He gulped and looked again at Rosalind. Her head was still moving, and her lips were grim.
"What I meant was, Uncle Henry said there was something wrong at the island, and—well, you see, he wanted me to look out for it."
"What's wrong?" demanded the voice of Reginald Williams.
Unanimous dismay overspread the faces of the group. They remembered Reggy's heart!
"Nothing at all," said Rosalind coolly, as she stabbed the stout young man with a warning glance. "What Mr. Kellogg meant was that his uncle is engaged in some agricultural experiments, and that when he was called away it was necessary to have somebody there to look after them. So Mr. Kellogg came up."
It was a shot in the air, but Rosalind felt that agriculture was safe and non-exciting. The members of the group breathed again and looked at her in admiration. The stranger was also staring at her without comprehension.
"Agricultural experiments!" snorted Reggy.
"Certainly," said Rosalind freezingly. "Exactly that. He is experimenting with a new kind of cauliflower. It's very delicate, and it has to be looked after whenever there is the least danger of frost. That's why he wanted—burlap. Isn't it, Mr. Kellogg?"
"Why—yes," the fat youth assented faintly.
Once more Rosalind received a tribute from grateful eyes, but this time they contained astonishment as well as gratitude. She accepted the homage complacently. The role for which she had cast Reggy Williams was still his.