'Indeed!' quoth Lance. 'Bill remembers his confidences by the river.'
'Moonshine!' growled Bill, but scarce heeded, for John had turned to his wife with a droll injured air of condolence, saying, 'Ah! my dear, these little secrets will come out; but we must make the best of it!'
'And talking of rivers and moonshine,' cried Angela, 'we'll have a turn in the boat. Hurrah for the boat! Come, Bear—come, Bill—I want my first lesson in rowing.'
'Stay,' said Felix; 'that eddy where the Leston comes down makes the river not safe when you do not know it. Now, girls, all of you, remember once for all that I desire you will never go in the boat without some one who can swim, nor take Theodore without me.'
He seldom gave a direct command, but there was enforcement in his tone; and John added, 'Quite right. I see it is a stream not to be trusted.'
'It is just a device to hinder our going at all,' pouted Angela.
'And swimming is a mere hindrance to drowning aisy, if you are to be drownded,' added Bill.
'Do you know,' added Clement, 'that
"To Leston and Ewe
Underwood pays due,"
in every generation?'