Terry rowed quickly in the direction of the Merry Jane. From her position Arden could see Dimitri and his somewhat mysterious guest out on the narrow, railed walk that extended all around the house part of the boat. The Russian was obviously waiting for those whom he had summoned by the note on his dog’s collar. The woman Olga was talking to him rapidly, as Terry and Arden could hear. They noticed, as they drew nearer, that her face seemed paler than before, and her eyes were flaming. Dimitri looked quizzically at the approaching boat, and when they pulled alongside he quickly grasped Tania by the collar. The dog was transformed, suddenly, from the dignified white animal who had sat so quietly in the boat, to a raging, snarling beast. Dimitri hustled her on the houseboat and made her secure somewhere inside. He reappeared almost at once and said to Terry and Arden:
“It is most kind of you to do this. I do not like to be such a nuisance, but I promise you it shall not happen again.” The girls thought he seemed too cross even to talk to them.
He motioned to Olga, who jumped lightly into the boat.
“Good-bye, Dimitri,” she said clearly. “You have won this time, but it is not the end, by any means.”
“Au’voir, then, Olga, till we meet again. I hope it will not be—too soon,” he said, totally ignoring all politeness and smiling, the girls thought, bitterly.
“Thank you, comrade,” he said to Terry. “Will you take her back now? She is driving to New York tonight.”
Though he spoke to Terry, his remark almost seemed like an order to the dark woman, an order delivered in such a tone that it would seem foolhardy to overlook it. So Terry nodded her sandy head, and Arden said, “Good-bye,” almost inaudibly. Then they started back once more to Terry’s landing.
When they were out of earshot the woman apparently regained some of her composure; at least, she did not seem so angry.
“You know Dimitri, then?” she asked in an attempt to be pleasant.
“We gave him some candles one night, and he lent us an oar once,” Arden answered. “We don’t see him very often.”