“Now, mother, neither you nor I can buy a boat. Shall we tell father and let him choose for himself?”
Joan knew this was the most prudent plan, but that love of “surprise pleasures” which is a dominant passion in children and uneducated natures would not let Joan admit at once this solution of the difficulty. How could she forego the delight of all the private consultations; of the bringing home of the boat; of the wonder of the villagers; of John’s happy amazement? She could not bear to contemplate the prosaic, commonplace method of sending John to buy his own boat when it was within the power of Denas and herself to be an unseen gracious providence to him. So after a moment’s thought she said: “There be Tris Penrose. It will be busy all and happy all for him to be about such a job.”
“I have not seen Tris since I came home. He is the only one who has not come to say welcome to me.”
“Aw, then, ’twas only yesterday he got home himself. He has been away with Mr. Arundel on his yacht.”
“You never told me.”
“You never asked. I thought, then, you didn’t want Tris to be named.”
“But what for shouldn’t I name Tris?”
“La! my dear, the love in Tris’ heart was a trouble to you. You were saying that often.”
“But Tris knows about fishing-boats?”