ough to settle the business,--one from the eyes of the man, the
other from those of the woman. You and Miss Gueldmar must have exchanged
a dozen such messages at least."

"And you?" inquired Errington persistently. "You had the same chance as
myself."

George shrugged his shoulders. "My dear boy, there are no wires of
communication between the Sun-angel and myself; nothing but a blank,
innocent landscape, over which perhaps some day, the mild lustre of
friendship may beam. The girl is beautiful--extraordinarily so; but I'm
not a 'man o' wax,' as Juliet's gabbling old nurse says--not in the
least impressionable."

And forthwith he resumed his oar, saying briskly as he did so--

"Phil, do you know those other fellows must be swearing at us pretty
forcibly for leaving them so long with Dyceworthy. We've been away two
hours!"

"Not possible!" cried Errington, amazed, and wielding his oar
vigorously. "They'll think me horribly rude. By Jove, they must be bored
to death!"

And, stimulated by the thought of the penance their friends were
enduring, they sent the boat spinning swiftly through the water, and
rowed as though they were trying for a race, when they were suddenly
pulled up by a loud "Halloo!" and the sight of another boat coming
slowly out from Bosekop, wherein two individuals were standing up,
gesticulating violently.

"There they are!" exclaimed Lorimer. "I say, Phil, they've hired a
special tub, and are coming out to us."

So it proved. Duprez and Macfarlane had grown tired of waiting for their
truant companions, and had taken the first clumsy wherry that presented
itself, rowed by an even clumsier Norwegian boatman, whom they had been
compelled to engage also, as he would not let his ugly punt out of his
sight, for fear some harm might chance to befall it. Thus attended, they
were on their way back to the yacht. With a few long, elegant strokes,
Errington and Lorimer soon brought their boat alongside, and their
friends gladly jumped into it, delighted to be free of the company of
the wooden-faced mariner they had so reluctantly hired, and who now, on
receiving his fee, paddled awkwardly away in his ill-constructed craft,
without either a word of thanks or salutation. Errington began to
apologize at once for his long absence, giving as a reason for it, the
necessity he found himself under of making a call on some persons of
importance in the neighborhood, whom he had, till now, forgotten.

"My good Phi