The Real Charlotte. 169 



It was already six o'clock, but he kept this to himself, and 

 lost no time in starting again for Bruff. 



The excitement and hurry of the escapade had conspired, 

 with the practical business of steering and attending to the 

 various brass taps, to throw sentiment for a space into the 

 background, and that question as to whether forgiveness 

 should or should not be extended to him, hung enchant- 

 ingly on the horizon, as delightful and as seductive as the 

 blue islands that floated far away in the yellow haze of the 

 lowered sun. There was not a breath of wind, and the 

 launch slit her way through tranquil, oily spaces of sky that 

 lay reflected deep in the water, and shaved the long rocky 

 points so close that they could see the stones at the bottom 

 looking like enormous cairngorms in the golden shallows. 



"That was a near thing," remarked Mr. Hawkins com- 

 placently, as a slight grating sound told that they had 

 grazed one of these smooth-backed monsters. "Good 

 business old Snipey wasn't on board ! " 



"Well, I'll tell old Snipey on you the very minute I get 

 back ! " 



" Oh, you little horror ! " said Mr. Hawkins. 



Both laughed at this brilliant retort, and Hawkins looked 

 down at her, where she sat near him, with an expression of 

 fondness that he did not take the least pains to conceal. 



" Hang it ! you know," he said presently, " I'm sick of 

 holding this blooming wheel dead amidships ; I'll just 

 make it fast, and let hei rip for a bit by herself." He 

 suited the action to the word, and came and sat down 

 "beside her. 



"Now you're going to drown me again, I suppose, the 

 way Mr. Lambert did," Francie said. She felt a sudden 

 trembling that was in no way caused by the danger of which 

 she had spoken ; she knew quite well why he had left the 

 wheel, and her heart stood still with the expectation of that 

 explanation that she knew was to come. 



" So you think I want to drown you, do you ? " said 

 Hawkins, getting very close to her, and trying to look under 

 the wide brim of her hat. " Turn round and look me in 

 the face and say you're ashamed of yourself for thinking ot 

 such a thing." 



" Go on to your steering," responded Francie, still look- 



