time the _Ernestina_ passed through Buttermilk channel between
Brooklyn and Governor's Island. On the New York side the slips of
South Ferry and Hamilton Ferry passed before Evan's eyes, and a little
later Wall street ferry. The bridge was not visible to him where he
sat, but he knew it was looming close ahead; the next ferry-house,
Fulton Ferry, was almost directly under it. Finally he got an oblique
view of the approach to the bridge with the trolley cars and trucks
crawling upon it, and he stooped over to untie his shoes.

Suddenly the _Ernestina_ gave a little lurch, and he looked up to see
what was the matter. She was swinging around again! She turned her
tail to Brooklyn Bridge and started out to sea again. Certainly if
anybody had been following her course that morning they would have been
justified in supposing the Captain to be slightly demented.

Evan laced up his shoes. He grinned to himself in mixed satisfaction
and chagrin. Corinna had found a way to evade the choice he had given
her! True, she had prevented him from jumping overboard, but she had
not come to him. Clearly she preferred to endure his presence on the
boat all day rather than give him five minutes alone with her.

The only thing he could think of to bring her was the power of
curiosity. Perhaps if he stayed where he was she would be forced in
the end to come see what had happened to him. He determined to try it
anyhow.

"But as soon as she looks out of the door and sees me safe, she'll fly
back," he thought. He moved his stool around to the very stern of the
_Ernestina_. Here he was invisible unless one came all the way round
to see.

Here his patience was indeed put to a test. He had nothing to read--he
could not have applied his mind to it, if he had had, and he dared not
smoke for fear of betraying himself. All he could do was to sit and
study the scenery. The _Ernestina_ went back through Buttermilk
channel, and rounded Red Hook. She passed the Erie basin where upon
the boundary fence Evan had the edification of reading a sign half a
mile long extolling the virtues of a certain English condiment. And
they say the English are not enterprising! She crossed the mouth of
Gowanus bay and passed the villas of Bay Ridge, and still nothing
happened.

But as she approached the Narrows, Evan thought he heard one of the
sliding doors squeak, and his heart leaped. Jumping up he flattened
himself against the deck house. Th