The girl seemed both surprised and amused.
"Do you know," said she, "I much prefer you like that when I see that you can be human for a moment and put aside that philosophical face?"
"Is a Hottentot then more of a human being in your eyes than a philosopher?" let fall the commissioner, but at once regretting that he had aroused her to consciousness, he broke a branch from the white beam tree, and wove a wreath and gave it to the girl who had become sober when she saw she had betrayed herself by committing such extreme stupidity.
"Now you shall wreathe the victim, Miss Mary," said the commissioner as a cover. "I wish instead of one I were a hundred and permitted to go as a hecatomb to the slaughter for you."
Kneeling he received the wreath from the pacified beauty, whereupon he started on a run towards the beach with the girl after him.
Down at the water's edge they stopped.
"Shall we throw skipping stones?" proposed she.
"If you please," answered he and selected a flat stone.
They threw stones out over the water a few moments until they became warm.
"Shall we take a bath?" suddenly exclaimed the girl, as if she had for a long time hatched the thought which must now come out.