Mary relapsed into a fit of exasperated silence. If Pete's rage had cooled, her own was still at cherry heat. She felt ready to take the whole world by the throat and shake revenge out of it, particularly out of Bill Marshall. But she was helpless even to start upon the warpath. A girl in a bathing suit, the skirt of which had been carried to sea by a ruthless yacht, is not panoplied for a campaign. She felt shamed, outraged, desperate to the point of violence—and futile. It seemed quite possible, as she viewed it then, that she might be compelled to sit on that beach for the remainder of her life. Certainly she did not intend to walk around Larchmont in a costume designed only for the Australian crawl.
Pete was devoting time to a survey of their immediate environment. The beach was not more than ten yards in breadth; it was bounded on either side by the little capes of rock, and behind them by a low stone wall. A well-rolled and clipped lawn came down to the edge of the wall; it was studded with trees and shrubs. The gable of a dwelling was visible through an opening. As Pete studied the landscape a figure appeared from among the trees.
It was that of a young man in white flannels. He approached to the top of the stone wall and observed them carefully.
"This is a private beach," said the young man, speaking in a peculiar drawl that Pete immediately identified with the world of exclusive society.
Mary, until then unaware of the presence of a third person, turned quickly, observed the speaker and huddled her knees under her chin.
"Well, we're private citizens," said Pete.
"We do not permit trespassing," said the young man.
"Do you by any chance permit Divine Providence to deposit a pair of shipwrecked castaways on your seacoast?" inquired the valet.
The young man in flannels appeared to be puzzled. He was now studying Mary with particular attention. Then he glanced quickly from side to side, as though searching for something else.
"We never permit motion pictures to be taken here," he said. "Oblige me by going away."