shore continued to sit on, punctually abiding by their
agreement to remain on the same spot till the others returned. The
Esplanade lamps were lit one by one, the bandsmen folded up their stands
and departed, the yachts in the bay hung out their riding lights, and the
little boats came back to shore one after another, their hirers walking
on to the sands by the plank they had climbed to go afloat; but among
these Stephen and Olive did not appear.

'"What a time they are!" said Emily. "I am getting quite chilly. I did
not expect to have to sit so long in the evening air."

'Thereupon James Hardcome said that he did not require his overcoat, and
insisted on lending it to her.

'He wrapped it round Emily's shoulders.

'"Thank you, James," she said. "How cold Olive must be in that thin
jacket!"

'He said he was thinking so too. "Well, they are sure to be quite close
at hand by this time, though we can't see 'em. The boats are not all in
yet. Some of the rowers are fond of paddling along the shore to finish
out their hour of hiring."

'"Shall we walk by the edge of the water," said she, "to see if we can
discover them?"

'He assented, reminding her that they must not lose sight of the seat,
lest the belated pair should return and miss them, and be vexed that they
had not kept the appointment.

'They walked a sentry beat up and down the sands immediately opposite the
seat; and still the others did not come. James Hardcome at last went to
the boatman, thinking that after all his wife and cousin might have come
in under shadow of the dusk without being perceived, and might have
forgotten the appointment at the bench.

'"All in?" asked James.

'"All but one boat," said the lessor. "I can't think where that couple
is keeping to. They might run foul of something or other in the dark."

'Again Stephen's wife and Olive's husband waited, with more and more
anxiety. But no little yellow boat returned. Was it possible they could
have landed further down the Esplanade?

'"It may have been done to escape paying," said the boat-owner. "But
they didn't look like people who would do that."

'James Hardcome knew that he could found no hope on such a reason as
that. But now, remembering what had been casually discussed between
Steve and himself about their wives from time to time, he admitted for
the first time the possibility that their old tenderness had been revived
by their face-to-face position more strongl