. I thought I'd carried it far enough back."

"Then you didn't move her after you pulled her up?"

"Certainly not," Jim rejoined, with some surprise. "If I'd wanted her
to float, I wouldn't have bothered to drag her up over the steep mud."

"Oh, well, we must get off," said Dick, who did not want to talk about
the punt. "The tide's running fast across the flats; I think we'll
make for the shell ridge."

Although the fog was thick, they reached the marsh, where Dick left
them. He was wet and it was some distance to Whitelees, but he would
not go to Langrigg and put on dry clothes. When Jim got calm he might
feel curious about the punt. Dick was not ready to satisfy his
curiosity yet. He was disturbed and wanted to get away.

The others went on, and when they came down to dinner nobody looked
much the worse. Jim, however, was quiet and although Carrie talked and
sometimes laughed, he imagined her cheerfulness was forced. Jake alone
seemed to have a good appetite and Jim was annoyed when Mrs. Winter
remarked that he did not eat much. She declared the dinner was pretty
good, although it had been served an hour or two late. When it was
over, Jim looked at the clock and proposed that they should play cards.
He would sooner have gone off to the library by himself, but Jake might
speculate about this and so long as they were occupied he need not
talk. The others would go to bed soon, and then he could grapple with
an awkward situation.

At length, Jake put down his cards. "I can't make it; you have beaten
us," he said, and pushed back his chair. "If you want to see the men
start to-morrow we had better go to bed."

He brought Mrs. Winter a candle and they left the hall; but Carrie
stopped to pick up the cards, and Jim waited. He heard Jake say good
night to his mother on the landing, and their steps died away. It was
very quiet in the hall, except for the snapping of the fire; and Jim's
hand trembled as he struck a match and lighted Carrie's candle. She
heard him move and looked up. There was some color in her face, which
cut sharply against the dark oak. Jim put the candle on the carved
newel-post at the bottom of the stairs.

"I was badly scared when we found the water was round the punt," he
said. "In fact, I rather lost my control."

"You were not scared for yourself and were very cool and quick," Carrie
replied and forced a smile. "Perhaps some people do lose control when
they are strongly mo