"Why, you see, I may seem very silly and egotistic to speak of it; but—The fact is, didn't any of you think it was strange that I didn't try to go into the surf for Mac, yesterday?"
Three of the women before him made a polite murmur of dissent. The fourth was silent; but Dr. McAlister said frankly,—
"Yes. It wasn't at all like my idea of you, Mr. Barrett."
The young man looked pleased.
"Thank you, doctor," he said heartily. "I value that sort of compliment. But I didn't want to go away from here and leave you to think me an arrant coward. The truth is, I shouldn't have been of much use to Mac or to myself. I'm not swimming, this summer, for I was unlucky enough to break my arm, last June, and it's not at all strong yet."
Quickly Billy put out his hand.
"I'm glad to know this, Barrett," he said. "I haven't been quite fair to you."
"I wish you had told us before," Theodora added laughingly. "We haven't had time to compare notes yet; but there is no telling what some of us may have thought about it. But isn't it very bad for your music, Mr. Barrett?"
"It came at an inconvenient time," he admitted; "for I was in the middle of some work, and I have had to let it all go."
"How did it happen?" Hope asked sympathetically. "I hope it wasn't a bad break."