretty fair pace, too. It has made me feel a bit peckish, a pull like that on an empty stomach; it must be close on twelve o'clock. What do you say, are you beginning to feel that it is lunch time?"

"I am not very hungry, and you forgot the luncheon basket. I ought to have reminded you to get some sandwiches at the railway station."

"Sandwiches! I don't want sandwiches; I want something more substantial than sandwiches. I'll paddle on; we aren't more than a tenminutes' paddle from the 'Roebuck,' a ripping nice hotel, I can tell you."

"Couldn't we have something to eat without going to an hotel?"

"I don't think so. I want a bottle of fizz, and the fizz there is excellent; one of the best hotels on the river; splendid gardens and tennis grounds, a great room overlooking the river; the best people go there; sometimes one can't get a table."

"I don't think I am well dressed enough."

"You look charming, a cotton dress and a parasol is all one wants for the river."

"You are not ashamed of me, then; you'll take me as I am?"

"Ashamed of you! Steer straight for that post--that's it, bravo!"

Frank shipped the oars, and when he felt the girl's arm laid on his as he helped her to land, it seemed to him that all the world was happiness. The spirit of the river, the fields and sky, leaped to his eyes. He a.s.sisted her to ascend the steps cut in the hillside. She laughed and laughed again, and stopped to rest. At last they stood on the railway line. It swept round another hill all overshadowed and dark with cedars.

"Here comes a train, let's wait. I must see it go round the curve."

"You should see the Bath express come along the broad gauge at the rate of sixty miles an hour."

"This is not an express?"

"No."

The luggage train came with an interminable rumble and jingle, and Lizzie waited till the last truck pa.s.sed under the branches. Then they went to an hotel full of daylight and stained wood, with glimpses of barmaids far away, and waiters running about; the rooms glistened with table linen; the waiters carved at a sideboard covered with pies, sirloins, hams, tongues. Only one table was occupied, and the waiters were lavishing all attention upon it. Lady Seveley leaned back smoking a cigarette. Fletcher sat next to her, alternately affecting indifference and fixing her with his eyes. Harding was voluble and observant. There was about them an air of thirty and the dissipations of thirty. And, not in the least ashamed of Lizzie, Frank bowed to Lady Seveley; she returned his bow by a slight nod; and Lizzie, very much embarra.s.sed, nodded to the men; they smiled in return.

"Who is that lady you saluted?"

"Lady Seveley; the lady I told you about, who I went to the theatre with the other night."

"Fancy a lady like that smoking a cigarette!"

A waiter approached with the bill of fare. "We had better not have anything hot, we shall lose the whole day. What do you say?"

"Cold sirloin of beef is excellent, sir; pigeon pie is also very good --young birds."

"Shall we try the pigeon pie? Get me the wine list. Take off your hat, Lizzie, do."

"I am afraid my hair will come down."