"I hope you'll have a lovely time," said Gwen cheerfully. "Too bad to disappoint you, Mr. Mitchell, but Mr. Hilary spoke first, you see."
"Oh, I did see," returned Mr. Mitchell.
"He's in a regular huff," said Kenneth coming down to where Gwen stood. "Would you rather have gone with the other party? I was so afraid of losing you that perhaps I didn't allow you any choice."
"I'd always rather go with Mr. Williams than anyone," returned Gwen, "and it will do Mr. Mitchell good not to get his own way for once. I fancy he is rather unused to such an experience, being a forceful sort of person in matters of business."
"That's why he succeeds. One must be very direct and prompt of course, in order to get ahead in this world."
Gwen laughed. "Then I am sure you ought to succeed, for anything more direct and prompt than yourself on this occasion it would be hard to find. When I first saw you coming Mr. Mitchell was yards nearer."
Kenneth smiled. "Did you see? I shouldn't have imagined it. I was conscious that he would reach you first if I came down to a level with you, so the only way to out-general him was to run along the bluff and hail you from above. What were you so absorbed in looking at?"
"One of these delightful little pools that are a perfect joy to me. There are some further out that one can reach only at low tide. Aren't they fascinating? A sort of dream world, a fairy haunt. See those tiny bright points of blue, where the light strikes that bunch of moss. Could anything be more brilliant? There is such a variety of color in these pools. Have you ever studied them closely? You have no idea how much vegetable and animal life one such small spot as this can contain."
"I've observed them less closely than you, I'm afraid, though I have always found them interesting. Are you ready for the sail? Shall you not need a warm wrap? Shall I get it for you?"
"I'd better get it myself, but you may come with me. I am glad Aunt Cam consented to go. She usually has a hundred excuses. I never knew anyone take to housekeeping and home furbishing with such zest. But she has always had absorbing interests of some kind, and cannot do anything by halves. This is one of the blue days, isn't it?"